Tools · Security Deposit
Pennsylvania Security Deposit Demand Letter
A written request for the return of your deposit, with the Pennsylvania statute (68 P.S. §§250.511a, 250.511b, 250.512), the 30 days deadline, and the penalty the law provides already filled in. Add your dates and amount, then copy or print it.
Pennsylvania 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 68 P.S. §§250.511a, 250.511b, 250.512, a landlord must return the deposit, or provide an itemized statement of any deductions, within 30 days after the lease ends or the tenant surrenders the unit, whichever is first.
Where a deposit is wrongfully withheld, the statute provides: Pennsylvania splits the penalty into two separate tracks. Forfeiture (§250.512(b)): a landlord who fails to give a written list of damages within 30 days forfeits the right to withhold any of the deposit and to sue for damages. Double damages (§250.512(c)): a landlord who fails to return the money owed within 30 days is liable for twice the amount wrongfully withheld, and to avoid it the landlord carries the burden of proving actual damages. As Adamsky v. Picknick, 412 Pa. Super. 544 (1992), holds, sending a list on time does not save a landlord who cannot prove the damages behind the deductions.
I request the return of my deposit of $________________, or the itemized statement the statute requires, as provided by 68 P.S. §§250.511a, 250.511b, 250.512. Please send it to me at the mailing address below.
Sincerely,
________________
________________
The citation, deadline, and penalty above come from 68 P.S. §§250.511a, 250.511b, 250.512. Full rule and exceptions: Pennsylvania security deposit reference. If the deposit is not returned, money disputes this size are what small claims court handles: see the Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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.