Tools · Security Deposit
Maine Security Deposit Demand Letter
A written request for the return of your deposit, with the Maine statute (14 M.R.S. §§6031-6038), the 30 days (written lease) or 21 days (tenancy at will) deadline, and the penalty the law provides already filled in. Add your dates and amount, then copy or print it.
Maine 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 14 M.R.S. §§6031-6038, a landlord must return the deposit, or provide an itemized statement of any deductions, within 30 days (written lease) or 21 days (tenancy at will) after the tenancy ends or the tenant surrenders the unit and the landlord accepts it, whichever is later.
Where a deposit is wrongfully withheld, the statute provides: Wrongful retention makes the landlord liable for double the amount wrongfully withheld, plus reasonable attorney's fees and court costs (14 M.R.S. 6034). If the landlord does not return the deposit within seven days after the tenant serves written notice of intent to sue, the landlord is presumed to be retaining it wrongfully, and the landlord carries the burden of proving otherwise. Mishandling the deposit account under section 6038 is separate: it lets the tenant recover actual damages or $500 or one month's rent, whichever is greatest, plus costs and possible attorney's fees.
I request the return of my deposit of $________________, or the itemized statement the statute requires, as provided by 14 M.R.S. §§6031-6038. Please send it to me at the mailing address below.
Sincerely,
________________
________________
The citation, deadline, and penalty above come from 14 M.R.S. §§6031-6038. Full rule and exceptions: Maine security deposit reference. If the deposit is not returned, money disputes this size are what small claims court handles: see the Maine 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 Maine 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 Maine 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.