Illinois security deposit demand letter
Ask for your deposit with the Illinois 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 Illinois
The old five-unit restriction no longer applies
Check coverage: The statewide Return Act applies without a five-unit minimum from January 1, 2024. Deposit interest has separate coverage rules; Chicago and suburban Cook County may provide additional protections. Give the landlord a mailing or email address for the accounting.
From January 2024 the Return Act has no five-unit minimum. For damage deductions, the statement is due within 30 days after vacating or the end of your right of possession, whichever is later.
What records should support deductions?
Paid receipts (or copies) must accompany the itemized statement; if estimates were given, paid receipts must follow within 30 days. If receipts are unavailable through no fault of the landlord, an itemized cost list plus a verified explanation is required instead (765 ILCS 710/1(b)). The landlord's own labor must be charged at reasonable cost.
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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 765 ILCS 710/1: For damage deductions, the itemized statement is due within 30 days after the tenant vacates or the right of possession ends, whichever is later. If the required statement and receipts are not furnished, the full deposit is due within 45 days after vacating. [Before sending: confirm this statute covers your tenancy.] 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 765 ILCS 710/1(c), refusing to supply the required itemized statement while failing to return the deposit due makes you liable for twice the security deposit due, plus court costs and attorney's fees. 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
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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.
Illinois 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: 765 ILCS 710/1 (Security Deposit Return Act) ↗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 Illinois case. Letter and exhibit pages extracted from a generated case PDF. Your letter uses your own facts and state law.
Read the complete Illinois sample letter
Fictional Illinois 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 Illinois 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 765 ILCS 710/1 (Illinois Security Deposit Return Act), the applicable return rule is: For damage deductions, the itemized statement is due within 30 days after the tenant vacates or the right of possession ends, whichever is later. If the required statement and receipts are not furnished, the full deposit is due within 45 days after vacating.
DISPUTED DEDUCTIONS
I dispute the following deductions under 765 ILCS 710/1 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 includes all interest accrued on my deposit, which state law requires: Buildings of 25+ units when the deposit is held 6+ months, under the separate Security Deposit Interest Act (765 ILCS 715); Chicago RLTO imposes its own interest rule.
This demand is limited to the amount improperly withheld. The applicable statutory remedy is conditional: under 765 ILCS 710/1(c), refusing to supply the required itemized statement while failing to return the deposit due makes you liable for twice the security deposit due, plus court costs and attorney's fees. 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.
Provide a mailing or email address. Identify the damaged item, amount and missing cost records. Check any lease-cost provision and the exception for receipts unavailable through no fault of the landlord.
Illinois Public Act 103-224: Return Act amendment ↗What happens after sending?
Estimates generally require paid receipts within 30 more days. Check the Act's 45-day full-return rule where the required statement and receipts are not supplied, plus any applicable local ordinance.
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 Illinois filing guide. Attempted delivery may not complete statutory service.
Frequently asked questions
Which return deadline should my Illinois letter refer to?
For damage deductions, the itemized statement is due within 30 days after the tenant vacates or the right of possession ends, whichever is later. If the required statement and receipts are not furnished, the full deposit is due within 45 days after vacating. Failure to provide the statement/receipts on time means the landlord must return the deposit in full within 45 days.
What penalties does Illinois law allow if the withholding was wrongful?
If the landlord both refused to supply the itemized statement (or supplied it in bad faith) and failed to return the deposit due on time, they owe twice the security deposit due plus court costs and attorney's fees (765 ILCS 710/1(c)). Chicago RLTO: two times the deposit plus interest, with fees (§§ 5-12-080(f), 5-12-180).
What happens if the landlord ignores the letter?
You can file in small claims court (limit: $10,000; filing fees about $287-$379 in Cook County, lower elsewhere). Check required notices, filing deadlines and the court's rules before filing.
Illinois filing steps and court forms →