New Hampshire security deposit demand letter
Ask for your deposit with the New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire
Check coverage and ask for specific repair details
Check coverage: New Hampshire's deposit rules do not apply to certain small landlords (RSA 540-A:5): a single-family house rented out by an owner who has no other rental property, and owner-occupied buildings of 5 or fewer units - although the exemption does not apply to a unit occupied by a tenant aged 60 or older. If your landlord fits one of these exemptions, the deadlines and double-damages penalty here do not cover your tenancy.
New Hampshire has small-landlord exemptions and an exception involving tenants aged 60 or older. Where covered, the deposit, applicable interest and damage accounting are due within 30 days.
What records should support deductions?
The landlord must give a signed receipt for the deposit stating where it is held (except when paid by check); deposits go into a NH bank/escrow-type account, with interest owed if held a year or longer.
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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 N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. 540-A:7: Deposit (with any interest due) must be returned within 30 days of termination; any damage deductions require a written itemized list within the same 30 days (RSA 540-A:7). [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 N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. 540-A:8, your failure to comply makes you liable for damages equal to twice the sum of the deposit plus any interest due. 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.
New Hampshire 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: N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. 540-A:5 to 540-A:8 ↗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 New Hampshire case. Letter and exhibit pages extracted from a generated case PDF. Your letter uses your own facts and state law.
Read the complete New Hampshire sample letter
Fictional New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire 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 N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. 540-A:7 (New Hampshire Security Deposit Law), the applicable return rule is: Deposit (with any interest due) must be returned within 30 days of termination; any damage deductions require a written itemized list within the same 30 days (RSA 540-A:7).
DISPUTED DEDUCTIONS
I dispute the following deductions under N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. 540-A:7 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: Deposits held 1 year or longer earn interest at the institution's regular savings rate; the tenant may request a payout every 3 years (RSA 540-A:6, I(c), II).
This demand is limited to the amount improperly withheld. The applicable statutory remedy is conditional: under N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. 540-A:8, your failure to comply makes you liable for damages equal to twice the sum of the deposit plus any interest due. 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.
Identify the disputed repair and request a description of the work and cost. Keep the deposit receipt, forwarding-address correspondence and condition records.
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. 540-A:7: return and accounting ↗What happens after sending?
Compare any repair, rent or tax-share deductions with their separate accounting. Check coverage before relying on the statutory additional-damages remedy.
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 New Hampshire filing guide. Attempted delivery may not complete statutory service.
Frequently asked questions
Which return deadline should my New Hampshire letter refer to?
Deposit (with any interest due) must be returned within 30 days of termination; any damage deductions require a written itemized list within the same 30 days (RSA 540-A:7). Noncompliance with the interest or return/itemization rules makes the landlord liable for double damages (RSA 540-A:8); deposit-handling violations are also NH Consumer Protection Act violations. Deposits unclaimed for 6 months become the landlord's.
What penalties does New Hampshire law allow if the withholding was wrongful?
Damages equal to twice the sum of the deposit plus any interest due, less lawful charges (RSA 540-A:8) - the doubled figure is the total award.
What happens if the landlord ignores the letter?
You can file in small claims court (limit: $10,000; filing fees $105-$160 depending on claim size). Check required notices, filing deadlines and the court's rules before filing.
New Hampshire filing steps and court forms →