SECURITY DEPOSITS
How to return a security deposit, step by step
Inspect the home against your move-in record, price only damage beyond normal wear (plus unpaid rent or charges the lease allows), list each deduction with its amount, and send the refund with the itemized list — by a method you can prove — before your state's deadline. Keep photos and receipts for every line.
Returning a security deposit is the last impression of a tenancy — and the part most likely to end up in front of a judge. Done carefully, it takes an hour. Here's the process.
1. Know your deadline before you do anything
Every state sets one, and the penalties for missing it can be several times the deposit. Count from the move-out date (or the end of the lease, depending on the state), not from when you get around to inspecting.
| State | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Texas | 30 days after move-out |
| Washington | 30 days after the tenancy ends and the tenant moves out |
| Florida | 15 days to refund in full, or 30 days to send a certified-mail notice of claim |
The security deposit return letter tool turns the move-out date into the exact due date for these three states. For others, check your state's landlord-tenant statute.
2. Inspect against your move-in record
Walk every room with your move-in checklist and photos in hand — ideally with the tenant present. Photograph the same views you took at move-in. The question for each item isn't "is this perfect?" but "is this worse than it was, beyond normal use?" Our move-out inspection checklist goes room by room.
3. Decide what you can deduct
You can generally deduct for:
- Damage beyond normal wear and tear — holes in walls, burns, broken blinds, pet damage, stains that won't clean.
- Unpaid rent and other charges the lease makes the tenant responsible for (an unpaid utility bill, a lost key fob).
- Removing what they left — furniture, trash, belongings.
- Cleaning needed to return the home to its move-in condition — where your state allows it.
You can't deduct for normal wear and tear: faded paint, minor scuffs, carpet worn by ordinary walking, loose door handles from use. Wear and tear vs. damage has a full list.
4. Price each deduction honestly
- Use real invoices or written estimates.
- If you do the work yourself, charge a reasonable hourly rate and the cost of materials — and write down the hours.
- Account for age. A carpet with a 10-year life that's 8 years old has little value left; charging a tenant for a brand-new carpet is the kind of deduction that loses in court.
5. Write the itemized letter
Each deduction gets its own line with a plain description and an amount:
| Deduction | Amount |
|---|---|
| Patch and paint three anchor holes, living room | $180.00 |
| Replace bedroom blinds (cord broken) | $64.00 |
| Haul away furniture left in garage | $150.00 |
| Total deductions | $394.00 |
| Deposit held | $1,500.00 |
| Refund enclosed | $1,106.00 |
Our free generator builds this letter as you type, uses Florida's required notice wording when you choose Florida, and prints to PDF.
6. Send it — provably
Use a method you can prove later: certified mail with a return receipt, or another delivery your state allows. Florida requires certified mail (or e-mail, only with the tenant's prior agreement) for a notice of claim; Washington allows personal delivery or first-class mail. Send the refund in the same envelope or by a traceable payment.
7. Keep the file
Keep the letter, the proof of mailing, the inspection photos, the receipts, and the move-in checklist together for at least a few years. If the tenant disputes a charge, this file is your case.
If the damage exceeds the deposit
Itemize everything, apply the full deposit, and state the remaining balance. Ask for payment in writing. If the tenant doesn't pay, small claims court is designed for exactly this — and your itemized letter, photos, and receipts are the evidence.
Common questions
How do I write a security deposit return letter?
Include the date, the tenant's name and forwarding address, the property address, the move-out date, the deposit amount, each deduction with a reason and amount, the total deducted, and the refund enclosed. Our free generator builds it for you.
Can I deduct cleaning costs from a security deposit?
Generally only to return the home to its move-in condition, not to make it better than it was, and not for ordinary wear. Some states restrict specific charges — Washington, for example, bars routine carpet cleaning charges.
What if the damage costs more than the deposit?
Itemize the full amount, apply the deposit, and state the balance the tenant owes. You can ask them to pay it, and pursue it in small claims court if they don't.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Where we state a law, we link the statute and re-check it on a schedule; your city or county can add rules of its own.