Security Deposit Law
What Wyoming landlords must do with security deposits — the cap, interest, return deadline, account rules, and penalties — with citations to the statute itself.
Verified as of June 11, 2026
This page is general information, not legal advice. Statutes change — verify with the cited sources or an attorney.
Deposit cap
No statutory limit on security deposit amounts.
Interest
No. Wyoming landlords owe no interest on security deposits.
Return deadline
30 days after the rental agreement ends (or 15 days after receiving the tenant's new mailing address, whichever is later), with a 30-day extension if the unit is damaged.
Wyoming's residential rental statutes (Wyo. Stat. §§ 1-21-1201 through 1-21-1211) set no maximum security deposit. Landlords may even make part of a deposit nonrefundable, but only if the rental agreement states it and the renter gets written notice of that fact when the deposit is taken.
The statute expressly directs that the deposit balance be returned 'without interest.' Note the flip side: if tenant damage exceeds the deposit, the tenant owes the landlord the shortfall plus 10% annual interest on unpaid amounts.
The base deadline is the later of 30 days after termination or 15 days after receipt of the renter's new mailing address; if there is damage to the unit, the period extends by an additional 30 days (up to roughly 60). The renter must notify the owner of a forwarding address within 30 days of termination. A separately identified utilities deposit runs on its own clock: refund within 10 days of a satisfactory showing that all utility charges were paid; absent that showing within 45 days of termination, the owner must apply the deposit to the utility debt within 15 days thereafter and refund any balance within 7 days (or 15 days after receiving the new mailing address, whichever is later).
Article 12 imposes no escrow, trust, or separate bank account requirement for security deposits. The statute even contemplates 'property or money held as a deposit,' and commingling is not addressed.
Wyo. Stat. §§ 1-21-1207 to 1-21-1211 (Art. 12, Residential Rental Property)
If the owner 'unreasonably fails' to comply with the deduction/return rules or the utilities-deposit rules, the renter may recover the full deposit and court costs. If the owner prevails and the court finds the renter acted unreasonably in suing, the owner may be awarded court costs.
No Wyoming city or county security deposit ordinances were identified; Wyo. Stat. §§ 1-21-1201 through 1-21-1211 apply statewide. (Teton County publishes tenant-education material but imposes no separate deposit rules.)
The rental agreement must state whether any portion of the deposit is nonrefundable, AND the renter must get written notice of that fact at the time the deposit is taken. Skip either step and the 'nonrefundable' label is on shaky ground.
The deposit may be applied only to accrued rent, damage beyond reasonable wear and tear, the cost to clean the unit back to its move-in condition, and other costs provided by contract.
Whatever you deduct, the balance must come with 'a written itemization of any deductions from the deposit together with reasons therefor' inside the statutory deadline.
A separately identified utilities deposit must be refunded within 10 days once the tenant shows all utility charges are paid; if no showing within 45 days of termination, apply it to the utility debt within 15 days and refund any remainder within 7 days.
Whoever holds the owner's interest at termination — including a buyer of the property — is bound by the nonrefundable-disclosure and deposit-return statutes, so deposits must transfer at sale.
Without the § 1-21-1207 double disclosure, the amount is part of the refundable deposit; an unreasonable failure to return it exposes you to forfeiting the full deposit plus court costs.
The itemization is mandatory and rides the same 30-day (or extended) deadline; unreasonable noncompliance lets the renter recover the full deposit — including amounts you validly could have deducted — plus court costs.
Only damage 'beyond reasonable wear and tear' and cleaning 'to the condition at the beginning of the rental agreement' are deductible; overreaching deductions invite a § 1-21-1208(c) full-deposit recovery action.
Utilities deposits have their own 10-day refund trigger and 45/15/7-day fallback schedule; missing it is independent grounds for the renter to recover the full deposit plus court costs.
30 days after the rental agreement terminates, or 15 days after you receive the tenant's new mailing address, whichever is later. If the unit was damaged, the statute extends the period by another 30 days. The refund must include a written itemization of any deductions with reasons.
No. Wyoming statutes set no cap on the amount of a residential security deposit. Market norms (typically one to two months' rent) are a business decision, not a legal requirement.
No. Wyo. Stat. § 1-21-1208(a) says the deposit balance is returned 'without interest.' There is also no requirement to keep deposits in a separate or escrow account.
Accrued unpaid rent, damage beyond reasonable wear and tear, the cost to clean the unit back to its move-in condition, and other costs your rental contract provides for. Ordinary wear and tear is not deductible.
Yes, but only if the rental agreement states which portion is nonrefundable AND you give the renter written notice of that fact at the time you take the deposit (Wyo. Stat. § 1-21-1207).
If a court finds you 'unreasonably' failed to comply, the renter can recover the full deposit plus court costs — even amounts you could otherwise have lawfully deducted. If the renter sues unreasonably and you prevail, you can be awarded court costs.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Statutes change — verify with the cited sources or an attorney.
Statute facts on this page were verified against the cited official sources on June 11, 2026.
Tenvale tracks deposits, interest, and deadlines for you — free for 30 days, no credit card required.
See full pricing and other states.