Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in California

Yes. Either or both can sue you. A landlord is only entitled to deduct certain things from a security deposit. If there are any deductions, the landlord must provide an itemized list of the deductions with any invoices, receipts, etc. to support the deductions, plus a refund of any unused amounts. The refund and/or the list must be provided within 21 days of the date the tenant moved out. Failure to do so within that time frame means the landlord must refund the entire deposit without any deductions.

In some cases, the landlord can be subject to an additional penalty.

There is a helpful guide explaining landlords and tenants rights and obligations, including what can be deducted from a deposit, at the department of consumer affairs website.