Landlord kept your deposit?
We can get it back.
No lawyer needed.
Your landlord is betting you'll let it go. They're usually right: lawyers are expensive, and the law is hard to navigate on your own. Answer seven free questions and we'll show you if you have a strong case. Most landlords pay after receiving the letter.
Free. 7 questions. No card needed.
Get My Deposit Back
File No. GMDB-26-04817
Return receipt
P.O. Box 1130
California
Dear Ms. Carter:
Sincerely,
Jordan RiveraTenant · cc: file
Every quoted line comes from your state's statute, current as of November 4, 2026. Legal information, not legal advice.
They kept a month's rent and figured that was that. You Googled it. You found a statute longer than your lease and a forum thread from 2014. You pictured a courtroom, and a lawyer who costs more than the deposit. Navigating this is scary and expensive, and that's exactly what your landlord is counting on.
What they didn't count on: the law already wrote the penalty. Tonight it's written, with their name on it. Next business day, it's in the mail.
Every deadline. Every cap. Every receipt rule. Every penalty, in 47 states. We track each one when it changes. That is the whole job.
Three steps. Five minutes. Then it's their move.
One payment. No lawyer. No courtroom unless they insist on one.
Tell us what they did
Seven questions. Five minutes. You see your position and the penalty math before you pay a cent.
We put the law in their mailbox
Your state's section, quoted. The deadline they missed. The penalty in dollars. Certified mail, in your name, out the next business day. Signed for or refused, the record comes back to you.
Now they do the math
Most pay once the section and the penalty land on their desk. If yours doesn't, your court form is pre-filled and your evidence is ready.
You have more than you think.
What you can claim
- The full deposit, or every dollar they withheld
- The penalty: 2× to 3× in most states
- Your filing fee, if you have to file
- Interest, where your state's law adds it
Evidence you need
- Your lease and proof you paid the deposit
- Dated photos, if you have them
- Whatever they sent you. Or the silence.
- Proof you gave a forwarding address, if you did
- This letter and the signed certified receipt
If they ignore it
- Small claims in your county. No lawyer needed.
- Filing fee $30 to $75. You can claim it back.
- Short hearing. In most states they must justify each deduction.
- Form pre-filled, court named, list of what to bring
The law already picked a side. Yours.
The penalty was on the books before they decided to keep it. Real sections, current as of November 4, 2026. Your letter puts these numbers in front of them.
Keep it in bad faith and it's up to twice the deposit, on top of what they kept. The burden of proof is theirs.
Civ. Code § 1950.5(m)Day 31, bad faith is presumed. Three times what they withheld, plus $100.
Prop. Code § 92.109Miss the 30 days and it's three times the deposit, plus 5% interest and court costs.
G.L. c. 186, § 15B(7)Fourteen days. A willful violation runs up to twice the deposit. A late statement forfeits every deduction.
Gen. Oblig. Law § 7-108(1-a)Three times what they kept. Colorado needs it willful, Georgia excuses only an honest mistake, South Carolina asks no excuse. In Colorado and Georgia, a late statement forfeits every deduction.
C.R.S. § 38-12-103 · O.C.G.A. § 44-7-35 · S.C. Code § 27-40-410Double. The whole deposit in Connecticut. What they kept in Michigan. The amount due in Illinois, when they stonewall the statement (buildings of five or more units).
§ 47a-21 · 765 ILCS 710/1 · MCL 554.613Things your landlord hopes you don't know.
Every state's law has traps on both sides. We know where they are. Your landlord is betting you don't.
Texas presumes bad faith on day 31
No refund and no itemized list within 30 days? Texas law presumes the landlord acted in bad faith. Now they have to prove they didn't. The penalty is $100 plus three times what they kept.
Prop. Code § 92.109(d)Michigan gives you four days
You get four days after moving out to give a forwarding address in writing. Miss it and the landlord can skip the itemized list. Almost nobody hears this until it's too late. The free check asks about it before you pay.
MCL 554.603, 554.613Massachusetts wants it sworn
The itemized list has to be signed under penalty of perjury, with bills, receipts, or estimates attached. A plain list doesn't count. Miss the 30 days and it's triple the deposit.
