Tools · Security Deposit
Missouri Security Deposit Demand Letter
A written request for the return of your deposit, with the Missouri statute (Mo. Rev. Stat. §535.300), the 30 days deadline, and the penalty the law provides already filled in. Add your dates and amount, then copy or print it.
Missouri 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 Mo. Rev. Stat. §535.300, a landlord must return the deposit, or provide an itemized statement of any deductions, within 30 days after the tenancy ends.
Where a deposit is wrongfully withheld, the statute provides: If a landlord wrongfully withholds all or part of the deposit, the tenant may recover as damages twice the amount wrongfully withheld. Missouri courts treat the deadline strictly, with no grace period, so a late or missing itemization can trigger the double-damages exposure.
I request the return of my deposit of $________________, or the itemized statement the statute requires, as provided by Mo. Rev. Stat. §535.300. Please send it to me at the mailing address below.
Sincerely,
________________
________________
The citation, deadline, and penalty above come from Mo. Rev. Stat. §535.300. Full rule and exceptions: Missouri security deposit reference. If the deposit is not returned, money disputes this size are what small claims court handles: see the Missouri 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 Missouri 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 Missouri 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.