Security-deposit disputes are the single most common case type at the Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service. The rules under sections 46 and 47 of the RTA are clear, and tenants who know them recover their deposit roughly 80% of the time.
What the landlord can legally deduct
- Unpaid rent or utilities for which the tenant was responsible.
- Cleaning costs if the unit is left in worse condition than at move-in.
- Repair costs for damage that goes beyond normal wear and tear.
- Replacement of items the tenant removed or destroyed.
What the landlord cannot deduct
- Normal wear and tear (faded paint, minor carpet wear, small nail holes from hung pictures).
- Pre-existing damage that was documented on the move-in inspection.
- Upgrades or improvements (e.g. fresh paint for a new tenant).
- Routine maintenance the landlord would have done anyway.
How to get the deposit back if the landlord refuses
File at RTDRS for $75. Bring the lease, the move-in and move-out inspection reports, photos with dates, and any written communication. Tenants win the majority of deposit cases at RTDRS because most landlords either skip the move-in inspection, fail to provide an itemised statement, or try to deduct for normal wear and tear.
Sources: Service Alberta, Residential Tenancies Act; Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service (RTDRS); CMHC Rental Market Report. This article is general information, not legal advice.
VG
Vishnu Gabbula is an Associate Broker at PREP Realty, a RECA-licensed Alberta brokerage, and the founder of UrbanLease (a Calgary property management website operated by 14463137 Canada Inc.). His practice covers residential real estate, commercial real estate, rural properties, and property management across Calgary, Alberta. He runs Calgary House Rentals Group (105,000+ members) and Edmonton House Rentals Group (65,000+ members), two of Western Canada's largest rental communities on Facebook. He writes on Alberta tenancy law, the Residential Tenancies Act, CMHC MLI Select multi-unit financing, tenant screening, and rental market data, built on day-to-day experience managing rentals across Calgary and surrounding cities.
Published May 1, 2026 · Updated May 15, 2026
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