G.L. c. 186, § 15B(4), (7)Arizona's clock starts with your demand
Fourteen business days, no weekends or holidays, starting when you ask in writing after handing back the keys. No written demand, no clock. This letter is the demand.
A.R.S. § 33-1321(D)Illinois: no receipts, full refund
Every deduction needs a paid receipt attached. No statement and receipts within 30 days? The full deposit is due within 45. Refuse in bad faith and it costs them twice the deposit.
765 ILCS 710/1Utah wants a specific notice first
Before you can sue, Utah makes you send a set notice in a set form. It gives the landlord five business days. Skip it and you lose the law's remedy. Our Utah letter has that notice built in, word for word.
Utah Code § 57-17-3(3)Normal wear and tear is not a deduction. Anywhere.
Faded paint. Worn carpet paths. Nail holes. Small scuffs. No state we cover lets them charge for ordinary wear. Most make the landlord prove each charge. The letter says so, with the section number.
47 statutesCalifornia: receipts for anything over $125
Any repair or cleaning charge over $125 needs receipts, invoices, or a good-faith estimate. You can ask for them within 14 days. A charge they can't back up is a charge they can't keep.
Civ. Code § 1950.5(h)(2), (h)(5)Late statement, lost deductions
In California, New York, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Vermont, and more, a late or missing itemized statement forfeits every deduction. Every one. The letter counts the days for you.
13 states, section cited in each letterTheir bet. Your call.
What your landlord is counting on
- —A lawyer's letter: $500 to $1,500, a week or more
- —To a lawyer, a deposit case is small change
- —Court sounds huge, scary, and slow. So you don't look.
- —Your deposit is often less than a lawyer costs
What shows up instead
- ✓One form. One payment. $39.
- ✓Your state's section, quoted word for word, in your name
- ✓Certified mail. Signed for or refused, it's on the record.
- ✓Court kit ready if they hold out. Fee back if they don't pay.
Fast. Exact. On the record.
Fast
Seven questions, your details, done in one coffee break. In the mail the next business day. No appointment, no waiting room.
Exact
Not a generic form. Your state's section, your deadline, your penalty in dollars. We know deposit law in 47 states. Only deposit law.
On the record
USPS Certified Mail with a return receipt. Signed for or refused, the tracking record is your Exhibit A. No more "we never got it."
Not a law firm. No lawyers. Just your state's law, found and quoted, handed to the person it was written for.
Free to check. One payment to call their bet.
Seven questions and your position, free. Then one payment, and the law goes in the mail. No subscription. No retainer. No hourly anything.
Letter only
Your statute. Your printer. Your stamp.
- The letter, with your state's section quoted and your numbers filled in
- PDF and an editable copy
- Mailing instructions (about $9 at the post office)
- Small-claims steps (the pre-filled form comes with the mailed tiers)
A download you keep. No refund on this one.
Sent certified
On the record, on its way, in your name.
- Everything in Letter only
- USPS Certified Mail with electronic return receipt
- First-class copy and email copy
- USPS tracking, then the signed receipt when it lands
- Evidence file and small-claims form pre-filled
Fee refunded if they still don't pay.
Sent and followed up
You don't chase them. The calendar does.
- Everything in Sent certified
- Reminder emails to the landlord on day 5 and day 9
- Certified final notice mailed the day after your deadline
- A second tracked mailing in your evidence file
Fee refunded if they still don't pay.
Free: the seven questions and your position. Refund: on Sent certified and Sent and followed up, if the landlord still doesn't pay, ask and the fee comes back. The fee, not the deposit. Letter only is a download you keep, so it isn't refundable. For comparison, a lawyer's letter runs $500 to $1,500 and takes a week or more.
How to demand your deposit back, in five minutes.
- 12 minutes
Pick your state. Answer seven questions.
Where you lived. When you left. What they sent, or didn't. What you have. No dates yet.
Answer straight. The letter only works if every line of it is true. - 230 seconds
See where you stand
Your position, the deadline they missed, what you can demand, and the most a court could award.
Free. If your numbers look thin, you'll know before you spend a dollar. - 32 minutes
Pay once. Add the details.
Exact dates, exact amounts, both addresses. It saves as you type.
