---
title: "Dispute a landlord's security-deposit deductions for a tenant"
url: "https://ailawframework.com/practice/residential-tenancies/dispute-a-landlord-s-bond-claim-for-a-tenant/united-states"
type: "task_jurisdiction_version"
site: "AI Law Framework"
id: "A57-P20261018-6-US"
practice_area: "Residential Tenancies"
tier: "yellow"
lawyer_review: "required"
jurisdictions: ["US"]
last_reviewed: "2026-10-22"
---

# Dispute a landlord's security-deposit deductions for a tenant

> Build a line-by-line table of the landlord's itemized deductions against the condition reports and photographs. Mark items with no photo, no invoice, or a condition noted at move-in. Do not state what the tenant is owed.

Canonical page: https://ailawframework.com/practice/residential-tenancies/dispute-a-landlord-s-bond-claim-for-a-tenant/united-states  
Last reviewed: 2026-10-22

Site index for agents: https://ailawframework.com/llms.txt

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Practice area | [Residential Tenancies](https://ailawframework.com/practice/residential-tenancies.md) |
| Human involvement | Yellow: Lawyer and AI draft together |
| How AI is used | Build a line-by-line table of the landlord's itemized deductions against the condition reports and photographs. Mark items with no photo, no invoice, or a condition noted at move-in. Do not state what the tenant is owed. |
| What the lawyer must review | In California, Civil Code § 1950.5 requires the itemized statement and the remaining security no later than 21 calendar days after the tenant vacates, and it bars claims for ordinary wear and tear and for pre-existing defects. Photographs are required for deduction repairs beginning 1 April 2025. You decide which lines fall outside the statute and what to demand. Other states set different deadlines and remedies. |
| Written for | United States |
| Applies to | [Dispute a landlord's bond claim for a tenant](https://ailawframework.com/practice/residential-tenancies/dispute-a-landlord-s-bond-claim-for-a-tenant.md) |

## Checking plan

- What the AI does: Build a line-by-line table of the landlord's itemized deductions against the condition reports and photographs. Mark items with no photo, no invoice, or a condition noted at move-in. Do not state what the tenant is owed.
- Basis: Checked against the linked sources on 22 October 2026. Confirm the current instrument before reliance.

## Notes

- Do not describe a bond board or a state tribunal form. The forum is the court or procedure the governing state provides.
- If the property is commercial, Texas Property Code §§ 93.005 and 93.009 tie the refund to surrender and a written forwarding address, on a 60-day clock. That chapter is not the residential rule.

## Sources

- [California Civil Code § 1950.5, residential security](https://california.public.law/codes/ca_civ_code_section_1950.5) (checked 2026-10-22)
- [ABA Formal Opinion 512, Generative Artificial Intelligence Tools (29 July 2024)](https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/professional_responsibility/ethics-opinions/aba-formal-opinion-512.pdf) (checked 2026-10-22)

## Forms and precedents for this task

| Form or precedent | Kind | AI level | Summary |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Rental bond claim (ACAT): completion guide](https://ailawframework.com/precedents/residential-tenancies/form-acat-rental-bond-claim.md) | Form | Yellow | Link to the ACAT Rental Bond Claim, listed under rental property disputes. The file name includes Form-41. The page does not state that as a form number. The PDF was not opened. |
| [Rental claim response (ACAT bond or security deposit): completion guide](https://ailawframework.com/precedents/residential-tenancies/form-acat-rental-claim-response.md) | Form | Yellow | Link to the ACAT form titled Rental Claim Response. The file name is Rental-Bond-or-Security-Deposit-Claim-Response.pdf. The page states no form number. The PDF was not opened. |
| [Victorian bond claim schedule](https://ailawframework.com/precedents/residential-tenancies/vic-bond-claim-schedule.md) | Checklist | Yellow | A schedule comparing the start and end condition reports for a Victorian bond claim, with the RTBA time limits.… |

Signed-in accounts can read the full text of each one.

*Practice guidance for planning and review. Confirm current primary sources and the requirements of the actual matter. This is general information, not legal advice.*