Security Deposit Demand Letter Generator
Write a letter asking your former landlord to return your security deposit, or the part still held, with an itemized statement. Pick your state and the letter cites the return deadline and the section it comes from, ready to copy, print or download.
Write Your Demand Letter
Where the rental is. Other state writes the letter without a deadline or a statute.
The day you moved out and handed back the keys
A written list of what was deducted and why
Your state's rule turns on it. The letter gives your address either way.
Leave blank if this letter is your demand
Your state's rule reaches only some buildings by size
Leave blank if your lease sets none
For the letter
Where the landlord should send the money
The unit you moved out of
A whole number of days from today; the letter prints the date. You choose it; the generator does not suggest one.
Your Deadline and Letter
Return deadline
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Balance to Demand
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Second deadline
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Your Letter
Read it through and edit anything that is not right. Send it by certified mail and keep a copy of the letter and the mailing receipt.
Deposit Return Deadlines by State
These are the states our research covers. Each row names the section the deadline comes from and what starts its clock. A business-day deadline skips weekends, and legal holidays extend it further. Each row also shows when that state's section text was read at its source.
| State | Deadline | Penalty | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 14 business days for sending an itemized list of deductions with the balance and for providing the itemized list of deductions with the amount dueClock starts: Termination of the tenancy, delivery of possession and the tenant's demandItemization: An itemized list of all deductions with the amount due, mailed first class to your last known place of residence unless you arranged otherwise in writing; if you do not dispute the list within sixty days after it is mailed, its figures become final (§ 33-1321(D)). | Under A.R.S. § 33-1321(E), a landlord who fails to comply with subsection D, the duty to provide the itemized list and the amount due within fourteen business days after termination of the tenancy, delivery of possession and the tenant's demand may be liable for the property and money due to the tenant plus damages equal to twice the amount wrongfully withheld. | A.R.S. § 33-1321Text read 2026-09-24 |
| California | 21 days for returning the deposit with an itemized statement and for furnishing the itemized statement with its supporting documentsClock starts: The tenant vacates the premisesItemization: An itemized statement of the basis for and amount of any deductions, with copies of bills, invoices or receipts, a description of any work the landlord or an employee did with time spent and hourly rate, and the photographs subdivision (g) requires (a good-faith estimate may be sent when repairs or documents are not complete, with final documents due within 14 calendar days after), all furnished with the balance within the same 21 calendar days (§ 1950.5(h)). | Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.5(m), (h)(7), a landlord who claims or retains the security or any portion of it in bad faith, or in bad faith fails to furnish the itemized statement and return the balance within 21 calendar days may be liable for statutory damages of up to twice the amount of the security in addition to actual damages, and a landlord who in bad faith fails to comply with the 21-day duty is not entitled to claim any amount of the security; the landlord bears the burden of proving the amounts claimed were reasonable.Scope: Security for a rental agreement for residential property that is used as the dwelling of the tenant (§ 1950.5(a)). | Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.5(h)Text read 2026-09-24 |
| Colorado | 30 days (or up to 60 if the lease sets a longer period) for returning the deposit with a written statement of the exact reasons for anything kept and for delivering the written statement of exact reasons with the balance and any required documentationClock starts: The termination of the lease or the surrender and acceptance of the premises, whichever occurs lastItemization: A written statement listing the exact reasons for retaining any portion, delivered with payment of the difference and any documentation subsection (8) requires, sent to the tenant's last-known address or an e-mail address the landlord has actual notice of. | Under C.R.S. § 38-12-103(3)(a), as amended by HB25-1249, a landlord who wrongfully retains any portion of the deposit in violation of the section may be liable for treble the portion of the deposit wrongfully withheld, together with reasonable attorney fees and court costs; the landlord bears the burden of proving that the withholding was not wrongful and that it complied with the section. | C.R.S. § 38-12-103Text read 2026-09-24 |
