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Instant Legal Letters

Security deposit demand letter · CA, TX, FL, NY, IL

Get your security deposit back.

A demand letter citing your state's law, with your landlord's deadline and the penalty for missing it. See it free, then we send it by USPS Certified Mail from our office, not your apartment.

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Enter your dates and amounts to see your landlord's legal deadline and what the law lets you recover.

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  • Statutes checked against the official text, October 2026
  • The law in your letter never comes from AI
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  • Something not right? Rewrite it with your corrections

Sample letter · Texas

Maria Lopez
88 Linden St
Apt 3
Austin, TX 78704
October 12, 2026
Oakwood Property Management
500 Commerce Blvd
Suite 210
Austin, TX 78704

Sent by USPS Certified Mail

Re: Demand for return of security deposit: 2210 S 1st St, Apt 2B, Austin, TX 78704

Dear Oakwood Property Management:

I rented 2210 S 1st St, Apt 2B, Austin, TX 78704 from you until I moved out on August 15, 2026. I paid a security deposit of $1,650.

When I moved out, I returned the keys and left the apartment clean, and I photographed every room. I gave you my forwarding address in writing the same day. Since then I have asked about my deposit twice by e-mail, on September 3 and September 17, and have not received a reply, the deposit, or any statement of deductions.

Texas Property Code §§ 92.103 and 92.104 required you to refund my deposit, or give me a written description and itemized list of any deductions, within 30 days after I surrendered the premises and gave you my forwarding address in writing, which was by September 14, 2026. I have received neither. Under § 92.109(d), a landlord who misses this deadline is presumed to have acted in bad faith. Under § 92.109(a), a landlord who in bad faith keeps a security deposit is liable for $100, three times the portion wrongfully withheld, and reasonable attorney's fees. Under § 92.109(c), the landlord has the burden of proving that keeping any part of a deposit was reasonable.

I ask that you pay me the $1,650 still owed no later than October 26, 2026, by check payable to Maria Lopez and mailed to the address at the top of this letter.

If I do not receive payment by then, I am prepared to file a claim in justice court to recover my deposit, any damages allowed by Prop. Code § 92.109, and court costs.

I would prefer to resolve this without going to court. Please keep this letter for your records.

Sincerely,

Maria Lopez

Why people trust it

Most tools tell you you're right. We tell you where your case is weak, before you pay.

Didn't give a forwarding address? Owe some rent? No move-out photos? You'll see it in your case check, with what to do about it. The law in every letter comes from a statute table we check by hand, never from an AI guess, and every sentence the AI writes about your story is checked against your own answers before you see it.

Got a list of deductions?

Not every deduction is legal.

Deposit laws let a landlord keep money for real costs, not for getting the unit ready for the next tenant. In California and Illinois, the list also has to come with receipts. Your letter disputes each charge that doesn't hold up.

Usually allowed

  • Rent you actually owe
  • Damage beyond normal wear and tear, at a reasonable cost
  • Cleaning to get the unit back to move-in condition

Usually not allowed

  • Repainting after an ordinary tenancy
  • Carpet worn out by normal use or age
  • A few small nail holes and scuffs
  • Damage that was there before you moved in

General rules. Your case check applies your state's statute to your own charges.

How it works

From your answers to a letter in your landlord's mailbox.

  1. 01

    Answer a few questions

    About eight plain questions: the deposit, the dates, what your landlord has said. About three minutes. If something important is missing, we'll ask one or two follow-ups.

  2. 02

    See your case and your letter, free

    You get an honest read on your case, including its weak spots, plus your letter with your landlord's legal deadline and your state's law cited. You pay only if you want the full letter.

  3. 03

    Unlock it, read it, send it

    Unlock your full letter for $19.99 and read every word. Then we print it and send it by USPS Certified Mail for $20 more, with you as the sender. Or mail it yourself.

If they don't pay

The letter is the first step. Here is what comes after it.

  1. Day 1

    Your letter goes out

    By USPS Certified Mail, with a dated record that you asked in writing. Tracking on your case page.

  2. Until the payment date

    We count down with you

    Your case page shows the days left. Tell us when they pay, or when they don't.

