The landlord sent the statement on time but the refund check was late, is that still a violation?

Landlords sometimes treat the itemized statement, the paperwork listing what was deducted from your deposit and why, and the actual refund as two separate obligations, getting the paperwork out on time and paying whenever they get around to it. They're not separate. California treats them as one requirement with one deadline, and both pieces have to land inside the same 21 days.

Picture this: the statement shows up on day 20, everything looks proper, deductions listed, math adding up. Then the check doesn't arrive until day 35. That's still a violation, full stop, and it's actually a useful one for you, since it shows he knew exactly when the clock ran out, he just didn't bother finishing the job. Hang onto the mailing envelopes, both of them, since the dates stamped on them are your actual proof. The gap between those two dates is the evidence.