| District of Columbia | 45 days; then 30 more days after a notice to withholdClock starts: The tenancy terminatesItemization: If the owner gives written notice of an intention to withhold within the 45 days, personally or by certified mail to your last known address, it then has 30 more days to refund the balance with an itemized statement of each repair or other use and its cost (14 DCMR § 309.1, 309.2). | Under 14 DCMR § 309.5(1), 309.3, a landlord who fails to return a security deposit rightfully owed in accordance with the section may be liable for the amount of the deposit withheld or, in the event of bad faith, treble damages; a missed 45-day or 30-day deadline is prima facie evidence that the tenant is entitled to full return of the deposit with interest. Bad faith means a frivolous or unfounded refusal to return the deposit motivated by a fraudulent, deceptive, misleading, dishonest or unreasonably self-serving purpose, not simple negligence or bad judgment (14 DCMR § 309.5(2)). | 14 DCMR § 309; D.C. Code § 42-3502.17Text read 2026-09-24 |
| Florida | 15 days for returning the deposit when the landlord makes no claim on it; 30 days for written notice of any claim on the depositClock starts: The termination of the rental agreementItemization: If the landlord intends to impose a claim, written notice within 30 days after the termination of the rental agreement, by certified mail to the tenant's last known mailing address or by e-mail in accordance with s. 83.505, stating the amount and the reason for the claim; the tenant then has 15 days after receiving it to object in writing, and the landlord must remit any balance within 30 days after the date of the notice. | Under Fla. Stat. § 83.49(3)(a), a landlord who fails to give the required written notice within the 30-day period may be liable for forfeiture of the right to impose a claim on the security deposit and of any setoff against it, so the deposit must be returned, though the landlord may still file an action for damages after returning it.Scope: Fla. Stat. § 83.49(4) does not reach transient rentals by hotels or motels under chapter 509, or housing whose rent or deposit is regulated by law or by a public body, including public housing authorities and federally administered or regulated programs, other than rent stabilization; subsection (3) still reaches housing authorities. Under § 83.49(5), a tenant who leaves before the term ends, or on a periodic tenancy, must give at least 7 days' written notice by certified mail or personal delivery with an address, or the landlord is relieved of the 30-day claim notice, though the tenant keeps the right to the deposit. | Fla. Stat. § 83.49(3)(a)Text read 2026-09-24 |
| Georgia | 30 days for returning the full deposit, with a written statement of the exact reasons for anything kept and for providing the written statement of exact reasons with the balanceClock starts: The landlord obtains possession of the premisesItemization: A written statement identifying the exact reasons for retaining any portion, including the comprehensive list of damages required by § 44-7-33, delivered with payment of the difference; mailing the statement and payment first class to your last known address counts as compliance. | Under O.C.G.A. § 44-7-35(b), (c), a landlord who fails to return any part of the deposit that the article requires to be returned may be liable for three times the sum improperly withheld plus reasonable attorney's fees, or only the sum withheld if the landlord proves the withholding was an unintentional bona fide error; a landlord who fails to provide the lists and written statement within the time periods forfeits all rights to withhold any of the deposit or to sue for damages to the premises.Scope: Under § 44-7-36, §§ 44-7-31 to 44-7-33 and 44-7-35 do not apply to rental units owned by a natural person who, with a spouse and minor children, owns ten or fewer units and does not use a paid manager, so the forfeiture and treble-damages rules do not reach such a landlord; the 30-day return under § 44-7-34 applies to all. | O.C.G.A. § 44-7-34(a)Text read 2026-09-24 |
| Illinois | 45 days for returning the full deposit when the landlord has not sent a timely itemized statement; 30 days for an itemized statement of any damage deductionsClock starts: The tenant vacates (the 30-day itemization runs from the later of vacating and the end of the right of possession)Itemization: Within 30 days after the tenant vacates or the right of possession ends, whichever is later, an itemized statement of the damage with the estimated or actual cost of each item and paid receipts (receipts may follow within 30 days when an estimate was given), delivered in person, by mail or by e-mail to a verified address; without it the full deposit is due within 45 days after the tenant vacates. | Under 765 ILCS 710/1(c), a landlord who refuses to supply the itemized statement, or supplies it in bad faith, and fails to return the deposit due within the time limits, where the tenant provided a mailing or e-mail forwarding address may be liable for an amount equal to twice the amount of the security deposit due, together with court costs and reasonable attorney's fees. A lessee who never gave the lessor a mailing or e-mail address cannot recover damages or penalties under the Act, so this letter supplies a forwarding address.Chicago: Chicago's Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance has deposit rules of its own and awards a tenant two times the deposit plus interest for violations of them. (Chicago Mun. Code § 5-12-080) | 765 ILCS 710/1Text read 2026-09-24 |
