Landlord & Tenant

What to do when your landlord won’t return your deposit

Most deposit disputes never reach a courtroom. Here is the calm, methodical path to getting your money back — written in plain language, with the legal bits explained.

MA

Maria Abreego

Founder & Legal Writer

· June 9, 2026 · 8 min read

Your deposit is your money — held in trust, not a gift to your landlord. Most places give you clear rights, firm deadlines, and a simple process for getting it back. Here is the path, step by step.

Check your deadline

In most places, a landlord has a fixed window — often 14 to 30 days after you move out — to return your deposit or send an itemised list of deductions. Find your move-out date and count forward. If that window has passed, you are already on stronger ground.

Put it in writing

A dispute that is calm, specific and documented is far harder to ignore than one that is furious and vague.

Start with a short, polite letter or email. State the amount, the date you moved out, and a clear deadline to respond (seven days is reasonable). Keep it factual. A written record matters far more than a phone call if this goes further.

A quick tip

Send the letter in a way you can prove — email with a read receipt, or post with tracking. If it goes to court later, being able to show the letter arrived is worth as much as the letter itself.

Gather your evidence

Organised evidence is what turns a “your word against theirs” dispute into a clear case. Before you escalate, gather:

Photos from move-in and move-out

Your signed inventory

Receipts for any cleaning you paid for

Your written communications with the landlord

File a small claim

If the deadline passes with no resolution, small-claims court is designed for exactly this — no lawyer required, modest fees, and a process you can follow yourself. Many people pay the moment a formal letter lands; if yours is ignored, you have lost nothing and gained a clean record of having asked.

Deposits

Landlord & Tenant

Small claims

Letters

This guide is general legal information, not advice for your specific situation. Rules and deadlines vary by location. For tailored help, book a free consultation.

Updated June 2026

MA