Deposit vs. early-termination charges
Breaking a lease early and getting your deposit back are two separate issues. Your security deposit is still refundable except for lawful deductions — but leaving early can create rent-related charges that a landlord may try to take from the deposit.
The deposit rules do not disappear because you left early: the landlord must still account for the deposit, return what is not lawfully deducted, and provide an itemized statement within the required time. What changes is that ending a lease early can leave you owing rent or other amounts under the lease, which the landlord may deduct.
Importantly, in California a landlord generally must make reasonable efforts to re-rent the unit rather than simply charging you for the entire remaining lease, which can limit what they can take. Your reason for leaving matters too — if you left because of serious habitability problems or unlawful landlord conduct, your obligations may be different.
Because early-termination and deposit issues overlap, this is worth a careful look. A free, confidential review can help you understand what a landlord can and cannot deduct in your situation.
This is general information about California tenant rights, not legal advice. Every situation is different.