| Massachusetts | 30 days for returning the deposit or its balance and for furnishing the sworn itemized list of damages with the balanceClock starts: The end of the tenancy under a written lease, or the termination of occupancy under a tenancy at willItemization: For any damage deduction, within the same thirty days an itemized list of damages sworn to under the pains and penalties of perjury, itemizing the damage and the repairs in precise detail, with written evidence of the actual or estimated cost such as estimates, bills, invoices or receipts (§ 15B(4)(iii)). | Under M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B(6), (7), a landlord who fails to return the deposit or its balance, with any interest due, within thirty days after the tenancy ends, or did not hold the deposit in the account subsection (3) requires may be liable for three times the amount of the deposit or balance owed, plus interest at five per cent from the date it became due, together with court costs and reasonable attorney's fees; a landlord who fails to furnish the sworn itemized list within thirty days forfeits the right to retain any portion of the deposit. | M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B(4)Text read 2026-09-24 |
| Nevada | 30 days for handing or mailing an itemized written accounting with any remainder and for providing the itemized written accounting with any remainderClock starts: The tenancy endsItemization: An itemized written accounting of the disposition of the deposit, handed to you where the rent is paid or mailed to your present address (or, if unknown, your last known address), together with any remainder, within the same 30 days (NRS 118A.242(4)). | Under NRS 118A.242(6), (7), a landlord who fails or refuses to return the remainder of the deposit within 30 days after the end of the tenancy may be liable for damages equal to the entire security deposit, plus a further sum the court fixes of not more than the entire deposit, weighing whether the landlord acted in good faith. | NRS 118A.242(4)Text read 2026-09-24 |
| New York | 14 days for sending an itemized statement and returning the balance and for providing the itemized statement with the remaining depositClock starts: The tenant vacatesItemization: An itemized statement of the basis for any amount retained, provided with the return of the remaining deposit within the same fourteen days; before you leave, the landlord must offer a pre-move-out inspection and an itemized list of proposed deductions you may cure (§ 7-108(1-a)(d)). | Under N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 7-108(1-a)(e), (f), (g), a landlord who fails to provide the itemized statement and return the remaining deposit within fourteen days after the tenant vacates may be liable for forfeiture of any right to retain any portion of the deposit; a landlord who willfully violates the subdivision is also liable for punitive damages of up to twice the amount of the deposit, and the landlord bears the burden of proving any amount retained was reasonable.Scope: Subdivision 1-a covers dwelling units in residential premises other than rent-stabilized units (which fall under § 7-107), units under rent control, continuing care retirement communities, assisted living and adult care facilities, senior residential communities with an offering plan, and not-for-profit independent retirement communities. | N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 7-108(1-a)(e)Text read 2026-09-24 |
| Ohio | 30 days for delivering a written notice itemizing any deduction, together with the amount due and for delivering the itemized written notice with the amount dueClock starts: Termination of the rental agreement and delivery of possessionItemization: A written notice itemizing and identifying each deduction, delivered with the amount due within the same thirty days (§ 5321.16(B)). | Under Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16(C), a landlord who fails to comply with division (B) of § 5321.16, where the tenant gave a forwarding address in writing may be liable for the money due, together with damages equal to the amount wrongfully withheld, and reasonable attorneys fees. | Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16(B)Text read 2026-09-24 |
