Roommate Situation - Security Deposit Check is Returned To

[KoH]

My question involves a security deposit in the State of: California

Just got out of a month-to-month lease agreement for an apartment with a roommate. Easy question: If both our names are on the lease agreement, can the security deposit check returned by the landlord only be made out to one of those people or does it have to be both?

[Mr. Knowitall]

Generally speaking, the landlord will want to make the check out to both tenants. If the tenants want things handled differently, e.g., dividing the refund between two checks or issuing the check to only one tenant, they should try to work things out with the landlord beforehand.