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A tenant moved out and left no forwarding address: what to do with the deposit

DoorKeeping team

3 min read

Do not keep the deposit just because the tenant vanished. In many states you still have to send the refund or the itemized statement to the tenant’s last known address and keep proof you did. Texas, for example, says a missing forwarding address does not make the tenant lose the refund, though the landlord’s duty starts once the tenant gives a written address. Check your state’s exact wording.

Two common patterns in state law

States do not agree on this, and the difference decides whether a clock is running against you.

  • Address-triggered. Your duty to refund or send an itemized statement starts when the tenant gives a forwarding address. Texas Property Code 92.107 is an example: the landlord’s obligation begins when the tenant gives a written statement of a forwarding address, and failing to give one does not make the tenant forfeit the refund or the written description of charges.
  • Move-out triggered. The deadline runs from the move-out date, and the statement goes to the last known address, which may be the rental unit itself. Some states say this in the statute, others leave it to courts.

Which pattern applies depends on your state. See security deposit limits and return deadlines and read your state’s statute, since a landlord who misses a deadline can lose the right to deduct.

What to do, step by step

  1. Look for an address you already have: the lease, the application, emergency contacts, an email, a phone number.
  2. Email and text the tenant asking for a mailing address for the deposit, with the date. Save the messages.
  3. Finish the move-out inspection and the itemized statement on time. See what to include in an itemized statement.
  4. Mail the statement and any refund to the last known address by a method with proof, such as certified mail, and keep the receipt. If the tenant had a change-of-address order, mail may be forwarded by the post office.
  5. If the mail comes back, keep the envelope. Do not throw it away; it is your evidence you tried.
  6. Check your state’s rule for a deposit that is never claimed. Some states require you to hold it, send it to the state as unclaimed property, or allow you to keep it after a set period.

Example a made-up tenant leaves a unit with a 1,500 deposit, and the landlord documents 380 of damage. The itemized statement shows 1,500 minus 380, so 1,120 is owed back. The landlord mails a check for 1,120 and the statement to the last known address, by certified mail. If the check is never cashed, the landlord keeps the 1,120 recorded as owed to the tenant rather than counting it as income.

How to treat it in your books

The deposit stays a liability until you refund it or the law lets you release it. Deductions for real damage become income or expense reduction when you apply them, and the rest is still owed. Do not move an unclaimed refund to income on your own. Ask your tax preparer, and check your state’s unclaimed property law.

Make it easier next time

  • Add a move-out section to the lease asking the tenant to give a written forwarding address and email.
  • Collect a second contact on the application, such as a relative.
  • Give move-out instructions that say where to send the address.
  • Send the move-out checklist by email so the address request is in writing. See move-out inspection photos checklist.

This is general information, not legal advice. Deposit rules vary widely by state.

How DoorKeeping handles it

DoorKeeping tracks each tenant’s deposit for the property, builds the itemized statement from your move-out photos and shows a countdown to the state’s deadline. You approve it with one tap and it is emailed to the tenant. You send any refund from your own bank and mark it sent, so the deposit liability in that property’s books stays accurate.

Sources

  1. Texas Property Code 92.107: Tenant's forwarding address (FindLaw), read Oct 31, 2026

Questions

Can I keep the deposit if the tenant gave no forwarding address?
Usually not just for that reason. Many states still require you to send the refund or statement to the last known address, and Texas says the tenant does not lose the refund for failing to give an address.
Where do I mail the itemized statement?
To the last address you actually have for the tenant, which may be the rental unit, and keep proof of mailing.
Is certified mail required?
Some states require a specific method, others do not. Certified mail with a receipt is a common way to prove you tried.
What if the refund is never claimed?
Your state may require you to hold it or report it as unclaimed property, so check the statute before treating it as yours.

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