How this letter works
A security deposit demand letter is a plain, dated request: here is the tenancy, here is the deposit, here is what has and has not come back, and here is what I am asking you to do by a certain date. It does not argue the law, and it does not need to. Its job is to put the facts in writing, give the landlord a clear way to respond, and leave you with a record if the matter goes further.
The generator asks for the facts in three short steps and builds the letter as you type. You see the full text in the preview, and the PDF, Word and text downloads contain the same words. The letter includes:
- your mailing address, the date, and the landlord’s address;
- a subject line naming the rental;
- the lease dates, your move-out date and the date you returned the keys;
- the deposit you paid, any amount returned, and the status of any itemized statement;
- a short deposit summary table;
- your request: return the amount you name, or send a written itemized statement with receipts, by your reply date;
- a sentence about your forwarding address;
- a sentence that you are keeping a copy of the letter and your records;
- your signature block with the contact details you choose to include.
If you received an itemized statement and disagree with parts of it, you can list the disputed items and your reasons. Keep each reason short and tied to something you can show: the move-in checklist, a photo, a receipt, or a clause in the lease.
Everything you type stays in your browser. The site does not store, send or log letter details.
Deadline versus requested reply date
The letter contains two very different kinds of dates, and the tool keeps them apart on purpose.
The reply date is yours. You pick it, the letter says it is the date by which you are asking for a reply, and nothing more. Choose a date that gives the landlord time to receive the letter and respond, and put it on your calendar.
The deposit-return period is set by state law, and it starts from an event defined by that law, not from the day you send a letter. LetterForgeUSA only describes that period where an editor has opened the official page and confirmed what it says. As of October 16, 2026 that is true for two states:
- California: the California Courts Self-Help Guide says a landlord has 21 days after a tenant moves out to return the full deposit or return it minus deductions with an itemized statement, and refers to Civil Code section 1950.5.
- Texas: the Texas State Law Library guide quotes Property Code section 92.103, which requires the refund on or before the 30th day after the date the tenant surrenders the premises, and section 92.107, under which the landlord is not obligated to return the deposit until the tenant gives a written forwarding address.
For these two states you can tick a box to add one neutral sentence to the letter that begins “My understanding is that under [State] law”. It never says the landlord missed a deadline, acted in bad faith or owes a penalty. Those are conclusions a court reaches on evidence; a letter that asserts them can read as a threat and rarely helps the conversation.
For every other state the tool says plainly that nothing about your state’s law has been verified, and the letter stays factual. Source verification is an editorial check of an official page by a software engineer, not a legal review, and the rules are scheduled for re-checking every six months.
Delivery and keeping a copy
A demand letter only helps if you can later show what it said and when the landlord got it.
- Print and sign the letter. Keep the signed copy, not just the file.
- Send it by a method with proof. Certified mail with a return receipt gives you a dated record. For hand delivery, ask the landlord or office to sign and date a copy, or bring a witness. If you email it, keep the sent message and mail a copy as well.
- Write the date you sent it on your copy and attach the receipt or acknowledgment.
- Keep the supporting records together: lease, deposit receipt or bank record, move-in and move-out photos or video, any checklists, the itemized statement if you received one, and messages about the deposit.
- When the reply date passes, note whether you heard anything. Keep any partial payment or statement you receive; cashing a check does not normally require you to agree with the deductions, but read anything written on the check or in the cover letter before you decide.
In Texas, keep separate proof of when the landlord received your written forwarding address, because the State Law Library guide ties the landlord’s obligation to that step. This letter supplies the address in writing; the delivery receipt shows when.
When to get help
A demand letter is a reasonable first step. Consider talking to someone before going further if:
- the landlord disputes that you moved out or returned the property on the date you say;
- the deductions involve unpaid rent, early termination fees or damage you partly accept;
- the amount is large, or the landlord has already sent the matter to a collection agency;
- you were a subtenant or had an informal arrangement without a written lease;
- you suspect discrimination or retaliation was involved.
Start with official self-help resources. The California Courts Self-Help Guide and the Texas State Law Library both have pages on security deposits and on small claims, linked from the sources list on this page. Local legal aid organizations and tenant unions often help with deposit disputes at no charge. Each of these can tell you how your state’s rules apply to your facts; this tool cannot.
LetterForgeUSA provides document drafting tools and general information, not legal advice. Rules depend on your location and circumstances.
Responding to disputed deductions
If the landlord has sent an itemized statement, separate the amount withheld from the amount you dispute. The security deposit deduction dispute guide provides a fictional calculation, an evidence table and sample wording to help you explain each item. Check any applicable objection deadline before choosing a voluntary reply date.