| Oregon | 31 days for giving a written accounting of any amount claimed and refunding the balance and for giving the written accounting of any claim against the depositClock starts: The tenancy terminates and the tenant delivers possessionItemization: Within 31 days after the tenancy terminates and the tenant delivers possession, a written accounting stating specifically the basis of any claim, given separately for the security deposit and for prepaid rent, by personal delivery or first class mail (§ 90.300(12), (14)). | Under ORS 90.300(16), a landlord who fails to return the deposit or prepaid rent within 31 days as subsection (13) requires, or in bad faith fails to return all or any portion of any prepaid rent or security deposit due to the tenant may be liable for twice the amount withheld without a written accounting under subsection (12), or withheld in bad faith.Scope: Security deposits, which include any last month's rent deposit, and the unused balance of any prepaid rent; the holder of the landlord's interest when the tenancy terminates is responsible for the deposit (§ 90.300(1), (2)(b), (11)). | ORS 90.300Text read 2026-09-24 |
| Pennsylvania | 30 days for returning the deposit with an itemized written list of damages and for providing the written list of damages with the balanceClock starts: The termination of the lease or the surrender and acceptance of the premises, whichever occurs firstItemization: A written list of any damages the landlord claims, delivered within the same thirty days with payment of the difference between the deposit (with any unpaid interest) and the actual damages. | Under 68 P.S. § 250.512(b), (c), (e), a landlord who fails to pay the difference between the deposit and the actual damages within thirty days, where the tenant gave the landlord a new forwarding address in writing may be liable for double the amount by which the sum deposited, with any unpaid interest, exceeds the actual damages, with the burden of proving actual damages on the landlord; a landlord who fails to provide the written list within thirty days also forfeits all rights to withhold any part of the deposit or to sue for damages to the premises. A tenant who does not give the landlord a new address in writing relieves the landlord of liability under the section, so this letter supplies one.Scope: Residential leaseholds only (§ 250.512(f)). | 68 P.S. § 250.512Text read 2026-09-24 |
| Tennessee | No day count in our researchItemization: A comprehensive listing of damage from the move-out inspection (§ 66-28-301(b)); if a refund is due, notice of the amount sent to your last known address, and the landlord may keep the deposit only if you do not respond within 60 days of that notice (§ 66-28-301(f)). | Under Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-301(c), a landlord who did not keep the deposit in the separate account required by subsection (a) and did not provide the listing of damages required by subsection (b) may be liable for forfeiture of any right to retain any portion of the deposit.Scope: The Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act reaches only counties with more than 75,000 people; Davidson County, which is Nashville, is covered. | Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-301Text read 2026-09-24 |
| Texas | 30 days for refunding the deposit and for giving a written description and itemized list of all deductions with the balanceClock starts: The tenant surrenders the premises and gives a written forwarding addressItemization: A written description and itemized list of all deductions, given with the balance of the deposit; not required if the tenant owes undisputed rent at surrender (§ 92.104). A refund or itemization postmarked on or before the deadline counts as timely (§ 92.1041). | Under Tex. Prop. Code § 92.109, a landlord who in bad faith retains a security deposit in violation of the subchapter may be liable for $100, plus three times the portion of the deposit wrongfully withheld, plus the tenant's reasonable attorney's fees in a suit to recover the deposit; a landlord who in bad faith fails to give the itemized list forfeits the right to withhold any portion of the deposit or to sue for damages to the premises, and the landlord bears the burden of proving any retention was reasonable. Under § 92.109(d), a landlord who fails either to refund the deposit or to give the written itemized list of deductions on or before the 30th day after the tenant surrenders possession is presumed to have acted in bad faith. | Tex. Prop. Code § 92.103Text read 2026-09-24 |
