Connecticut security deposit demand letter
Ask for your deposit with the Connecticut 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 Connecticut
The forwarding address changes the deadline
Use the later of 21 days after the tenancy ends or 15 days after the landlord receives your forwarding address in writing. Include when you supplied that address; a move-out date alone is not enough.
What records should support deductions?
No statutory receipts-attachment requirement; only the itemized statement of the nature and amount of damages.
Example: A forwarding address sent after moving out
Sample Connecticut situation
- The tenancy ends on August 3, 2026. The ordinary landlord receives the forwarding address in writing on August 20.
- August 3 plus 21 days is August 24. August 20 plus 15 days is September 4. The later date is September 4.
Your next step: An August 25 follow-up can request the balance, but these facts do not yet establish a late return. Include the termination date and proof of address receipt so the letter shows how the deadline was calculated.
Connecticut section 47a-21(d)(2) ↗Make the free template yours.
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[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 Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21: The deposit and interest, less lawful deductions, must be returned within 21 days after termination of the tenancy or 15 days after receipt of the tenant's forwarding address in writing, whichever is later. This letter provides my forwarding address in writing. Please send the refund and any itemization to the address above. 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 Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21(d), your failure to comply with the statute makes you liable for twice the amount of the security deposit paid. 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.
Connecticut example: nail holes and minor scuffs, $450. The example assumes the tenancy is covered by the cited law; no tenant result is implied.
A starting request
I disagree with the $450 charge for nail holes and minor 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. Nail holes, scuffs and fading are textbook ordinary wear and tear.
Records to attach: move-in photos and move-out photos.
State-law reference: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21 ↗The amount stays tied to the facts: $1,100 withheld - $200 in accepted charges = $900 disputed in this sample.
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Open PDF to zoom ↗Sample Connecticut case. Letter and exhibit pages extracted from a generated case PDF. Your letter uses your own facts and state law.
Read the complete Connecticut sample letter
Fictional Connecticut 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 Connecticut 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 Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21 (Connecticut Security Deposit Law), the applicable return rule is: Deposit plus accrued interest (or the balance with an itemized damages statement) is due within 21 days after termination or 15 days after receiving written notice of the tenant's forwarding address, whichever is later.
DISPUTED DEDUCTIONS
I dispute the following deductions under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21 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:
• Nail holes and minor scuffs - $450.00
Ordinary wear and tear - not deductible. Nail holes, scuffs and fading are textbook ordinary wear and tear.
• General cleaning fee - $450.00
Unsubstantiated - proof demanded. Cleaning may be deductible to restore move-in cleanliness, subject to the state's documentation rules. Request an itemized explanation of the work and supporting records.
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 includes all interest accrued on my deposit, which state law requires: Annual interest at the deposit index rate set by the Banking Commissioner, paid or credited each year and returned with the deposit (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21(i)).
This demand is limited to the amount improperly withheld. The applicable statutory remedy is conditional: under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21(d), your failure to comply with the statute makes you liable for twice the amount of the security deposit paid. 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.
Give your current mailing address in writing and keep proof of when the landlord received it. Enclose your earlier address notice if you are following up.
Connecticut Department of Banking: deposit returns ↗What happens after sending?
Compare the response with both dates before claiming a late return. Include deposit interest when reviewing the amount due.
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 Connecticut filing guide. Attempted delivery may not complete statutory service.
Frequently asked questions
Which return deadline should my Connecticut letter refer to?
The deposit and interest, less lawful deductions, must be returned within 21 days after termination of the tenancy or 15 days after receipt of the tenant's forwarding address in writing, whichever is later. Failure to return the balance or provide the itemized statement in time makes the landlord liable for twice the amount of the security deposit; interest-only violations carry twice the accrued interest (minimum $10).
What penalties does Connecticut law allow if the withholding was wrongful?
A violating landlord is 'liable for twice the amount of any security deposit paid' (§ 47a-21(d)) - the base is the full deposit, and the small-claims $5,000 cap does not block the doubled recovery (per CT Judicial Branch). Knowing and wilful interest violations also carry fines up to $100 per offense; the Banking Commissioner investigates complaints.
What happens if the landlord ignores the letter?
You can file in small claims court (limit: $5,000; filing fees $95, added to the judgment if you win). Check required notices, filing deadlines and the court's rules before filing.
Connecticut filing steps and court forms →