Pennsylvania security deposit law

Security Deposit Laws in Pennsylvania: What Your Landlord Can and Cannot Keep

Your landlord has 30 days under Pennsylvania law to return your security deposit, or you may be owed more than what they withheld. If they keep more than they're legally allowed, you can dispute it.

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Pennsylvania security deposit return timeline

Deadline to return

30 days

Statute

68 P.S. § 250.512 (Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951, § 512) — deadline and list at (a), forfeiture at (b), double damages at (c), forwarding-address bar at (e)

Within 30 days of termination of a lease OR upon surrender and acceptance of the leasehold premises, WHICHEVER FIRST OCCURS, the landlord must provide a written list of any damages for which the landlord claims the tenant is liable, and delivery of that list must be ACCOMPANIED BY payment of the difference between the escrowed sum (including unpaid interest) and the actual damages (§ 250.512(a)). TWO DISTINCT FAILURES CARRY TWO DISTINCT CONSEQUENCES: failing to provide the written list within 30 days forfeits all rights to withhold (subsection (b)); failing to pay the balance within 30 days triggers double damages (subsection (c)). CRITICAL CONDITION: under § 250.512(e), a tenant's failure to provide the landlord with the tenant's new address IN WRITING upon termination or upon surrender and acceptance RELIEVES THE LANDLORD FROM ANY LIABILITY UNDER THIS SECTION — a COMPLETE BAR, unlike Texas or Ohio where the tenant retains the deposit claim itself. Applies only to residential leaseholds, not commercial (subsection (f)); any attempted waiver by the tenant is void and unenforceable (subsection (d)). Related: § 250.511a caps the escrow at two months' rent in the first year and one month's rent thereafter.

What can a landlord legally deduct in Pennsylvania?

Allowed

  • ✓Actual damages to the leasehold premises caused by the tenant, identified in the required written list
  • ✓Nonpayment of rent, or breach of any other condition in the lease — § 250.512(a) expressly preserves the landlord's right to refuse return on those grounds

Not allowed

  • ✗Any withholding at all where the landlord failed to provide the written list of damages within 30 days — § 250.512(b) forfeits all rights to withhold any portion and to sue the tenant for damages to the premises

What if your landlord keeps your deposit wrongfully in Pennsylvania?

If the landlord fails to pay the tenant the difference between the sum deposited (including unpaid interest) and the actual damages within 30 days, the landlord shall be liable in assumpsit to DOUBLE the amount by which the escrowed sum (including unpaid interest) EXCEEDS the actual damages (§ 250.512(c)). The landlord bears the burden of proving actual damages. Separately, failing to furnish the written damages list within 30 days forfeits all rights to withhold any portion and to sue the tenant for premises damage (§ 250.512(b)). NOTE the double-damages measure is on the EXCESS over actual damages, NOT on the whole deposit, and the § 250.512(e) written-forwarding-address requirement is a PRECONDITION to any liability under the section.

How TenantNex helps

  1. 1. Tell us your move-out date, deposit amount, and landlord's address — two minutes.
  2. 2. We generate a demand letter citing 68 P.S. § 250.512 (Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951, § 512) — deadline and list at (a), forfeiture at (b), double damages at (c), forwarding-address bar at (e) and your exact deadline.
  3. 3. We mail it to your landlord via USPS Certified Mail with return receipt.
  4. 4. You track delivery on your case page, with day-7 and day-14 follow-up.

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Pennsylvania tenant rights resources

Every fact on this page is verified against Pennsylvania's official statutory text as of 2026-09-04. TenantNex prepares legal correspondence as a document preparation service, not as your attorney. For complex disputes, consult a licensed attorney in Pennsylvania.

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TenantNex is a document preparation and delivery service, not a law firm. We prepare and send correspondence using publicly available state statutes. We do not provide legal advice, legal representation, or guarantee any outcome. For complex legal matters, consult a licensed attorney in your state.