Former residents of Essex Property Trust apartments in California whose leases ended on or after September 27, 2018 and who had certain charges deducted from their security deposits may qualify to share $19.25 million from the Essex security deposit class action settlement, which also forgives about $8.7 million in move-out balances. The preliminary approval hearing is set for November 13, 2026, and no claim form is available yet.
Current Status
Claims are not open yet. The settlement was submitted for preliminary approval on October 21, 2026, and the hearing is set for November 13, 2026 at 9:10 a.m. before Judge Judy S. Bae in San Diego Superior Court. No notice has gone out, no official settlement website or claim form is live, and no claim deadline has been set. If the court grants preliminary approval, notice is to go out by email or mail and class members would have 45 days to respond.Free settlement alerts
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What Changed Recently?
Former tenants and Essex Property Trust, an apartment owner and operator, agreed to settle Norman v. Essex Property Trust, Inc., a class action filed in San Diego Superior Court in September 2022. Essex briefly moved the case to federal court in 2023 before it was sent back. The settlement agreement was signed October 16, 2026 after a mediator's proposal, and the tenants filed an unopposed motion for preliminary approval on October 21, 2026.The lawsuit alleges that Essex kept parts of former tenants' security deposits for cleaning, repairs, painting, replacements and other charges that California's security deposit law, Civil Code section 1950.5, does not allow, or without the itemization and invoices the law requires. Essex denies any liability, and the settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing.
Who Qualifies?
The proposed settlement class covers former residents of residential apartment communities in California that Essex or one of its related companies owned, operated or managed, whose leases ended between September 27, 2018 and the date of preliminary approval, and who either:- had more than $125 deducted from their security deposit for cleaning, repairs (including painting) or replacements combined; or
- had any part of their deposit deducted for something other than unpaid rent or cleaning and repairs, such as utility charges or late fees.
How Much Can You Get?
Essex is to pay $19,250,000 in cash into a fund within 30 days after preliminary approval. None of it returns to Essex, and the interest it earns stays with the class. After court-approved attorneys' fees, costs, service payments and roughly $140,000 in administration expenses, the rest is divided pro rata among households that file claims, according to the qualifying charges taken from each household's deposit. Class counsel's fee request is capped at 35% of the $27.95 million combined value of the cash and debt forgiveness, plus up to $560,000 in costs, and service payments are capped at $15,000 for each named plaintiff.Separately, Essex will forgive about $8.7 million in turnover debt, the balances it says former California tenants owe for cleaning, repairs, painting and replacements beyond their deposits, for about September 27, 2018 through December 31, 2023. That relief is automatic, needs no claim and reaches tenants who opt out. According to the filing, Essex has been barred since May 15, 2026 from collecting, selling or credit-reporting that debt, and it must correct credit reports within 30 days after the settlement becomes final. No per-household estimate has been published.
What Proof or Notice ID Is Required?
The cash payment requires a claim form, which has not been released. According to the filing, each claimant signs it under penalty of perjury and identifies the apartment, the approximate move-out date and any co-tenants, and can choose electronic payment. The amount owed is calculated from the qualifying charges in Essex's own records rather than from receipts the tenant supplies. The debt forgiveness requires nothing.What Is the Deadline?
No claim deadline exists yet. Under the proposed settlement, class members would have 45 days after notice to file a claim, opt out or object, with extra time for anyone whose mailed notice has to be re-sent. The dates will be fixed only if the court grants preliminary approval.How Do You Take Action?
There is nothing to file yet. If the court approves the plan, CPT Group, the proposed administrator, is to email the notice and claim form to every class member with a valid email address in Essex's records, which the filing estimates is about 84% of them, and mail it to the rest, and to open a settlement website that accepts claims online.What Happens Next?
The preliminary approval hearing is November 13, 2026 at 9:10 a.m. in Department C-62 of San Diego Superior Court. If the judge approves the settlement, Essex funds it within 30 days, notice goes out, and a final approval hearing will be scheduled. Payments are to be issued within 10 business days after the settlement becomes effective. Money from uncashed checks and unused reserves goes in equal shares to the University of San Diego School of Law Housing Rights Clinic, Legal Aid of Los Angeles and Bay Area Legal Aid. This page will be updated with the court's ruling.Sources and Verification
This page is based on the declaration supporting the plaintiffs' unopposed motion for preliminary approval, filed October 21, 2026, with the Class Action Settlement Agreement attached as Exhibit A, in Norman v. Essex Property Trust, Inc., San Diego Superior Court No. 37-2022-00038519-CU-NP-CTL, and on the federal docket for the removed case, No. 3:23-cv-00348 (S.D. Cal.), which was remanded on May 2, 2023. Figures attributed to the filing are the plaintiffs' account of the settlement terms and have not been approved by the court. It is not legal advice.Questions
Can I file an Essex security deposit claim yet?
No. As of November 2, 2026 the settlement had not been preliminarily approved, no notice had gone out and no official settlement website or claim form was live. If the court grants preliminary approval at the November 13, 2026 hearing, the administrator, CPT Group, is to email or mail notice and a claim form to class members identified from Essex’s records, and class members would then have 45 days to respond.
Do I have to file a claim to get my Essex move-out balance forgiven?
No. The settlement forgives, automatically, the balances Essex says former California tenants owe for cleaning, repairs, painting and replacements beyond their deposits, for roughly September 27, 2018 through December 31, 2023. According to the filing, Essex stopped collecting, selling or credit-reporting that debt as of May 15, 2026, and the forgiveness also reaches tenants who opt out of the cash settlement.
How much will each Essex tenant get?
There is no fixed amount. After court-approved attorneys’ fees, costs, service payments and administration expenses of about $140,000, the remaining cash is divided pro rata among households that file claims, based on the qualifying charges taken from each household’s deposit, so households with larger deductions receive more. The final amount depends on how many households claim.
What if I shared the apartment with roommates?
Payments are calculated per household. The claim form asks for the apartment, the approximate move-out date and any co-tenants, and lets the people who actually bore the deductions tell the administrator how to divide the household’s share. Without that, the share would be split among everyone named on the lease.
What else does Essex have to change under the settlement?
Essex must pass through any vendor discounts, rebates or volume pricing on turnover work instead of charging tenants more than its actual cost, send vendor invoices, receipts or bills with move-out deposit accountings, and train California staff who handle deposits on the state security deposit law every year. Essex must file sworn compliance declarations on the first three anniversaries of the settlement’s effective date.
