Tools · Security Deposit
New Jersey Security Deposit Demand Letter
A written request for the return of your deposit, with the New Jersey statute (N.J.S.A. §§46:8-19 to 46:8-26), the 30 days (5 business days after displacement; 15 after a domestic-violence termination) deadline, and the penalty the law provides already filled in. Add your dates and amount, then copy or print it.
New Jersey 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.J.S.A. §§46:8-19 to 46:8-26, a landlord must return the deposit, or provide an itemized statement of any deductions, within 30 days (5 business days after displacement; 15 after a domestic-violence termination) after the lease ends.
Where a deposit is wrongfully withheld, the statute provides: The court "shall award recovery of double the amount" of the deposit or interest wrongfully withheld, plus full costs; attorney's fees may be awarded at the court's discretion (§46:8-21.1).
I request the return of my deposit of $________________, or the itemized statement the statute requires, as provided by N.J.S.A. §§46:8-19 to 46:8-26. Please send it to me at the mailing address below.
Sincerely,
________________
________________
The citation, deadline, and penalty above come from N.J.S.A. §§46:8-19 to 46:8-26. Full rule and exceptions: New Jersey security deposit reference. If the deposit is not returned, money disputes this size are what small claims court handles: see the New Jersey 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 Jersey 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 Jersey 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.