Alabama security deposit demand letter
Ask for your deposit with the Alabama law behind your request. Download the free PDF or Word template, or fill in your dates and figures below.
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Before sending in Alabama
Document when you returned possession
Check both the end of the tenancy and the return of possession. Alabama's 60-day return period depends on those events; a demand is not needed to start it.
What records should support deductions?
No receipts or documentation requirement in the statute; deductions limited to accrued rent and damages from tenant noncompliance, itemized in writing.
Make the free template yours.
Choose your situation, then add your figures. No account or payment. Unfilled details stay in brackets for you to edit.
Add names, addresses and sending details
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Read your draft letter
[Your name] [Your current mailing address] [Date] [Landlord or property manager name] [Address designated for notices] SENT VIA CERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED RE: Request for return of security deposit - [rental property address] Dear [Landlord]: I vacated the property on [move-out date] and paid a security deposit of $[deposit amount]. Under Ala. Code § 35-9A-201: Refund (or balance with an itemized written notice) due within 60 days after termination of the tenancy and delivery of possession; no tenant demand required. REQUEST Please return $[amount requested] of my deposit to the mailing address above. Please explain any deductions you maintain and provide the itemized statement and supporting records required by the applicable law. If the statutory conditions are met, under Ala. Code § 35-9A-201(f), your failure to mail a timely refund or itemized accounting makes you liable to pay double the amount of my original deposit - a mandatory penalty with no bad-faith element. Please respond by [response date after any required notice or cure period]. This requested date does not shorten any applicable statutory notice or cure period. If this remains unresolved after the applicable requirements are satisfied, I intend to pursue the remedies available in small claims court. Sincerely, [Your signature] Enclosures: [List the records you are actually attaching.]
Review your dates and the records behind each charge before signing. The free analysis can help you assess disputed deductions and possible additional recovery.
From a blank request to a documented demand
See what your case documents add.
The free editor fills in your facts. The analysis reviews your charges and applicable rules; your paid case documents bring together the letter, damages summary and organized evidence checklist.
One charge, made specific.
Alabama example: repainting ordinary wall scuffs, $900. The example assumes the tenancy is covered by the cited law; no tenant result is implied.
A starting request
I disagree with the $900 charge for repainting ordinary wall scuffs. Please return that amount.
The free editor lets you add your own reasons and records.
In the generated letter
Ordinary wear and tear - not deductible. Repainting after a tenancy is ordinary wear and tear unless the walls were damaged beyond normal use (large holes, unauthorized colors). Dated move-in and move-out photos help distinguish ordinary wear from tenant-caused damage.
Records to attach: move-in photos and move-out photos.
State-law reference: Ala. Code § 35-9A-201 ↗The amount stays tied to the facts: $1,100 withheld - $200 in accepted charges = $900 disputed in this sample.
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See the actual PDF pages
Open PDF to zoom ↗Sample Alabama case. Letter and exhibit pages extracted from a generated case PDF. Your letter uses your own facts and state law.
Read the complete Alabama sample letter
Fictional Alabama case. Generated sample, not a court outcome or a substitute for your own letter.
Maya Patel (fictional tenant)
[Fictional current mailing address]
September 08, 2026
Daniel Reed (fictional landlord)
[Fictional landlord mailing address]
SENT VIA CERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED
RE: Demand for return of security deposit - [Fictional Alabama rental address]
Dear Daniel Reed (fictional landlord):
I vacated the above rental property on August 01, 2026 and paid a security deposit of $2,000.00. Under Ala. Code § 35-9A-201 (Alabama Security Deposit Law), the applicable return rule is: Refund (or balance with an itemized written notice) due within 60 days after termination of the tenancy and delivery of possession; no tenant demand required.
DISPUTED DEDUCTIONS
I dispute the following deductions under Ala. Code § 35-9A-201 for the reasons below. Please provide the records supporting each disputed charge, including the work, cost, and condition at issue. For replacement charges, explain the item's age and how you calculated the amount charged:
• Repainting ordinary wall scuffs - $900.00
Ordinary wear and tear - not deductible. Repainting after a tenancy is ordinary wear and tear unless the walls were damaged beyond normal use (large holes, unauthorized colors). Dated move-in and move-out photos help distinguish ordinary wear from tenant-caused damage.
I do not contest the following deductions, totaling $200.00: Unpaid rent balance ($200.00).
This demand does not cancel any accepted debt. Any separate claim or counterclaim must credit amounts already paid or retained toward that debt.
DEMAND
I demand payment of $900.00, the amount improperly withheld from my deposit.
This demand is limited to the amount improperly withheld. The applicable statutory remedy is conditional: under Ala. Code § 35-9A-201(f), your failure to mail a timely refund or itemized accounting makes you liable to pay double the amount of my original deposit - a mandatory penalty with no bad-faith element. I reserve the right to seek that remedy if its conditions are established in court.
Please deliver payment to the address above no later than September 22, 2026 (14 days from the date of this letter). This requested date does not shorten any statutory notice or cure period. If this remains unresolved after the applicable notice, service and waiting requirements are satisfied, I intend to file suit in small claims court. I have retained dated photographs of the property's condition, the lease, our correspondence, your itemized statement, the repair receipts you provided, and this demand letter.
Sincerely,
Maya Patel (fictional tenant)
Enclosures: Evidence exhibit listSend it with a record you can use.
Include the lease end date, key-return record and a reliable mailing address. Identify which rent or damage entries you dispute instead of treating every deduction as unlawful.
Ala. Code § 35-9A-201: return and accounting ↗What happens after sending?
Compare any balance and written itemization with the deposit paid. Keep proof of delivery and any unclaimed refund correspondence.
They refund some or all of it
Save the payment record and update what remains disputed. Read any settlement or release before agreeing to it.
They reject the request or explain the deductions
Match each explanation to your lease and condition records. Reply with the specific amounts and reasons still disputed.
The letter comes back or nobody responds
Keep the envelope or tracking record. Check the address and required service method before using the Alabama filing guide. Attempted delivery may not complete statutory service.
Frequently asked questions
Which return deadline should my Alabama letter refer to?
Refund (or balance with an itemized written notice) due within 60 days after termination of the tenancy and delivery of possession; no tenant demand required. Failure to mail a timely refund or accounting within 60 days means the landlord shall pay the tenant double the amount of the original deposit (§ 35-9A-201(f)); the penalty is mandatory, with no bad-faith element. The statute does not expressly strip the landlord of the right to withhold - the double-deposit payment is the remedy.
What penalties does Alabama law allow if the withholding was wrongful?
Mandatory: 'the landlord shall pay the tenant double the amount of the tenant's original deposit' for failure to mail a timely refund or accounting (§ 35-9A-201(f)).
What happens if the landlord ignores the letter?
You can file in small claims court (limit: $6,000; filing fees about $55-$100 depending on county and claim size). Check required notices, filing deadlines and the court's rules before filing.
Alabama filing steps and court forms →