Tools · Security Deposit
Ohio Security Deposit Demand Letter
A written request for the return of your deposit, with the Ohio statute (Ohio Rev. Code §5321.16), the 30 days deadline, and the penalty the law provides already filled in. Add your dates and amount, then copy or print it.
Ohio 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 Ohio Rev. Code §5321.16, a landlord must return the deposit, or provide an itemized statement of any deductions, within 30 days after the rental agreement ends and possession is delivered.
Where a deposit is wrongfully withheld, the statute provides: Under §5321.16(C), a landlord who wrongfully withholds is liable for the amount wrongfully withheld plus damages equal to that amount, together with reasonable attorney's fees. In effect that is double the amount wrongfully withheld, not double the entire deposit. This award is mandatory once wrongful withholding is shown (Smith v. Padgett, 32 Ohio St.3d 344 (1987)). The tenant must first have given a written forwarding address under §5321.16(B).
I request the return of my deposit of $________________, or the itemized statement the statute requires, as provided by Ohio Rev. Code §5321.16. Please send it to me at the mailing address below.
Sincerely,
________________
________________
The citation, deadline, and penalty above come from Ohio Rev. Code §5321.16. Full rule and exceptions: Ohio security deposit reference. If the deposit is not returned, money disputes this size are what small claims court handles: see the Ohio 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 Ohio 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 Ohio 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.