Tools · Security Deposit
New Mexico Security Deposit Demand Letter
A written request for the return of your deposit, with the New Mexico statute (NMSA 1978 §47-8-18), the 30 days deadline, and the penalty the law provides already filled in. Add your dates and amount, then copy or print it.
New Mexico 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 New Mexico figures in this letter are Cited, not yet re-confirmed against the official source. Check the citation on the New Mexico 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 NMSA 1978 §47-8-18, a landlord must return the deposit, or provide an itemized statement of any deductions, within 30 days from the date the rental agreement ends or you move out, whichever is later.
Where a deposit is wrongfully withheld, the statute provides: A landlord who does not provide the itemized list within 30 days forfeits the right to keep any part of the deposit, forfeits the right to raise a counterclaim in any suit you bring to recover it, and is liable to you for court costs and reasonable attorney fees. A landlord who retains a deposit in bad faith owes an additional civil penalty of $250, payable to you.
I request the return of my deposit of $________________, or the itemized statement the statute requires, as provided by NMSA 1978 §47-8-18. Please send it to me at the mailing address below.
Sincerely,
________________
________________
The citation, deadline, and penalty above come from NMSA 1978 §47-8-18. Full rule and exceptions: New Mexico security deposit reference. If the deposit is not returned, money disputes this size are what small claims court handles: see the New Mexico 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 Mexico 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 Mexico 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.