Tools · Security Deposit
Maryland Security Deposit Demand Letter
A written request for the return of your deposit, with the Maryland statute (Md. Code, Real Prop. §8-203), the 45 days deadline, and the penalty the law provides already filled in. Add your dates and amount, then copy or print it.
Maryland 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.
The Maryland figures in this letter are Cited, not yet re-confirmed against the official source. Check the citation on the Maryland reference page before sending.
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 Md. Code, Real Prop. §8-203, a landlord must return the deposit, or provide an itemized statement of any deductions, within 45 days after the end of the tenancy.
Where a deposit is wrongfully withheld, the statute provides: A landlord who withholds a deposit in bad faith, or who fails to send the itemized list within 45 days, can be liable for up to three times the amount wrongfully withheld plus reasonable attorney's fees. Charging a deposit above the legal cap also exposes the landlord to up to three times the excess plus attorney's fees. A tenant may sue during the tenancy or within 2 years after it ends.
I request the return of my deposit of $________________, or the itemized statement the statute requires, as provided by Md. Code, Real Prop. §8-203. Please send it to me at the mailing address below.
Sincerely,
________________
________________
The citation, deadline, and penalty above come from Md. Code, Real Prop. §8-203. Full rule and exceptions: Maryland security deposit reference. If the deposit is not returned, money disputes this size are what small claims court handles: see the Maryland 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 Maryland 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 Maryland 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.