North Dakota security deposit demand letter
Ask for your deposit with the North Dakota 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 North Dakota
Use the signed condition statement as your baseline
North Dakota requires itemization and the refund within 30 days after lease termination and delivery of possession. Note the latest address you furnished to the landlord.
What records should support deductions?
No receipts requirement, but the deposit must sit in a federally insured interest-bearing account for the tenant's benefit, and the signed move-in condition statement (§ 47-16-07.2) is prima facie proof of condition.
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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.D. Cent. Code § 47-16-07.1: Itemization of amounts applied, the refund due, and written notice must be delivered or mailed to the lessee's last furnished address within 30 days after lease termination and delivery of possession. 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.D. Cent. Code § 47-16-07.1(4), withholding any portion of my deposit without reasonable justification makes you liable for treble damages - three times the amount withheld. 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.
North Dakota 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.D. Cent. Code § 47-16-07.1 (condition statement: § 47-16-07.2) ↗The amount stays tied to the facts: $1,100 withheld - $200 in accepted charges = $900 disputed in this sample.
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See the actual PDF pages
Open PDF to zoom ↗Sample North Dakota case. Letter and exhibit pages extracted from a generated case PDF. Your letter uses your own facts and state law.
Read the complete North Dakota sample letter
Fictional North Dakota 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 North Dakota 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.D. Cent. Code § 47-16-07.1 (North Dakota Security Deposit Law), the applicable return rule is: Itemization of amounts applied, the refund due, and written notice must be delivered or mailed to the lessee's last furnished address within 30 days after lease termination and delivery of possession.
DISPUTED DEDUCTIONS
I dispute the following deductions under N.D. Cent. Code § 47-16-07.1 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: Occupancy of 9+ months: the deposit sits in a federally insured interest-bearing account and the interest belongs to the tenant (N.D. Cent. Code § 47-16-07.1(1), (3)).
This demand is limited to the amount improperly withheld. The applicable statutory remedy is conditional: under N.D. Cent. Code § 47-16-07.1(4), withholding any portion of my deposit without reasonable justification makes you liable for treble damages - three times the amount withheld. 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.
Attach the signed move-in condition statement and relevant move-out photos. Identify which claimed damage was already recorded and request the amount still due to either party.
N.D. Cent. Code § 47-16-07.1: return and accounting ↗What happens after sending?
Compare the final notice, refund and any applicable interest with the deposit record. Keep both the condition statement and the accounting if further action is needed.
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 North Dakota filing guide. Attempted delivery may not complete statutory service.
Frequently asked questions
Which return deadline should my North Dakota letter refer to?
Itemization of amounts applied, the refund due, and written notice must be delivered or mailed to the lessee's last furnished address within 30 days after lease termination and delivery of possession. Treble damages attach to withholding 'without reasonable justification'; missing the 30-day itemization/refund is the strongest evidence of unjustified withholding.
What penalties does North Dakota law allow if the withholding was wrongful?
Treble damages for any security deposit money withheld without reasonable justification (§ 47-16-07.1(4)) - conventionally read as 3x total recovery.
What happens if the landlord ignores the letter?
You can file in small claims court (limit: $15,000; filing fees $20). Check required notices, filing deadlines and the court's rules before filing.
North Dakota filing steps and court forms →