Tools · Security Deposit
Texas Security Deposit Demand Letter
A written request for the return of your deposit, with the Texas statute (Tex. Prop. Code §§92.101–92.109), the 30 days deadline, and the penalty the law provides already filled in. Add your dates and amount, then copy or print it.
Texas 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 Tex. Prop. Code §§92.101–92.109, a landlord must return the deposit, or provide an itemized statement of any deductions, within 30 days after the tenant surrenders the premises.
Where a deposit is wrongfully withheld, the statute provides: A landlord who acts in bad faith by retaining a deposit is liable for $100, three times the portion wrongfully withheld, and the tenant's reasonable attorney's fees (§92.109(a)). Bad-faith failure to itemize forfeits the right to withhold anything and adds attorney's fees (§92.109(b)).
I request the return of my deposit of $________________, or the itemized statement the statute requires, as provided by Tex. Prop. Code §§92.101–92.109. Please send it to me at the mailing address below.
Sincerely,
________________
________________
The citation, deadline, and penalty above come from Tex. Prop. Code §§92.101–92.109. Full rule and exceptions: Texas security deposit reference. If the deposit is not returned, money disputes this size are what small claims court handles: see the Texas 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 Texas 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 Texas 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.