The law in plain English
Return deadline
Under S.D. Codified Laws Sections 43.32-6.1, 43-32-24, the deposit response usually has to be sent within 45 days of the move-out timeline described by the state rule.
Required notice
South Dakota generally caps the deposit at 1 month's rent unless special conditions justify more, and the landlord usually has 2 weeks after termination and receipt of the forwarding address to return the deposit, with an itemized accounting available within 45 days on the tenant's request.
This dispute type
Once the South Dakota deadline passes, the dispute stops being only about the deductions and becomes a deadline-compliance problem too. A landlord may still argue damage existed, but S.D. Codified Laws §§ 43.32-6.1, 43-32-24 sets the clock for returning the balance and explaining any amount withheld.
Penalty leverage
If the withholding was wrongful or in bad faith, the exposure allowed under the statute is: Landlord forfeits the right to retain any portion; bad faith adds punitive damages up to $200