Minnesota security deposit demand letter
Ask for your deposit with the Minnesota 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 Minnesota
Record when the landlord got your address
Minnesota generally gives three weeks after termination and receipt of your mailing address or delivery instructions. A special five-day rule applies to qualifying condemned buildings.
What records should support deductions?
No statutory receipts requirement; only the written statement of specific reasons.
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Choose your situation, then add your figures. No account or payment. Unfilled details stay in brackets for you to edit.
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Read your draft letter
[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 Minn. Stat. § 504B.178: Three weeks after termination and receipt of the tenant's mailing address or delivery instructions (five days if the building is condemned) - the clock does not start until the landlord has the address. 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 Minn. Stat. § 504B.178, subd. 4, your failure to comply makes you liable for damages equal to the amount withheld plus interest, in addition to its return, plus up to $500 in punitive damages for bad faith. 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 conciliation 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.
Minnesota 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: Minn. Stat. § 504B.178 ↗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 Minnesota case. Letter and exhibit pages extracted from a generated case PDF. Your letter uses your own facts and state law.
Read the complete Minnesota sample letter
Fictional Minnesota 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 Minnesota 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 Minn. Stat. § 504B.178 (Minnesota Security Deposit Law), the applicable return rule is: Three weeks after termination and receipt of the tenant's mailing address or delivery instructions (five days if the building is condemned) - the clock does not start until the landlord has the address.
DISPUTED DEDUCTIONS
I dispute the following deductions under Minn. Stat. § 504B.178 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: Simple interest at the statutory 1% a year for the whole holding period, paid with the deposit (Minn. Stat. § 504B.178 subd. 2).
This demand is limited to the amount improperly withheld. The applicable statutory remedy is conditional: under Minn. Stat. § 504B.178, subd. 4, your failure to comply makes you liable for damages equal to the amount withheld plus interest, in addition to its return, plus up to $500 in punitive damages for bad faith. 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 conciliation 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.
Include your delivery instructions and evidence of when they were given. Request the deposit balance and applicable interest, identifying the specific reasons you dispute any withheld amount.
Minn. Stat. § 504B.178: return and accounting ↗What happens after sending?
Check both triggering events before alleging lateness. Compare the written reasons with reasonably necessary rent or restoration charges and your condition records.
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 Minnesota filing guide. Attempted delivery may not complete statutory service.
Frequently asked questions
Which return deadline should my Minnesota letter refer to?
Three weeks after termination and receipt of the tenant's mailing address or delivery instructions (five days if the building is condemned) - the clock does not start until the landlord has the address. Missing the three-week window loses the right to withhold: the landlord owes the withheld portion plus interest, plus a penalty equal to that amount (subd. 4).
What penalties does Minnesota law allow if the withholding was wrongful?
Two layers: (1) automatic - damages equal to the portion withheld plus interest, in addition to returning it (subd. 4; effectively doubles recovery); (2) bad-faith retention adds punitive damages up to $500 per deposit (subd. 7). Bad faith is presumed if the landlord failed to comply and doesn't return the deposit within two weeks of suit being filed.
What happens if the landlord ignores the letter?
You can file in conciliation court (limit: $20,000; filing fees about $65-$80 depending on county, with fee waivers available). Check required notices, filing deadlines and the court's rules before filing.
Minnesota filing steps and court forms →