About GetMyDepositBack
What this is
GetMyDepositBack is a self-help tool for US tenants in security deposit disputes. It checks your state's deadline, tests each of the landlord's charges against that state's deposit statute, and builds a certified-mail-ready demand letter and organized case evidence. The deadline calculator, the state law guides, and the state-law datasets are free; case documents are a one-time purchase, and having us mail it by certified mail is an optional add-on.
Who runs it
The site is built and run by Alex Smirnof (GitHub), an independent software engineer, after the familiar experience of watching a deposit disappear behind vague deductions and a missed deadline. It is a bootstrapped one-person product - not a law firm, not a lead-generation site for attorneys, and not backed by a landlord-services company.
How the statute data is verified
Every number on this site traces to a statute. The registry behind all 51 jurisdictions records the citation, return deadline, penalty rule, itemization and receipt requirements, interest rules, and small-claims details for each state - with a link to the official statute text on the state's own site.
- All 51 jurisdictions (50 states + DC) carry verified records: each field checked against the current official statute text, with the review date shown on the state's page and a scheduled re-review date in the registry. Latest registry review: August 2026.
- Derived datasets - the Deposit Protection Index, the 50-state comparison table, the cost-to-sue table, and the original aggregates on the statistics page - are computed from that registry, so every figure is reproducible and every methodology is published on its page.
Found an error? Email [email protected] with the statute citation - corrections ship quickly and the review date updates with them.
How court guides and samples are prepared
GetMyDepositBack publishes the court guides as self-help resources. They are developed with AI assistance using linked court instructions, forms, and statutes. The procedure notes carry their own source-check date; the deposit statute has a separate review date. A linked form is not a claim that every local court procedure has been reviewed.
The site is run by Alex Smirnof, a software engineer. These guides do not carry an attorney-review credential. You can follow the source next to a procedure, compare the instruction, and report a correction to [email protected].
Sample cases are generated from clearly labeled fictional facts using the product's document generator. They show the format and reasoning you receive, not a customer outcome. Your evidence and circumstances determine your own analysis.
Explore the court guides →For press and researchers
All datasets on this site are free to cite with a link to the source page. For state-level angles, methodology questions, custom cuts of the data, or comment on deposit disputes, email [email protected] - responses usually within a day.
What this is not
GetMyDepositBack helps you claim your own security deposit, and you are the author of the letter it produces. It is not a law firm, is not your attorney, and does not provide legal advice. Statutes and local ordinances change; verify every citation against the current official source - each page links straight to the one it draws on.