Quote Quoting Manannán
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I had agreed to a deposit of $600 and month to month payments of $600. Upon leaving, I asked him if I could have the deposit back and he said he didn't have it at the moment but that he could mail me a check. I never got the check
I'm assuming this relates to residential property.

How long has it been since you moved out and gave the landlord the keys?

Section 1950.5(e) of the California Civil Code provides that "[t]he landlord may claim of the security [i.e., withhold from the security deposit] only those amounts as are reasonably necessary for the purposes specified in subdivision (b)." Section 1950.5(b) provides that the permissible purpose for withholding from the deposit are (1) unpaid rent, (2) repairs, exclusive of ordinary wear and tear, (3) cleaning, and (4) to remedy any future defaults under the rental agreement.

Section 1950.5(g)(1) provides as follows: "No later than 21 calendar days after the tenant has vacated the premises, . . . the landlord shall furnish the tenant, by personal delivery or by first-class mail, postage prepaid, a copy of an itemized statement indicating the basis for, and the amount of, any security received and the disposition of the security, and shall return any remaining portion of the security to the tenant."

Section 1950.5(l) provides that, in the event of bad faith retention by the landlord of any or all of the security deposit, the landlord could be liable for statutory damages of up to twice the amount of the security, in addition to the amount improperly withheld.