Rental deposit refund calculator

You moved out three weeks ago and the deposit has not arrived. Or it arrived, but R4 000 short, with a one-line note about "repainting and cleaning". This calculator works out what you should get back, what the landlord may lawfully keep, and the date by which the money must be in your account.

What this tool works out and who it is for

You enter the deposit you paid, the date you paid it, the date you moved out, the interest rate the deposit account earned, which joint inspections were done, and the deductions the landlord is claiming.

The tool then gives you the number of days the landlord held your money, the interest it earned over that time, the deposit plus interest, the part of the landlord's deductions that can stand, the refund due to you, and the date it is due. It also flags the common mistakes landlords make: no inspection, no receipts, and deductions for ordinary wear.

It is for any residential tenant in South Africa: a flat, a house, a room, a granny cottage or a student rental. It is also for a landlord who wants to refund correctly and avoid a Tribunal complaint. It does not cover commercial leases, which fall outside the Rental Housing Act.

How the calculator decides

The tool runs the same steps every time, in this order.

First it checks the dates. The move-out date cannot come before the day the deposit was paid, and the tool refuses that combination. If you leave the move-out date blank it uses today.

Second it counts the days the deposit was held, from the date you paid it to the date you moved out.

Third it works out the interest. It uses simple interest at the rate you entered: the deposit, times the annual rate, times the days held, divided by 365. The Act requires the landlord to hold the deposit in an interest-bearing account and pay you interest at no less than the rate a savings account with a bank would earn. Rates move, so the tool never guesses one. If you enter no rate it shows nil interest and reminds you that the landlord must still pay whatever the account earned. A real savings account compounds, so the true figure is slightly higher than the tool's simple-interest estimate.

Fourth it adds the interest to the deposit. That total is what the landlord holds on your behalf.

Fifth it decides whether the landlord's deductions can stand at all. This turns on the inspections. The Act requires a joint inspection when you move in and another shortly before you move out, with any defects or damage recorded in writing. Deductions stand only where both inspections were done, or where the landlord arranged the outgoing inspection and you did not attend. If only the incoming inspection was done, or neither, the tool allows no deductions, because without an outgoing inspection the landlord is treated as accepting the property in good order. Where deductions do stand, the tool caps them at the deposit plus interest; anything above that the landlord must claim from you separately, with proof.

Sixth it subtracts the allowed deductions and shows the refund due to you.

Seventh it sets the clock. Where nothing is deducted, the refund is due 7 days after you vacate. Where repairs are deducted, it is due 14 days after the outgoing inspection, and the tool takes the inspection as the day you moved out. Where you did not attend the outgoing inspection, the landlord may inspect alone and the refund is due 21 days after you vacate.

The warnings it can raise

If you choose "neither", the tool warns that no joint incoming inspection means the landlord is taken to accept that the property was in good order when you moved in, and that with no outgoing inspection either the landlord loses the right to deduct.

If you choose "only when I moved in", it warns that without an outgoing inspection the landlord may not deduct for damage.

If you choose "I did not attend", it warns that the landlord may inspect alone within the period the Act allows and deduct for damage found, and tells you to ask for the inspection report and the receipts.

If the deductions exceed the deposit plus interest, it warns that the excess must be claimed separately and that you can dispute it.

If you left the rate at zero, it reminds you that the interest belongs to you and that you can ask for the account statement.

What can never be deducted

Fair wear and tear, meaning the ordinary deterioration that comes from living in a home, can never be deducted. Faded paint, small nail holes, worn carpet in a walkway and a tired geyser are wear and tear. A broken window, a burnt kitchen counter, a door kicked off its hinges and a pet-stained carpet are damage. Only damage that was recorded at the outgoing inspection and repaired with receipts can be taken from the deposit. Read can my landlord keep my deposit for fair wear and tear for the line between the two.

