Free interactive calculator
Security Deposit Refund Calculator
Check your deposit against the statutory cap where you rent, then test whether your landlord's painting, cleaning and damage deductions survive standard wear-and-tear benchmarks. You get an itemised breakdown plus a ready-to-send message for your landlord.
Your numbers
After 18 months of tenancy, allowable painting is ₹12,500 (50% of the claim) and cleaning is capped at 1× rent (₹30,000). Your deposit also exceeds the local statutory cap by ₹1,20,000.
- Statutory deposit cap (India)
- ₹60,000
- Deposit above the statutory cap
- ₹1,20,000
- Painting — allowed vs claimed
- ₹12,500 / ₹25,000
- Cleaning — allowed vs claimed
- ₹8,000 / ₹8,000
- Damage — accepted if itemised proof exists
- ₹5,000
- Refund the landlord already owes
- ₹1,42,000
- Total you can potentially recover
- ₹2,74,500
What to do: High risk. Send a written dispute demanding itemised invoices for painting and cleaning, cite Model Tenancy Act 2021 — residential deposits capped at 2 months' rent, and give a 15-day deadline before escalating to the rent authority or consumer forum.
Hi [Landlord name], Thank you for sharing the deposit deductions. Based on Model Tenancy Act 2021 — residential deposits capped at 2 months' rent, and standard wear-and-tear practice, I'd like to raise the following: • Painting: you have claimed ₹25,000. After 18 months of tenancy, painting is normal wear and tear; a fair tenant share works out to ₹12,500. The painting charge deduction exceeds standard wear-and-tear by ₹12,500. • Cleaning: you have claimed ₹8,000, against a reasonable ceiling of one month's rent (₹30,000). • Damage: I'm happy to bear ₹5,000 for genuine damage, subject to itemised invoices and photos referenced to the move-in inventory. • Deposit amount: the deposit of ₹1,80,000 exceeds the statutory cap of ₹60,000. On that basis I'd expect a refund of ₹2,74,500. Could you please share itemised invoices and confirm the refund date? Thank you, [Your name]
Get your custom landlord dispute letter — drop your rental agreement below to scan for illegal deduction clauses.
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This calculator uses the numbers you enter. For a real analysis of your actual contract wording (with negotiation drafts), upload the document.
Frequently asked questions
- Is there a legal limit on how much deposit a landlord can take?
- In many places, yes. India's Model Tenancy Act 2021 caps residential deposits at two months' rent. England's Tenant Fees Act 2019 caps most deposits at five weeks' rent. California caps most deposits at one month's rent from July 2024, and New York at one month. Texas has no statutory cap. The calculator applies the cap for the location you select.
- How is a 'fair' painting deduction calculated?
- Painting is a normal wear-and-tear cost after roughly 12 months of tenancy. A widely accepted benchmark is straight-line amortisation to zero at 36 months — so after 18 months the tenant should bear about 50% of the painting cost, and after 36 months, nothing.
- Can the landlord deduct professional cleaning?
- Only up to a reasonable amount — typically capped at one month's rent. Anything above that shifts a landlord-side cost onto the tenant and is usually unenforceable if disputed.
- What counts as 'damage' vs wear-and-tear?
- Wear-and-tear (faded paint, minor scuffs, worn fittings from normal use) is the landlord's responsibility. Damage (broken fixtures, holes, burns) is deductible — but only with itemised invoices and photos, ideally referenced to a move-in inventory.
- What if the landlord refuses to refund?
- Send a written demand letter with the itemised breakdown and a deadline. If ignored, escalate to the local rent authority, tenancy deposit scheme, or consumer forum. Uploading the rental agreement here also flags illegal forfeiture clauses you can cite.