Maine security deposit demand letter
Ask for your deposit with the Maine 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 Maine
Give written notice before filing
Check coverage: Maine's security deposit law does not apply if you rent in an owner-occupied building with 5 or fewer units (§ 6037(2)). If your landlord lives in your building and it has five units or fewer, the deadlines and penalties described here do not cover your tenancy.
Check your tenancy type: a written lease may set a return period up to 30 days; tenancy at will generally uses 21 days. Maine also requires at least seven days' written notice of intent to sue.
What records should support deductions?
No statutory requirement for receipts or estimates - only the itemized written statement of reasons.
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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 14 M.R.S. § 6033: Written lease: within the lease's stated time, max 30 days; tenancy at will: within 21 days after termination or surrender and acceptance, whichever is later (§ 6033(2)). [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 14 M.R.S. § 6034(2), wrongful retention makes you liable for double the portion wrongfully withheld plus attorney's fees and costs, and retention is presumed wrongful 7 days after this notice. 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.
Maine 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: 14 M.R.S. §§ 6033, 6034 ↗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 Maine case. Letter and exhibit pages extracted from a generated case PDF. Your letter uses your own facts and state law.
Read the complete Maine sample letter
Fictional Maine 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 Maine 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 14 M.R.S. § 6033 (Maine Security Deposit Law), the applicable return rule is: Written lease: within the lease's stated time, max 30 days; tenancy at will: within 21 days after termination or surrender and acceptance, whichever is later (§ 6033(2)).
DISPUTED DEDUCTIONS
I dispute the following deductions under 14 M.R.S. § 6033 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 14 M.R.S. § 6034(2), wrongful retention makes you liable for double the portion wrongfully withheld plus attorney's fees and costs, and retention is presumed wrongful 7 days after this notice. 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.
State the amount requested and your intent to bring a claim if unresolved. Keep the notice and delivery record, and check the owner-occupied small-building exemption before invoking the statute.
Maine Title 14, section 6034: pre-suit notice ↗What happens after sending?
Allow the seven-day notice period before filing. Compare any written itemization with your lease and condition records rather than assuming every deduction is wrongful.
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 Maine filing guide. Attempted delivery may not complete statutory service.
Frequently asked questions
Which return deadline should my Maine letter refer to?
Written lease: within the lease's stated time, max 30 days; tenancy at will: within 21 days after termination or surrender and acceptance, whichever is later (§ 6033(2)). Missing the deadline forfeits the right to withhold any portion (§ 6033(3)); wrongful retention then exposes the landlord to double damages under § 6034.
What penalties does Maine law allow if the withholding was wrongful?
Double the portion wrongfully withheld plus attorney's fees and costs (§ 6034(2)). The tenant must first give at least 7 days' written notice of intent to sue - if the landlord doesn't return the full deposit within those 7 days, wrongful retention is presumed and the burden shifts to the landlord.
What happens if the landlord ignores the letter?
You can file in small claims court (limit: $10,000; filing fees $70, mediation included). Check required notices, filing deadlines and the court's rules before filing.
Maine filing steps and court forms →