Landlord kept your deposit in Delaware? Find your next step.
No refund, only part of your money back, or charges you disagree with? Start with what you received, then build a response using your records and Delaware law.
Analysis free · Full case package $29-$49, one time · mailing optional
The deadline check is optional. See what you get
What do you need help with?
Open the situation that fits. Each route gives you something to check, something to keep, and a next step.
I received nothingNo refund and no list of deductions.
Check the trigger, then the date. 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.
Keep: your deposit payment, move-out or key-return record, forwarding-address notice and any earlier written request. These establish the timeline behind your demand.
Analyze my missing refund - free →I received part of my depositSome money came back. Find out what explains the difference.
Reconcile the refund. Compare the original deposit, what was returned and each deduction. Separate charges you accept from charges you dispute.
Check the amount they kept - free →Enter the refund and deductions in the case builder. You do not need a separate worksheet first.
The Delaware accounting rule: Itemized list of damages with the cost of repair required within 20 days; no list within 20 days means the deposit must be returned in full. A tenant who disagrees must object in writing within 10 days of receiving the list.
Keep: the refund record, deduction list and notice envelope or delivery record. If money is still unexplained, identify that gap in your written request.
I disagree with the deductionsYou have a charge list, whether or not a refund arrived.
Respond to the specific charges. Note each amount, why you dispute it, and which photo, message or record supports your position. Check the notice instructions above before choosing how and when to reply.
Check my deductions - free →The records rule in Delaware: The statute requires an itemized list of damages with costs of repair; no express receipts-attachment requirement in § 5514.
No move-in photos? Use an inventory checklist, inspection report, dated repair request, messages or witness accounts to explain the condition.
I already sent a demandThe landlord has not paid, or the dispute is still unresolved.
Record the date the accounting and payment arrived. Sending a new demand does not restart the 10-day objection period.
See the Delaware court route →Keep: your sent demand, delivery record and any reply. Use the court guide to check where to file, which forms to use, and the filing and service costs.
Turn the dispute into a documented demand
- Free: understand your dispute
- Add your refund, charges and records. Get a charge-by-charge analysis of the deposit rules and potential remedies under 25 Del. C. § 5514.
- Optional: your case documents, $29-$49
- Your demand letter, damages summary and evidence checklist, ready to review and send with your records. Mailing is optional and costs extra.
One charge, backed by a reason and records
Fictional Delaware example. Assumes coverage under the cited law; not a customer outcome.
- The charge
- Repainting ordinary wall scuffs: $900
- Records to attach
- move-in photos and move-out photos
Open PDF ↗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.
Prefer to write it yourself? Use the free Delaware letter template.
Before you call the refund late
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.
25 Del. C. § 5514 ↗Deposit statute reviewed August 2026. Review dates refer to the cited rules.
Check the return timeline
Optional date estimate. Read the start conditions above; a passed date alone does not establish a violation. Your date and deposit amount carry into the free analysis.
Already know the dates? Go straight to the refund and charges.
Continue to my free analysis →Questions before your next step
What should I do first if my landlord kept my deposit in Delaware?
Check the statutory deadline. 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. Save your move-out records, any refund and the itemized statement. Compare them with the deadline and deduction rules below.
Do I need a lawyer to get my deposit back in Delaware?
You can write a demand yourself. If you consider a court claim, justice of the peace court (limit: $25,000) is designed for self-represented tenants - filing fees run $35-$45 for a debt claim.
What happens if my landlord doesn't return my security deposit in 20 days in Delaware?
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 can I ask to recover in a Delaware deposit dispute?
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.
Read the full Delaware deposit-law guide for the return, deduction and remedy rules.