  3. Date passes

    A free final notice

    If the landlord misses the date, we prepare a final notice as a PDF at no charge. Want us to mail it too? $10 by Certified Mail.

  4. Still nothing

    Small claims, step by step

    which court to file in, the claim limit and what to bring. Your letter and mail receipt are your paper trail.

The law in our five states

Landlords have a deadline. Missing it has consequences.

StateDeadline after move-outIf the landlord breaks the rulesStatute
California21 daysThe amount withheld, plus up to 2× the depositCiv. Code § 1950.5
Texas30 days$100 + 3× the amount withheldProp. Code § 92.109
Florida15 days to refund, 30 to claimThe deposit, plus court costs and attorney's feesFla. Stat. § 83.49
New York14 daysThe amount withheld, plus up to 2× the depositGen. Oblig. Law § 7-108
Illinois30 days to itemize, 45 to refund2× the deposit due, plus costs and fees765 ILCS 710/1

Penalties depend on what a court finds, such as bad faith. Your case check explains what applies to you. Read the full state guides.

Your options

Three ways to ask for your money back.

Instant Legal LettersWrite it yourselfHire a lawyer
Cites your state's statute and deadlineYes, checked by handIf you look it upYes
Honest read on your weak spotsYes, before you payNoYes
Printed and sent by Certified Mail for youYes, $20Post office lineLaw firm letterhead
Final notice if they miss the dateIncluded (PDF)Write anotherBilled again
ReadyTodayHours of researchDays to weeks
Cost$39.99, oncePostageUsually hundreds of dollars an hour

Your full letter

$19.99

Read every word before anything is sent.

Want us to mail it? +$20, certified postage included.

Start my letter

Something not right? Rewrite your letter with your corrections, up to twice. Secure payment by Stripe.

  • Your letter, citing your state's statuteWith your landlord's deadline, the amount owed and the penalty the law allows, written from your answers.
  • An honest case checkStrengths, weak spots and the evidence to gather, so you go in knowing where you stand.
  • Your case fileThe questions a small claims judge works through in a deposit case, answered from your facts, and what to do if your landlord pays, pays part, disputes or ignores you.
  • Printed and sent by USPS Certified MailMailed within one business day, with your name and address as the sender and the tracking number on your case page.
  • What comes after the letterYour case page tracks the payment date in your letter. If it passes, a free final notice as a PDF, then small claims steps for your state.

Questions

Before you start

Is this legal advice?

No. Instant Legal Letters is a self-help writing tool for people who represent themselves, not a law firm. The facts in your letter come from your answers. The law in your letter comes from a statute table we check by hand; the paragraphs about what happened are written with AI from your answers, and AI can make mistakes. You read and approve every word before anything is mailed, and we strongly recommend having a licensed attorney review your letter before you send it.

Will a letter actually get my deposit back?

It can, and there's no guarantee. A formal letter that cites the statute and the penalty, sent by Certified Mail, tells a landlord you know the rules and are keeping a record. If they still don't pay, the letter is the paper trail a small claims judge will want to see.

What if my landlord ignores it?

Your case page counts down to the payment date. If it passes, we prepare a free final notice as a PDF (or mail it for you for ${usd(site.finalNoticeMailCents)}) and show you the small claims steps for your state: which court to file in, the claim limit, and what to bring.

Why Certified Mail?

It gives you a dated USPS record that the letter was sent, and lets you track delivery. That matters if you ever need to show a court you asked first.

Why let you mail it instead of mailing it myself?

You skip the printer and the post office line. We print your letter and send it by USPS Certified Mail, with your name and address as the sender so any reply goes straight to you, and the tracking number shows up on your case page. We mail it to exactly the address you approve, so check it carefully.

What if my state isn't listed?

We start with California, Texas, Florida, New York and Illinois, where we've checked every statute by hand. Pick “another state” at the start to get an e-mail when yours is ready.

What does it cost?

The preview is free. Unlocking your full letter is $19.99, once. After you've read it, we can print it and send it by USPS Certified Mail for $20 more ($39.99 in total), or you can mail it yourself. If something in your letter isn't right, you can rewrite it with your corrections, up to twice, at no extra cost.

It's your money. Ask for it in writing.

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See your letter free, then decide.