We moved out of our rental house on March 28, did the walk through, delivered the keys/remotes. 21 days have come and gone and we have not received our deposit back or any communication/list of repairs, etc from landlord.
I guess maybe he mailed it all on the 21st and it is still in the mail… is this the norm? should I smell trouble? I am trying to keep an open mind, but hey, this is the Bay Area, where everything is “different” 
PS. deposit is significant ($9,000)
Not good. I would be on the horn, calling him/her…
thanks. from what I have read so far on other sites, everyone suggests no calls/texts, everything by certified mail… things can get nasty. Oh dear…
how soon do you normally return the deposits?
I usually return within an hour of the walkthrough, but i think the landlord has a few days. This is not normal (and i think not legal).
I believe most jurisdictions around here at least say max 2 weeks right, everyone? Yes, you can follow up with all that but I mean I would call pronto to know where the heck is your money.
Dated, so check on update but this says 21 days…
(oops, not you ba_lurker, but to OP)
I always give them a cheque on the last day of rental during walkthrough. Hate to owe people money. I also point out cleanliness issue and minor repairs stuff but I absorb them so far since usually amount to less than 10% of deposit.
I think you have to call the landlord.
Guess Singaporeans think alike 
Really hate to owe people funds.
Thanks. Yes, i am aware of the 21 day rule (it’s been 23). I guess maybe he mailed it on the last day. Just checking to see if that is what everyone does…
Due to the 21 day rule, If you moved locally and don’t have the check by today, you can sue to get it or file with whatever agency handles it in your city. It doesn’t say it in the article, but I believe if you don’t get it on time, the landlord loses the right to deduct anything from the deposit.
Landlord has your new mailing address?
yes
I would make a call if I were you. After the call, if the answer for the delay is not to your satisfaction, use certified mail etc
I would call first as well. If the check got lost in the mail, he probably wants to know ASAP too.
Or he might not have the cash on hand…and then you go to communicating via certified mail.
What’s your perception of your landlord based on the interactions so far? Before this delay in deposit refund, would you have considered your LL to be someone who can scam people?
PS: You meant Feb 28 right?
Oh no, he’s posting from the future!
@Rent_and_Vent can you tell us about the SPY performance in Apr please? 
No need to worry. You will get the deposit back unless the landlord is bankrupt. But most likely he forgot about it, I would call to get a full refund if he forgot the deadline or if he does not know the rule. If he confirms that he did not mail the check in 21 days, you can demand full refund without any deductions. That’s the law.
But if the post office lost the mail, how can the landlord prove that he did mail out within 21 day window?
I usually deduct the cleaning fees. For damages, I only charge a small amount to avoid dispute. Repair cost has gone up a lot, I’m afraid landlord may need to deduct a larger amount for damage repairs, that can cause more disputes.
Come on, would you forget to pay 9k to anyone???
I did forget about the 21 day rule once and just mailed a full refund on day 28. I hope the tenant would have reminded me within the 21 day window.
Anyway, if the landlord forgot, it benefits the tenant.
But 9K??? 1K or 2K maybe, but 9K???