Security Deposit Calculator: How Much of Your Deposit Is Actually at Risk?

Most renters find out how much of their security deposit they are losing on the day the itemized statement arrives — which is exactly the day it is too late to do anything about it. This free security deposit calculator flips that around. Answer twelve quick questions about the condition of your rental and you will see, in dollars, roughly how much of your deposit is at risk right now, which specific issues are driving the number, and what to fix first.

It takes about ninety seconds, nothing is stored, and you do not need to enter an email address.

Free renter tool

Security Deposit Return Estimator

Answer 12 quick questions about your rental and see how much of your deposit is actually at risk — plus exactly what to fix before the final walkthrough.

If you’re not sure, use one month’s rent — that’s the most common amount.

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Walls & fixtures

The single most common source of deductions.

How did you hang things on the walls?

Adhesive strips leave nothing behind. Screws and anchors do.

Have you patched and touched up those holes?

A $6 tub of spackle can save you a few hundred dollars.

Did you paint or wallpaper anything?

Even a color you love can be billed back as “restoration.”

Scuffs, marks, or dings on the walls?
Floors

Carpet and hardwood are the most expensive line items on any move-out bill.

What condition are the floors in?
Do you have pets in the unit?

Odor treatment and carpet replacement are charged separately from any pet deposit.

Cleaning & condition

The easiest money to keep — and the most commonly lost.

What’s your move-out cleaning plan?
Oven, fridge, and bathroom — deep cleaned?

These three get inspected first and are billed separately.

Will you leave anything behind?

Furniture, trash, or anything in storage gets charged as haul-away.

Your paper trail

This is what decides who wins a dispute — and most renters get it wrong.

Do you have dated move-in photos?

Without them, pre-existing damage becomes your damage.

Did you give written notice on time?

Short notice can forfeit the entire deposit in many leases — regardless of condition.

Will you attend the final walkthrough?

Being in the room is the cheapest leverage you have.

0 of 12 answered

Estimated at risk

$0

Where the money goes

Typical US charges for each issue you flagged, based on common landlord and property-manager rates.

Your action plan

Do these in order. The top items pay for themselves fastest.

    Heads up: This is an estimate built on typical US move-out charges, not legal advice. Deposit rules, deduction limits, and return deadlines vary by state and by lease. Always check your own lease and your state’s landlord-tenant law before a dispute.

    How this estimate is calculated

    Every answer you select is mapped to a typical US move-out charge range — the kind of numbers that show up on real itemized deduction statements from landlords and property management companies. Wall repair, turnover cleaning, carpet treatment, odor remediation, and haul-away are all billed at vendor rates, which is why a repair that costs you $12 in materials can appear on your statement as $180.

    The tool then sums those ranges, caps the total at your actual deposit amount, and weights the result toward the lower end of each range — because renters who act on the checklist consistently land nearer the floor of the estimate than the ceiling. The percentage you see is how much of your deposit is currently exposed, not a prediction of what you will definitely lose.

    Two of the twelve questions are not about condition at all. They are about your paper trail: whether you have dated move-in photos, and whether your notice was given in writing on time. These two carry disproportionate weight because they decide who wins when a charge is disputed. A renter with a clean unit and no documentation is in a weaker position than a renter with minor damage and a complete photo record.

    What landlords can and cannot deduct

    This is the distinction the whole thing turns on, and it is the one most renters get wrong in their own favor and most landlords get wrong in theirs.

    Normal wear and tear — generally not deductible:

    • Faded paint and minor discoloration from sunlight
    • Lightly worn carpet in traffic paths
    • Small scuffs and a handful of nail holes from hanging pictures
    • Loose door handles, worn caulk, aging grout
    • Minor scratches on floors from normal furniture use

    Damage — generally deductible:

    • Large holes, anchor craters, or unrepaired TV mount holes
    • Pet stains, odor, or chewed trim — see how to protect your deposit with a pet
    • Burns, deep gouges, or water damage from neglect
    • Unauthorized paint or wallpaper that has to be restored
    • Filth, left-behind furniture, or trash requiring haul-away

    Some situations sit in between and depend on who was responsible. Mold and mildew is a good example: if it grew because of a leak the landlord failed to fix, it is theirs; if it grew because a bathroom was never ventilated, it is yours. The same logic applies to apartment pest problems.

    The four fixes that recover the most money

    Across almost every result this tool produces, the same four items account for the bulk of the exposure. If you only have one weekend, do these.

    1. Patch and paint every hole. This is consistently the highest-value hour of work available to a renter. A $6 tub of spackle and a sample pot of matching paint routinely prevents a $200 to $450 charge. The renter’s wall repair guide covers the technique, and damage-free strips prevent the problem entirely next time.
    2. Deep clean the oven, fridge, and bathroom. These three are the first things an inspector opens and they are itemized separately from general cleaning. Work from a real move-out cleaning checklist rather than cleaning by feel.
    3. Document everything with timestamps. Photograph every room, wall, floor, and appliance before you hand over the keys. The same 12 photos you take on move-in day work just as well on the way out, and they are what settles a dispute.
    4. Get your notice in writing. Late or verbal notice is the single largest potential deduction in the entire model, because many leases treat it as forfeiture regardless of how clean the unit is. If you have not read your notice clause yet, start with the 5 lease red flags.

    Frequently asked questions

    How much of my security deposit should I get back?

    If you leave the unit clean, undamaged beyond normal wear and tear, and you gave proper written notice, you should get 100% of it back. In practice most deductions come from four places: cleaning, wall repair, floor damage, and paperwork problems like missing notice or missing move-in photos. The estimator above walks through all four.

    What counts as normal wear and tear versus damage?

    Normal wear and tear is the deterioration that happens just from living somewhere — faded paint, lightly worn carpet traffic lanes, small scuffs, loose door handles. Damage is anything caused by accident, neglect, or abuse: burns, pet stains, large holes, broken fixtures, or filth. Landlords can deduct for damage. They cannot legally deduct for normal wear and tear, though many try.

    Can my landlord charge me for painting?

    Usually only if you painted without permission, or if the walls need repainting because of damage rather than age. Routine repainting between tenants is generally considered normal turnover cost, not a tenant charge — especially after you have lived there a few years. If you painted a bold color, ask in writing whether the original color has to be restored.

    How long does a landlord have to return my deposit?

    It varies by state, and it typically runs from 14 to 60 days after you move out. Most states also require an itemized written statement of any deductions. If you get a deduction with no itemization, that is often your strongest point in a dispute.

    What if I disagree with the deductions?

    Start with a written request for the itemized breakdown and receipts, then send a dated dispute letter with your move-in and move-out photos attached. Most disputes are resolved at this stage. Small claims court is the fallback, and it is where documentation almost always decides the outcome. We walk through the whole process in how to dispute a security deposit deduction.

    Related guides

    Work through these in the order that matches where you are:

    This estimator is an educational tool built on typical US move-out charges. It is not legal advice. Security deposit limits, allowable deductions, itemization requirements, and return deadlines are set by state law and by your individual lease — always check both before disputing a charge.