Tools · Security Deposit
Utah Security Deposit Demand Letter
A written request for the return of your deposit, with the Utah statute (Utah Code §§57-17-1 to 57-17-5), the 30 days after you leave, or 15 days after you give a forwarding address (whichever is later) deadline, and the penalty the law provides already filled in. Add your dates and amount, then copy or print it.
Utah 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 Utah figures in this letter are Cited, not yet re-confirmed against the official source. Check the citation on the Utah 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 Utah Code §§57-17-1 to 57-17-5, a landlord must return the deposit, or provide an itemized statement of any deductions, within 30 days after you leave, or 15 days after you give a forwarding address (whichever is later) after the tenancy ends and you return possession, measured against whichever falls later: 30 days from termination, or 15 days after the landlord receives your new mailing address.
Where a deposit is wrongfully withheld, the statute provides: If the landlord misses the deadline, you serve a written demand giving them five calendar days to return the deposit, any prepaid rent, and a notice of deductions. If they still fail to comply, they are liable for the full deposit, any prepaid rent, and a $100 civil penalty. If you have to sue to enforce this, the court may award your court costs and attorney fees, and it will award costs and fees to the prevailing party if the other side acted in bad faith.
I request the return of my deposit of $________________, or the itemized statement the statute requires, as provided by Utah Code §§57-17-1 to 57-17-5. Please send it to me at the mailing address below.
Sincerely,
________________
________________
The citation, deadline, and penalty above come from Utah Code §§57-17-1 to 57-17-5. Full rule and exceptions: Utah security deposit reference. If the deposit is not returned, money disputes this size are what small claims court handles: see the Utah 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 Utah 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 Utah 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.