Delaware security deposit demand letter
Ask for your deposit with the Delaware 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 Delaware
Object before accepting the accounting as final
Delaware requires the accounting and balance within 20 days. Acceptance of the accompanying payment can signify agreement unless you object in writing within 10 days of receiving the tender of payment.
What records should support deductions?
The statute requires an itemized list of damages with costs of repair; no express receipts-attachment requirement in § 5514.
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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 25 Del. C. § 5514: Within 20 days of expiration or termination, the landlord must either remit the full deposit or provide an itemized list of damages with repair costs and remit the balance. 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 25 Del. C. § 5514(g)(1), your failure to remit the amount due within 20 days makes you liable for double the amount wrongfully withheld. 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 justice of the peace 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.
Delaware 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: 25 Del. C. § 5514 ↗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 Delaware case. Letter and exhibit pages extracted from a generated case PDF. Your letter uses your own facts and state law.
Read the complete Delaware sample letter
Fictional Delaware case. Generated sample, not a court outcome or a substitute for your own letter.
Maya Patel (fictional tenant)
[Fictional current mailing address]
August 18, 2026
Daniel Reed (fictional landlord)
[Fictional landlord mailing address]
SENT VIA CERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED
RE: Demand for return of security deposit - [Fictional Delaware 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 25 Del. C. § 5514 (Delaware Security Deposit Law), the applicable return rule is: Within 20 days of expiration or termination, the landlord must either remit the full deposit or provide an itemized list of damages with repair costs and remit the balance.
DISPUTED DEDUCTIONS
I dispute the following deductions under 25 Del. C. § 5514 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 25 Del. C. § 5514(g)(1), your failure to remit the amount due within 20 days makes you liable for double the amount wrongfully withheld. 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 01, 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 justice of the peace 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.
Send your written objection to the landlord address in the lease. Specify each disputed deduction and retain the payment, accounting and delivery records. Provide your forwarding address in writing.
25 Del. C. § 5514: return and accounting ↗What happens after sending?
Record the date the accounting and payment arrived. Sending a new demand does not restart the 10-day objection period.
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 Delaware filing guide. Attempted delivery may not complete statutory service.
Frequently asked questions
Which return deadline should my Delaware letter refer to?
Within 20 days of expiration or termination, the landlord must either remit the full deposit or provide an itemized list of damages with repair costs and remit the balance. Failure to provide the itemized list within 20 days forfeits the right to withhold (full deposit due); failure to remit within 20 days entitles the tenant to double the amount wrongfully withheld (§ 5514(g)(1)); an escrow/disclosure violation forfeits the deposit, with doubling only if it is not returned within 20 days of forfeiture (§ 5514(g)(2)).
What penalties does Delaware law allow if the withholding was wrongful?
Double the amount wrongfully withheld for failure to remit within 20 days (25 Del. C. § 5514(g)(1)). Nondisclosure of the escrow account's location within 20 days of the tenant's written request - or failure to place the deposit in a qualifying federally insured institution - forfeits the deposit to the tenant; doubling of the full deposit attaches only if the landlord then fails to return it within 20 days of the forfeiture - a two-step mechanism (§ 5514(g)(2)). Under § 5514(h), a tenant who leaves no forwarding address cannot claim double damages.
What happens if the landlord ignores the letter?
You can file in justice of the peace court (limit: $25,000; filing fees $35-$45 for a debt claim). Check required notices, filing deadlines and the court's rules before filing.
Delaware filing steps and court forms →