The law behind it

The rules come from the Rental Housing Act 50 of 1999, which governs deposits, inspections and refunds for residential leases. The Act requires the landlord to invest the deposit in an interest-bearing account, to pay the tenant interest at no less than a bank savings account rate, to hold joint inspections at the start and end of the tenancy, and to refund the deposit with interest within the 7, 14 or 21 day periods the tool applies. It also allows the tenant to ask for written proof of the interest at any time. The LawMatch rate table records those three periods with the date they took effect.

The Act also created the Rental Housing Tribunal in each province. The Tribunal hears complaints about deposits, inspections and unfair practices, charges nothing, and issues rulings that are enforceable like a magistrate's court order.

Your lease sits underneath the Act, not above it. A clause that says the landlord may keep the deposit for repainting, or need not pay interest, does not override the Act.

Worked example

This example is illustrative. Thabo pays a R10 000 deposit on 1 January 2024 and moves out on 31 December 2024. The agent confirms the deposit account earned 5% a year. Both joint inspections were done, and the outgoing report records a cracked basin and a broken cupboard door, which cost R1 500 to fix. The agent has the receipts.

The deposit was held for 365 days. Interest is R10 000 times 5% times 365 divided by 365, which is R500. The deposit plus interest is R10 500.

Both inspections were done, so the R1 500 deduction can stand. It was recorded in the outgoing report and there are receipts. The refund due to Thabo is R10 500 less R1 500, which is R9 000.

Because repairs are being deducted, the 14-day clock applies. Fourteen days after 31 December 2024 is 14 January 2025. The R9 000 must be in Thabo's account by that date.

What this tool does not decide

The tool does not decide what was recorded at the inspections or whether a listed item is damage or wear and tear. It takes your answers at face value. If the landlord says the outgoing inspection was done and you say it was not, or the report lists "repaint entire flat" and you say the walls were scuffed by normal living, the Rental Housing Tribunal or a court weighs the reports, the photos and the receipts and decides.

It does not know the rate your deposit account actually earned. Ask the landlord or agent for the account statement; the Act entitles you to see it.

It does not deal with unpaid rent or utilities. A landlord may set those off against the deposit, but the amount must be proved, and the tool treats them as part of the deductions you enter.

When to get advice, and the free route

Start with a written demand. Email the landlord or agent, state the refund you calculate, ask for the interest statement and the inspection reports, and give a date. Keep every message.

If the deadline passes, the refund is short, or the landlord deducts for things you dispute, the free route is a complaint to the Rental Housing Tribunal in your province. You fill in a complaint form, attach your lease, the inspection reports and your correspondence, and the Tribunal tries mediation first and holds a hearing if that fails. There is no fee and you do not need an attorney. Read how long does a landlord have to return my deposit for the step-by-step.

Get advice from an attorney if the deposit is large, if the landlord is claiming damages far above the deposit, or if the dispute is tied up with an eviction or an unpaid rent claim. If you cannot afford one, our legal aid page explains who Legal Aid South Africa helps and how to reach them.

LawMatch is not a law firm and this page is general information, not legal advice. Check your lease and your inspection reports before you rely on any figure here.

Frequently asked questions

Does my landlord really have to pay me interest on my deposit?

Yes. The Rental Housing Act requires the deposit to be held in an interest-bearing account and the interest paid to you when you leave, at no less than a bank savings account rate. You may ask for written proof of the interest at any time. A managing agent may hold it in a trust account, but the interest is still yours.

What if there was no inspection when I moved in?

Then the landlord is taken to have accepted the property in good order at the start. Any damage found later has to be shown to be your doing, and the landlord has an uphill task. If there was no outgoing inspection either, the landlord cannot deduct at all.

Can the landlord keep my deposit for cleaning and repainting?

Only where the cleaning or repainting is needed to fix damage you caused, recorded at the outgoing inspection, and there are receipts. Repainting after a normal tenancy and a standard clean are the usual overreaches. A flat that needed a coat of paint because you lived in it for two years is wear and tear.

The landlord says I owe more than the deposit. What now?

The landlord may deduct up to the deposit plus interest for recorded damage, and must claim anything above that from you separately, with proof. You can dispute the claim at the Tribunal or defend it in court. Do not pay simply because a figure was put in a letter.