You signed the lease. You held up your end.
Now make your landlord hold up theirs — and return the deposit you're owed.
Answer a few questions and get a demand letter that cites your state's exact law — the return deadline, the itemization rules, and the penalty your landlord owes if they ignore you. Ready to send in 5 minutes.
Now make your landlord hold up theirs — and return the deposit you're owed.
No legal jargon, no templates you have to figure out yourself. We do the citing.
Your state, move-out date, deposit amount, and why they say they kept it. Takes about two minutes.
We pull the exact statute, return deadline, and penalty multiplier for your state — and check whether your landlord already blew the deadline.
Download a formatted, signed-ready PDF and Word file with mailing instructions. Most landlords pay rather than face the penalty.
Landlords toss vague "please return my deposit" emails. What they don't ignore is a letter that names the statute they violated and the money it's about to cost them.
You're often fighting for hundreds or thousands. This costs less than a tank of gas.
No. DepositProtector is a self-help document service, not a law firm, and using it doesn't create an attorney-client relationship. We give you a professionally structured letter based on the information you provide and your state's published statute. For advice about your specific situation, consult a licensed attorney.
Very often, yes. Most landlords would rather return your deposit than risk a court judgment for 2×–3× the amount plus your court costs. A letter that quotes the specific law and deadline signals you know your rights — which is exactly what gets ignored disputes resolved.
Your letter doubles as a paper trail. Every letter comes with a plain-English guide to filing in small claims court in your state — where these deposit cases are common, inexpensive, and frequently won by tenants.
All 50 states and Washington, D.C. Each letter uses that state's current deposit statute, return-deadline, and penalty provisions, reviewed for 2026.
You answer a few questions and see a free preview of your case — your return deadline and what your landlord owes — before you pay anything. You only pay the $19 when you're ready to download and send your finished letter, so you're never paying for something you haven't seen.
Every state gives your landlord a deadline. The clock is on your side — but only if you act on it.
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