Lease
Customized Agreements
Security Deposit Return or Demand
Produce the itemised deposit accounting a landlord must send, or the demand a tenant sends when it never arrives.
Also called: security deposit demand letter, itemized deposit deductions, landlord did not return deposit.
What you walk away with
A clean multi-page PDF and DOCX after you finish — not a web-form dump. Preview the document before you pay.
- PDF export
- DOCX export
- E-sign included
- No subscription
Deposit caps, holding requirements, interest, permitted deductions, the deadline to return with an itemised statement, and penalties for missing it are set by state and often city law and vary widely. This package states no figure or deadline.
Jurisdiction details
See how this document starts in your state
Choose the state where the document will be used. The state page shows the maintained coverage level, local-rule limits, and a builder link with the canonical state code already selected.
When this fits
Use this document when…
- A landlord returning a deposit with itemised deductions
- A tenant who has received nothing and needs to demand it
- Disputing deductions that are not supported by records
- Proposing a resolution before either side escalates
Before you start
Information you will need
- Which side you are writing as
- Landlord, tenant, property, and lease date
- The deposit received and any additional credits
- Each deduction, itemised, with supporting records
- What was returned and what remains in dispute
- The tenancy end date and the date possession was returned
- The forwarding address and how this document is delivered
What you receive
- A Security Deposit Return or Demand document
- Itemised deduction schedule
- Completion and delivery instructions
- PDF and editable DOCX export
Document questions
Questions about this document
What is a Security Deposit Return or Demand Package?
Produce the itemised deposit accounting a landlord must send, or the demand a tenant sends when it never arrives.
How do I create a Security Deposit Return or Demand Package?
A landlord returning a deposit with itemised deductions; A tenant who has received nothing and needs to demand it; Disputing deductions that are not supported by records
What should a Security Deposit Return or Demand Package include?
Which side you are writing as; Landlord, tenant, property, and lease date; The deposit received and any additional credits; Each deduction, itemised, with supporting records; What was returned and what remains in dispute
Special situations
- Deposit deadlines usually run from the end of the tenancy or the return of possession, and missing them can forfeit the right to deduct at all — sometimes with a penalty on top.
- Deductions asserted without receipts, invoices, or photographs are the ones that get reversed. Attach the records.
- Normal wear and tear is generally not deductible. The line between wear and damage is where most of these disputes actually sit.
- Several states require the deposit held in a particular way and require interest. A failure there can matter independently of whether the deductions were fair.
- Delivery evidence matters more here than almost anywhere else, because the statutory clock usually runs from receipt.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a landlord have to return the deposit?
It depends where the property is, and this document states no period deliberately. Most states set a deadline measured in days from the end of the tenancy or the return of possession, and several impose a penalty for missing it.
What can actually be deducted?
Generally unpaid rent and damage beyond normal wear and tear, and in some places cleaning to the standard at move-in. Ordinary wear is not deductible, and that distinction is where most disputes live.
The landlord sent nothing. What now?
Send a written demand with your forwarding address, the deposit figure, and what you say is owed, and keep proof of delivery. In several states a landlord who fails to provide an itemised statement within the deadline loses the right to deduct anything.
Do I need receipts for deductions?
In practice yes. Deductions supported by invoices, receipts, and dated photographs survive challenge; deductions asserted as a round figure usually do not.
Is it worth pursuing?
Often, because many states provide penalties or multiple damages where a landlord has not complied. The dispute proposal in this package is there because settling is usually cheaper for both sides than filing.
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Not legal advice
Locke Direct helps structure documents and workflows. It does not replace a qualified lawyer for complex, unusual, or high-risk situations.
Last reviewed July 29, 2026.