The rule
- Deposit limit
- 1 month’s rent
- Return deadline
- 21 days
- Interest owed
- Not required
- Itemized deductions
- Required
- The limit
- A larger deposit may be agreed on where special conditions pose a danger to maintenance of the premises.
- The deadline
- Within 21 days after the tenancy ends and the landlord receives the tenant’s mailing address (lengthened from two weeks by 2026 legislation); an itemized accounting is due within 45 days if the tenant requests it.
- Interest
- State law doesn’t require interest on the deposit.
- Deductions
- The landlord must give you an itemized list of anything kept from the deposit.
- If it isn’t returned
- A landlord who fails to comply forfeits all right to withhold any of the deposit; bad-faith retention or failure to provide the statement exposes the landlord to punitive damages of up to $200.
Law: S.D. Codified Laws §§ 43-32-6.1, 43-32-24
Last reviewed September 30, 2026
Not legal advice. Statutes change; check the linked section.