Tools · Security Deposit
New Hampshire Security Deposit Demand Letter
A written request for the return of your deposit, with the New Hampshire statute (N.H. RSA 540-A:5 through 540-A:8), the 30 days deadline, and the penalty the law provides already filled in. Add your dates and amount, then copy or print it.
New Hampshire 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 N.H. RSA 540-A:5 through 540-A:8, 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 the landlord keeps your deposit wrongfully, fails to return it on time, fails to pay owed interest, or fails to give the itemized statement, you can sue for twice the amount of the security deposit (RSA 540-A:7). A broader violation of RSA 540-A can also expose the landlord to actual damages or $1,000, whichever is greater, plus costs and reasonable attorney fees (RSA 540-A:4).
I request the return of my deposit of $________________, or the itemized statement the statute requires, as provided by N.H. RSA 540-A:5 through 540-A:8. Please send it to me at the mailing address below.
Sincerely,
________________
________________
The citation, deadline, and penalty above come from N.H. RSA 540-A:5 through 540-A:8. Full rule and exceptions: New Hampshire security deposit reference. If the deposit is not returned, money disputes this size are what small claims court handles: see the New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire 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.