How long does a landlord in Oklahoma have to return a security deposit?
45 calendar days
Subsection B runs the 45 days from three events together, termination of the tenancy, delivery of possession, AND written demand by the tenant, so the landlord's duty to return the balance does not mature until the tenant has made a written demand. A tenant who does not make that written demand within six months after termination of the tenancy loses the deposit outright: it reverts to the landlord and the tenant's interest in it terminates.
In plain terms, the statute says
There is no civil multiple-damages remedy: subsection E says only that a tenant may recover the damage and security deposit and any prepaid rent where the landlord or manager fails to comply with the section or fails to return prepaid rent, with no bad-faith or willfulness finding required and no multiple applied, although § 105 of the Act entitles the prevailing party in any action to enforce a right under the Act to reasonable attorneys' fees. Separately, subsection A makes misappropriation of the deposit from the required escrow account a crime punishable by up to six months in a county jail and a fine of up to twice the amount misappropriated.
Who this covers
Section 115 sits inside the Oklahoma Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, and § 104 pulls six arrangements out of the Act unless they were created to avoid it: residence at an institution incidental to detention or medical, geriatric, educational, counseling, religious, or similar service; occupancy under a contract of sale or contract for deed where the occupant is the purchaser or a successor; occupancy by a member of a fraternal or social organization in a structure run for the organization's benefit; transient occupancy in a hotel, motel, or similar lodging regardless of length of stay; occupancy by an owner of a condominium unit or a holder of a proprietary lease in a cooperative; and occupancy under a rental agreement for premises used primarily for agricultural purposes.
Read the law yourself
Okla. Stat. tit. 41, § 115 (exclusions at § 104; fees at § 105)
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Questions people ask
How long does a landlord in Oklahoma have to return a security deposit?
Oklahoma: 45 calendar days. Subsection B runs the 45 days from three events together, termination of the tenancy, delivery of possession, AND written demand by the tenant, so the landlord's duty to return the balance does not mature until the tenant has made a written demand. A tenant who does not make that written demand within six months after termination of the tenancy loses the deposit outright: it reverts to the landlord and the tenant's interest in it terminates.
Who does Oklahoma's security-deposit law cover?
Section 115 sits inside the Oklahoma Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, and § 104 pulls six arrangements out of the Act unless they were created to avoid it: residence at an institution incidental to detention or medical, geriatric, educational, counseling, religious, or similar service; occupancy under a contract of sale or contract for deed where the occupant is the purchaser or a successor; occupancy by a member of a fraternal or social organization in a structure run for the organization's benefit; transient occupancy in a hotel, motel, or similar lodging regardless of length of stay; occupancy by an owner of a condominium unit or a holder of a proprietary lease in a cooperative; and occupancy under a rental agreement for premises used primarily for agricultural purposes.
What happens if a landlord in Oklahoma is late?
There is no civil multiple-damages remedy: subsection E says only that a tenant may recover the damage and security deposit and any prepaid rent where the landlord or manager fails to comply with the section or fails to return prepaid rent, with no bad-faith or willfulness finding required and no multiple applied, although § 105 of the Act entitles the prevailing party in any action to enforce a right under the Act to reasonable attorneys' fees. Separately, subsection A makes misappropriation of the deposit from the required escrow account a crime punishable by up to six months in a county jail and a fine of up to twice the amount misappropriated.
Where can I read Oklahoma's security-deposit law?
Oklahoma's rule is in Okla. Stat. tit. 41, § 115 (exclusions at § 104; fees at § 105). The link on this page goes to the official text, so you can read the section yourself rather than take our word for it.
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