How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit?

It depends on the state. Many give the landlord between 14 and 30 days after you move out to return the deposit or send an itemized list of deductions; for example, California allows 21 days, Texas 30 and New York 14. Ask the assistant to look up your state's rule and check it against your state's official guidance.

Why send it by certified mail?

If you end up in small claims court, the return receipt proves the landlord received your demand and your forwarding address. Some states also require a tenant to give a forwarding address in writing before certain deadlines or penalties apply.

Can I ask for more than the deposit?

Many states let tenants recover a penalty, sometimes two or three times the amount withheld, when a landlord keeps a deposit in bad faith or misses the deadline. Have the assistant mention your state's rule in the letter, and check it yourself.

How much does it cost?

For a one-page letter from a prepaid balance: $8.61 certified, $11.64 with an electronic return receipt, or $14.27 with the green-card return receipt. Paying for just that letter by card costs $8.83, $11.83 or $14.42.

How to send a security deposit demand letter, with AI

Your lease ended, you moved out, and the deposit never came back, or came back with deductions you don't agree with. Before small claims court, the usual step is a written demand. Sending it by certified mail with a return receipt gives you proof of when the landlord received it.

With Mailsnail connected to your AI assistant, drafting and mailing that letter is one conversation.

Connect once

Add this URL to Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or any app that supports MCP connectors, then sign in:

https://api.mailsnail.dev/mcp

Step-by-step instructions for each app are on the setup page.

Draft it with the assistant

Give it the facts plainly. For example:

I moved out of 22 Park Ave, Apt 3B, Austin TX on September 30 and left the unit clean. My landlord, Lone Star Properties, still has my $1,500 deposit and hasn't sent an itemized list. Draft a demand letter asking for the full deposit within 10 days, cite the Texas rule on deposit returns, and give my forwarding address, 8 Oak St, Austin TX 78704. Then send it to them at 900 Congress Ave, Austin TX 78701 by certified mail with an electronic return receipt. Show me the proof first.

A good demand letter says when you moved out, how much the deposit was, what you want back, your forwarding address, and the deadline. If the landlord sent deductions you dispute, list each one and say why it's wrong: normal wear and tear usually can't be deducted.

What happens next

verify_address checks that the landlord's address is deliverable. Free.
preview_letter renders the letter and returns a proof PDF and the exact price. Nothing is charged.
You read the proof. Check the dates, the amount and your forwarding address.
send_letter mails it by certified mail with the return receipt you chose and gives you a receipt token.

Pick your proof

Service	What you get	From a balance	One letter by card
Certified	USPS tracking and proof of mailing	$8.61	$8.83
Certified + electronic return receipt	The recipient's signature as a PDF	$11.64	$11.83
Certified + green card	The signed card mailed back to you	$14.27	$14.42

One page, black and white. Extra pages are priced at our cost and the preview always shows the exact figure.

Keep the record

Save the receipt token. Later, ask the assistant "did my landlord get the letter?" and get_letter returns the USPS tracking number, the latest scan and, for an electronic return receipt, a link to the signature PDF. Bring those to small claims court if your deadline passes without payment.

What Mailsnail doesn't do

We print and mail exactly what you approve. We don't give legal advice, and deposit rules vary by state and city. Your local tenant union or legal aid office can help if the amount is large or the situation is unusual.