Tools · Security Deposit
Connecticut Security Deposit Demand Letter
A written request for the return of your deposit, with the Connecticut statute (Conn. Gen. Stat. §47a-21), the 21 days after tenancy ends, or 15 days after you give a forwarding address, whichever is later deadline, and the penalty the law provides already filled in. Add your dates and amount, then copy or print it.
Connecticut deposit demand letter generator
This is a general template for a common situation, not legal advice and not a substitute for a lawyer's review of your case. Blanks you leave empty print as lines you can fill in by hand.
Re: Return of the security deposit for ________________
Dear ________________,
I was a tenant at ________________ and moved out on ________________. My security deposit of $________________ has not been returned.
Under Conn. Gen. Stat. §47a-21, a landlord must return the deposit, or provide an itemized statement of any deductions, within 21 days after tenancy ends, or 15 days after you give a forwarding address, whichever is later after the tenancy ends; if you give a written forwarding address later, the landlord instead has 15 days from that date, whichever falls later.
Where a deposit is wrongfully withheld, the statute provides: A landlord who fails to return the deposit as required is liable for twice the amount of the security deposit. If the only violation is failing to pay the accrued interest, the landlord is liable for ten dollars or twice the accrued interest, whichever is greater. Courts have treated the double-damages exposure as tied to a bad-faith or wrongful failure to comply.
I request the return of my deposit of $________________, or the itemized statement the statute requires, as provided by Conn. Gen. Stat. §47a-21. Please send it to me at the mailing address below.
Sincerely,
________________
________________
The citation, deadline, and penalty above come from Conn. Gen. Stat. §47a-21. Full rule and exceptions: Connecticut security deposit reference. If the deposit is not returned, money disputes this size are what small claims court handles: see the Connecticut limit.
Why a written demand, and what this letter does
A dated, written request is usually the first step a court or a legal-aid office will ask about, and in some states it is what starts or preserves the penalty. This letter states the facts: your tenancy, your move-out date, the deadline Connecticut law sets, and what the statute provides when a deposit is wrongfully withheld. It asks for what the law already requires, and it leaves any decision about going further entirely to you.
The template is informational only and not legal advice. If your situation has wrinkles (deductions you dispute, a lease that shifted the deadline, a local ordinance), check the Connecticut security deposit reference or talk to a lawyer or local legal aid before sending.
Deposit demand letters for other states
Same template, each with its own citation, deadline, and penalty.