No landlord address? We show you where to look: the lease, the Secretary of State search, the county assessor. - 410 seconds
Press Mail it
One button. USPS Certified with return receipt, a first-class copy, an email copy. Tracking as soon as USPS scans it.
Refused or unclaimed? The tracking record still shows when and where it went. Keep it. - 510 days
They get 10 days
The letter names the date. Now the clock is on them. Top tier: reminders on day 5 and 9, certified final notice the day after.
Most pay. If yours goes quiet, step 6 is already set up. - 6if needed
File, if it comes to that
Small claims, your county. The form is pre-filled, the exhibits are in order. You sign and file. In most states, the landlord has to back up each deduction.
Filing fees run $30 to $75, and the court can add them to what the landlord owes.
Your state's deadline and penalty.
Each card is your state's deadline and penalty, straight from the statute. Four states are not on yet: two we are still verifying, two with no deadline or penalty to enforce.
Straight answers.
Will this get my deposit back?
Quick answer: no one can promise that, and we won't. Most landlords pay once the section number and the penalty land on their desk, because paying you is cheaper than the penalty. If yours doesn't, you hold the signed receipt, the evidence file, and a pre-filled court form.
Why you, and not a lawyer?
Quick answer: a lawyer's letter quotes the same statute for $500 to $1,500 and takes a week or more. Ours goes out the next business day for $39, in your name. If it comes to small claims, no lawyer is needed, and the penalty goes to you.
Is this a law firm?
Quick answer: no. No lawyers, no legal advice, and we don't represent you. We prepare the letter in your name. You sign it. You don't need a lawyer to send a letter or file in small claims. Over the small-claims limit, or facing eviction? Call a tenant-rights group or a lawyer.
How much does it cost?
Quick answer: $0 to answer the seven questions and see where you stand. $39 to send the letter certified. $69 with reminders and a final notice. $19 if you print and mail it yourself. Court filing fees, $30 to $75, are separate. You can ask for them back.
How long does it take?
Quick answer: five minutes to send. Then the landlord gets 10 days. If yours doesn't pay, small claims is built for people without lawyers. Hearings are short. This is one letter, not a lawsuit, unless you decide to make it one.
What happens when I pay?
Quick answer: you add exact dates and addresses, read the letter, and press Mail it now. It goes out USPS Certified with an electronic return receipt, plus a first-class copy and an email copy. You get USPS tracking, then a PDF of the return receipt when it lands, signed or refused.
What if they still don't pay?
Quick answer: the letter and the signed receipt become your evidence. We pre-fill the small-claims form from them, name your county's court, explain the filing fee, and list what to bring. You sign and file. On the top tier, two reminders and a certified final notice go out first.
How does the refund work?
Quick answer: on Sent certified and Sent and followed up, if the landlord still doesn't pay, email us and the fee comes back. No forms, no argument. The fee, not the deposit. Letter only is a download you keep, so it has no refund.
What evidence do I need?
Quick answer: your lease, proof you paid the deposit, dated move-in and move-out photos if you have them, anything the landlord sent, and proof you gave a forwarding address. Screenshots of texts count. Never gave a forwarding address? This letter gives one, in writing, with a signed receipt.
Will my landlord retaliate or mess with my rental history?
Quick answer: you've moved out. No lease to end, no rent to raise. The letter is private mail, not a court filing. If you file later, that case is public, like any lawsuit. Could they grumble? Sure. They kept your money. Think about what their reference was worth.
Is it too late? I moved out months ago.
Quick answer: usually not. Most states give you years, not days, to sue over a deposit. The free check uses your move-out date to show the deadline your landlord missed, before you pay a cent.
I never took photos. Does that sink me?
Quick answer: no. Photos help, but in most states the landlord has to prove each deduction, not you. Your lease, proof you paid, their texts and emails, even their silence count. A charge they can't back up with receipts is hard to keep.
Which states?
Quick answer: 47, from each state's own law, current as of November 4, 2026. Not yet: New Hampshire and DC, where we're still verifying the text, and Kentucky and Tennessee, where the statute gives a letter no deadline or penalty to cite. You can still sue for the deposit itself.
Your landlord is betting you'll close this tab.
Seven questions. Five minutes. Certified mail, in your name. No lawyer.
See what I can claim →Free. 7 questions. No card needed.