7 Days or 14 Days? How Long a Landlord Has to Refund a Rental Deposit in South Africa
Quick answer: Under Section 5(3) of the Rental Housing Act, a landlord must refund the deposit plus interest within 7 days of lease end if nothing is owed, or within 14 days of the dwelling being restored if deductions are agreed after inspection. A 21-day outer limit applies if the tenant won't schedule an inspection.
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.
In this article
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 agreed 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 agreed 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.
Not sure which deadline applies to your lease, or how much interest has accrued?
Calculate My Deposit Refund →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 — but it does not give the landlord free rein to deduct for damages without an inspection record. Without a joint inspection, deductions still cannot lawfully be made; the 21-day limit only extends the timeframe, it does not create a right to deduct.
| Scenario | Deadline | Clock Starts From |
|---|---|---|
| No amounts owing — no deductions | 7 days | Expiration of the lease |
| Deductions agreed after a joint outgoing inspection | 14 days | Restoration of the dwelling to the landlord |
| Tenant unresponsive to the inspection request | 21 days | Expiration of the lease (outer limit) |
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 — 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.
✓ What must be included in the refund
- The original deposit amount in full
- All interest earned over the tenancy, at the rate the bank actually paid on the account
- Minus only deductions supported by invoices for damage beyond fair wear and tear
- Minus any arrear rent or unpaid utilities agreed as owing
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 are agreed. 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 balance of R18,100 is due within 14 days of that inspection date — which, because the inspection happened on the lease end date in this example, lands two weeks after Case 1's deadline for a smaller amount.
If the inspection had instead taken place a week after the lease ended (a common real-world delay while both parties coordinate diaries), the 14-day clock would only start from that later inspection date — pushing the final payment date out even 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.
⚠ Steps to take if your deposit is overdue
- Send a written letter of demand to the landlord first, stating the amount owed and the date it became due
- If there is no response, lodge a complaint with the Rental Housing Tribunal in your province — the service is free
- The Tribunal can order payment of the deposit plus interest, and its ruling carries the same force as a court order
- Keep every document — the lease, the inspection report (if any), and proof of the lease end date — as evidence for the complaint
Want to calculate your exact refund and deadline date?
Use the Deposit Refund Calculator →Frequently Asked Questions
Both, depending on the situation. Under Section 5(3) of the Rental Housing Act, if there are no amounts owing, the landlord must refund the deposit plus interest within 7 days of the lease expiring. If deductions are agreed after a joint outgoing inspection, the landlord has 14 days from the date the dwelling is restored to them to refund the balance. The 14-day clock only starts once the inspection has happened and the property has been handed back — not from the lease end date.
Section 5(3) of the Rental Housing Act 50 of 1999 sets two deadlines. With no deductions, the full deposit plus interest is due within 7 days of the lease ending. With deductions agreed after a joint outgoing inspection, the balance is due within 14 days of the dwelling being restored to the landlord. If the tenant is unresponsive to a request for an outgoing inspection, the landlord has an outer limit of 21 days from lease expiry to refund what is owed.
The landlord is in breach of the Rental Housing Act. The tenant can approach the Rental Housing Tribunal in their province, which is a free dispute resolution service, or send a formal letter of demand as a first step. The Tribunal can order the landlord to pay the deposit, plus interest, and its ruling carries the same force as a court order. Tenants do not need an attorney to lodge a Tribunal complaint.
Yes. The Rental Housing Act requires the landlord to invest the deposit in an interest-bearing account for the tenant's benefit throughout the lease. When the 7-day or 14-day deadline is reached, the amount due is the original deposit plus all interest earned over the tenancy, less any lawful deductions — not the deposit amount alone.
No. If no joint outgoing inspection was conducted, the landlord cannot lawfully deduct for damages under the Rental Housing Act, regardless of the actual condition of the property. Without an inspection record signed by both parties, the full deposit plus interest must be refunded within the standard 7-day period.
The Rental Housing Act does not specify business days for the 7, 14 or 21-day periods, so they are generally counted as ordinary calendar days from the trigger date — lease expiry for the 7 and 21-day rules, or restoration of the dwelling for the 14-day rule. Confirm the exact calculation with the Rental Housing Tribunal in your province if a deadline falls on a weekend or public holiday and this affects when payment can practically be made.