7 Days or 14 Days? How Long a Landlord Has to Refund a Rental Deposit in South Africa

The "7 days or 14 days" question is one of the most searched deposit questions in South Africa, and the confusion is understandable: both numbers are correct, but they answer different situations, and each one starts counting from a different date. This guide breaks down exactly which deadline applies to you, what starts the clock, and what to do if the money does not arrive on time. For the full interest and refund calculation, use our Deposit Refund Calculator, or read the complete Rental Housing Act guide for the wider landlord and tenant obligations around deposits.

The 7-Day Rule: No Deductions Owed

Section 5(3) of the Rental Housing Act 50 of 1999 sets the default deadline at 7 days. If the tenant does not owe the landlord anything (no damage beyond fair wear and tear, no arrear rent or utilities), the landlord must refund the full deposit plus all interest earned within 7 days of the lease expiring. This is the clock that starts running the moment the lease term ends, regardless of whether an inspection took place, because there is nothing to deduct and therefore nothing to justify a delay.

This is the deadline most tenants assume applies in every case, which is exactly why the 14-day rule catches so many people off guard.

The 14-Day Rule: Deductions After Inspection

The 14-day deadline only applies once two conditions are both met: a joint outgoing inspection was conducted, and deductions were identified as a result of that inspection. In that scenario, the landlord has 14 days from the date the dwelling is restored to them, not 14 days from the lease end date, to pay over the balance of the deposit plus interest, after subtracting the deductions.

This distinction trips people up constantly: the 14-day clock is not a simple extension of the 7-day clock. It starts from a different trigger event (restoration of the property) rather than lease expiry, so the two deadlines can land on completely different calendar dates depending on when the inspection actually happens.

The 21-Day Outer Limit: Unresponsive Tenant

A third scenario covers tenants who do not respond to a landlord's request to conduct a joint outgoing inspection. In that case, the landlord has an outer limit of 21 days from the expiration of the lease to refund whatever is due. This exists so that a landlord cannot be held indefinitely by a tenant who simply ignores requests to schedule the inspection. In that case the Act lets the landlord inspect the dwelling alone, within seven days of the lease expiring, and deduct the reasonable cost of repairing damage and replacing lost keys before refunding the balance. What a landlord cannot do is skip the inspection: a landlord who never offers the tenant a joint inspection loses the right to deduct for damage.

Source: Section 5(3), Rental Housing Act 50 of 1999. Always count from the date the lease actually terminates or the dwelling is actually restored, not the date the tenant informally moves out if that date differs.

How Interest Fits Into the Refund

None of these deadlines apply to the deposit amount alone. The Rental Housing Act requires the landlord to invest the deposit in an interest-bearing account for the tenant's benefit for the full duration of the tenancy, and the landlord may not use or benefit from that interest. Whichever deadline applies, the amount due is the original deposit plus every rand of interest earned, less only lawful, itemised deductions. For the rate that actually applies and how it's worked out, see how rental deposit interest is calculated.

Worked Example: 7 Days vs 14 Days

Case 1: the 7-day rule. A tenant pays a R20,000 deposit on a two-year lease. At R20,000 held for 730 days at 6.5% simple interest, the deposit earns approximately R2,600 in interest. The lease ends, no damage is found, and no deductions apply. The landlord must pay the full R22,600 (deposit plus interest) within 7 days of the lease end date.

Case 2: the 14-day rule. Same R20,000 deposit and R2,600 interest, so R22,600 is held in total. This time a joint outgoing inspection on the same day as lease end identifies R4,500 of damage beyond fair wear and tear, supported by a contractor's invoice. The landlord and tenant agree the deduction. The tenant hands the keys back the same day, so the dwelling is restored to the landlord on the lease end date. The balance of R18,100 is due within 14 days of that date, a week after Case 1's deadline and for a smaller amount.

If the tenant had instead handed the dwelling back a week after the lease ended (a common real-world delay when the move-out runs over), the 14-day clock would only start from that later date, which pushes the final payment date out further than the numbers above suggest.

What Happens If the Deadline Is Missed

A landlord who misses the applicable 7, 14 or 21-day deadline is in breach of the Rental Housing Act. Tenants have a clear, no-cost escalation path and do not need an attorney to use it.