How Long Can a Landlord Keep a Security Deposit in New York? Exactly 14 Days

The question has a number for an answer: fourteen days. Under GOL u00a7 7-108 as amended by the 2019 HSTPA, the clock starts when you vacate, and by day fourteen the landlord must have returned your deposit and provided a written itemized statement for anything withheld. There is no reasonable time standard, no grace period, and no exception for landlords who were busy. Day fifteen is not a gray area; it is a forfeiture, the statutory loss of any right to retain any portion of the deposit. Understanding the timeline helps you use it. Vacatur means you have surrendered possession, so hand back the keys in a documentable way and provide a forwarding address in writing. Photograph the empty unit. Then simply wait and count. If a statement arrives on time, scrutinize it: each deduction needs a specific basis, receipts beat estimates, and faded paint or carpet wear from ordinary living cannot be charged at all. If nothing arrives, your position is stronger than most tenants believe, and it improves further where the retention was willful, which triggers punitive damages of up to twice the deposit. Rent stabilized tenants gained these same protections on November 15, 2025 through the amendment of GOL u00a7 7-107. The single biggest mistake is delay: the law does not require you to send reminders, but leverage is a perishable asset, and a statute citing demand in the weeks after day fourteen recovers deposits fastest.