Tools · Security Deposit
Minnesota Security Deposit Demand Letter
A written request for the return of your deposit, with the Minnesota statute (Minn. Stat. §504B.178), the Three weeks (five days if the building is condemned) deadline, and the penalty the law provides already filled in. Add your dates and amount, then copy or print it.
Minnesota 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 Minn. Stat. §504B.178, a landlord must return the deposit, or provide an itemized statement of any deductions, within Three weeks (five days if the building is condemned) after the tenancy ends and the tenant gives the landlord a mailing address or delivery instructions; a five-day rule applies when the tenant has to leave because the building is legally condemned.
Where a deposit is wrongfully withheld, the statute provides: A landlord who misses the deadline or keeps money without a valid written reason owes the wrongfully withheld amount plus interest, and again the same withheld amount plus interest as a penalty. Bad-faith retention adds punitive damages of up to $500 per deposit. If the landlord did not follow the return rules, the withholding is presumed to be in bad faith unless the landlord returns the deposit within two weeks after the tenant files suit.
I request the return of my deposit of $________________, or the itemized statement the statute requires, as provided by Minn. Stat. §504B.178. Please send it to me at the mailing address below.
Sincerely,
________________
________________
The citation, deadline, and penalty above come from Minn. Stat. §504B.178. Full rule and exceptions: Minnesota security deposit reference. If the deposit is not returned, money disputes this size are what small claims court handles: see the Minnesota 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 Minnesota 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 Minnesota 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.