别只贴半段，下面还有what if 违法21天law的。。。

What if the landlord doesn't provide a full refund, or a statement of deductions and a refund of amounts not deducted, by the end of the 21-day period as required by law? According to a California Supreme Court decision, the landlord loses the right to keep any of the security deposit and must return the entire deposit to you.²⁴⁸ Even so, it may be difficult for you to get your entire deposit back from the landlord.²⁴⁹ You should contact one of the agencies listed in Getting Help From a Third Party for advice.

Practically speaking, you have two options if the landlord doesn't honor the 21-day rule. The first step for both is to call and write the landlord to request a refund of your entire security deposit. You can also suggest that the dispute be mediated. If the landlord presents good reasons for keeping some or all of your deposit for a purpose listed above, it's probably wise to enter into a reasonable compromise with the landlord. This is because the other option is difficult and the outcome may be uncertain.

The other option is to sue the landlord in small claims court for return of your security deposit. However, the landlord then can file a counterclaim against you. In the counterclaim, the landlord can assert a right to make deductions from the deposit, for example, for unpaid rent or for damage to the rental that the landlord alleges that you caused. Each party then will have to argue in court why he or she is entitled to the deposit.²⁵⁰