Create a security deposit demand letter
Select your state to create a letter demanding the return of a residential security deposit and an itemized accounting of any deductions. The form applies the relevant state deadline, identifies the events that start that deadline, and includes an additional remedy only when the selected rule and your answers support it.
What the PDF includes
- Tenancy and security-deposit details
- The amount withheld and accounting requested
- The applicable state deadline and triggering events
- Any additional state remedy supported by your answers
- A response deadline and supporting records requested
Common questions about security deposit demand letters
When must a landlord return a security deposit?
The deadline for returning a security deposit depends on the state and on the event that starts the clock. That event may involve termination of the tenancy, moving out, surrendering possession, returning keys, providing a forwarding address, or sending a tenant demand. Select a state to identify the applicable deadline and triggering events.
Can a security deposit demand letter request double or triple damages?
Only when the selected state provides that remedy and the facts satisfy its conditions. The amount used to calculate the remedy may be the original deposit, the amount wrongfully withheld, actual damages, or another measure. Any possible statutory exposure should be stated separately from the principal deposit demand and described conditionally.
Must a landlord provide an itemized statement of deductions?
Many states require a written itemization when a landlord keeps part of a security deposit, but the required detail varies. A rule may require stated reasons, receipts, photographs, a signed statement, an interim accounting, or an opportunity to object to particular deductions. Select a state for the accounting requirements that apply there.
Should I send a security deposit demand letter by certified mail?
Certified mail is often useful because it can help prove mailing and delivery, but it is not required in every state or every situation. Some rules make delivery or receipt important, and some prescribe a particular method for a tenant demand or statutory notice. Follow the state-specific delivery guidance provided after completing the letter.
Is a security deposit demand letter an official state form?
Usually not. Most states do not require exact wording for an ordinary security deposit demand. A state may, however, prescribe particular language or a substantially required notice in a defined situation. When such a notice applies, the state-specific generator should produce that notice rather than label a general demand letter as an official form.