| Washington | 30 days for giving a full and specific written statement of the basis for keeping any of the deposit, with any refund and for giving the full and specific statement with its documentation and any refund dueClock starts: The termination of the rental agreement and vacation of the premises (on abandonment, when the landlord learns of the abandonment)Itemization: A full and specific statement of the basis for retaining any of the deposit, with copies of estimates received or invoices paid to substantiate damage charges, and for landlord-performed repairs a copy of the bill, invoice or receipt for materials plus a statement of the time spent and the reasonable hourly rate, delivered with any refund due. | Under RCW 59.18.280(2), a landlord who fails to give the statement and documentation together with any refund due within the 30 days may be liable for the full amount of the deposit, and the landlord is barred from asserting any claim or defense for retaining any of it unless circumstances beyond the landlord's control prevented the statement or the tenant abandoned the premises; the court may award up to two times the deposit for an intentional refusal; the prevailing party recovers the cost of suit or arbitration and a reasonable attorney's fee.Scope: The checklist and documentation requirements of RCW 59.18.260 and 59.18.280 do not apply where part or all of the deposit is withheld for reasons unrelated to damage, such as rent or other charges owing; no deposit may be collected unless the rental agreement is in writing and a signed written checklist of the premises' condition was given at the start (§ 59.18.260). | RCW 59.18.280Text read 2026-09-24 |
What to Do After You Send It
- Send it by certified mail and keep copies. Keep the letter, the mailing receipt and anything the landlord sends back, together with your lease and your move-in and move-out photos.
- Ask for the itemized statement if it has not come. Where the table shows that a state requires an itemized statement, ask for one in the form that row describes.
- Mark your reply date. If it passes with no answer, small claims court is the next step if you decide to pursue it. Your local court's website lists its own filing rules, limits and fees; this page does not.
- Landlord sent deductions instead? Check them with the deposit deduction checker, and read our security deposit guide for the rules on caps, deductions and the return.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a security deposit demand letter?
It is a dated written request that your former landlord return your security deposit, or the part still held, with an itemized statement of any deductions. It puts the amount, the rental address and where to send the money on paper, and it gives you proof of what you asked for and when.
How long does my landlord have to return my deposit?
It depends on the state, and on what starts the clock: the end of the tenancy, the day you moved out, a written forwarding address or your own demand. The table above lists the return deadline and the event that starts it for each state our research covers. For any other state the generator leaves the deadline out rather than guess, so check your state's statute.
What happens if my landlord misses the deadline?
That depends on the state. For every state in the table, the Penalty column names the section and the condition it attaches to, such as bad faith, a missed deadline or a forwarding address the tenant never gave, and the letter repeats that sentence for your state. In Florida and Georgia the form asks one question first, because the penalty section does not reach every case; where it does not reach yours, the letter leaves that sentence out. For a state outside the table the letter says nothing about penalties.
Do I need a lawyer to send a demand letter?
This page makes no claim either way. The letter is your own request, in your own name, and sending it does not start a court case. If you want advice about your situation, a local legal aid organization or a licensed attorney can give it.
What if my landlord never asked for a forwarding address?
Give one anyway, in writing. In our research, the Texas return clock does not start until the landlord has your written forwarding address, and in Illinois, Ohio and Pennsylvania the penalty depends on your having given one. The letter puts your current address at the top and, for those four states, says that it is your forwarding address.
Can my landlord still make deductions after the deadline?
In some states, no. Our research on New York says a landlord who misses its deadline forfeits any right to keep any part of the deposit; Pennsylvania's section says a landlord who misses its deadline, where the tenant gave a written forwarding address, forfeits all rights to withhold; Washington's section bars a landlord who misses its 30-day statement from claiming any of the deposit unless circumstances beyond the landlord's control prevented the statement or the tenant abandoned the premises; and a Florida landlord who does not give notice of a claim in time loses the right to make one. For other states, check the table and your state's section before assuming either way.
Legal Disclaimer: This generator fills in a template letter from the information you enter. It is not legal advice, and LeaseDecoded is not a law firm. Statutes change: each row of the table shows the date that state's section text was read at its source, and you should confirm the current text before relying on a deadline. For advice about your situation, contact a licensed attorney or a local legal aid organization.