Oregon security deposit demand letter
Ask for your deposit with the Oregon 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 Oregon
Keep deposit and prepaid rent accountings separate
Oregon requires the accounting and return within 31 days after termination and delivery of possession. The statute treats security deposits and prepaid rent separately.
What records should support deductions?
The landlord must give a receipt for any deposit paid (§ 90.300(2)(a)). Landlord's own labor may be billed at a reasonable hourly rate; carpet cleaning deductible only with a proper carpet-cleaning machine, a carpet cleaned/replaced before move-in, and written lease authorization (§ 90.300(7)).
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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 Or. Rev. Stat. § 90.300: Return or written accounting due not later than 31 days after the tenancy terminates and the tenant delivers possession; electronic return only with written agreement (since 2024). 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 Or. Rev. Stat. § 90.300(16), amounts withheld in bad faith or without the required written accounting expose you to damages of twice the amount withheld, with prevailing-party attorney fees also available. 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
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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.
Oregon 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: Or. Rev. Stat. § 90.300; fees ORS 90.255 ↗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 Oregon case. Letter and exhibit pages extracted from a generated case PDF. Your letter uses your own facts and state law.
Read the complete Oregon sample letter
Fictional Oregon 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 Oregon 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 Or. Rev. Stat. § 90.300 (Oregon Security Deposit Law), the applicable return rule is: Return or written accounting due not later than 31 days after the tenancy terminates and the tenant delivers possession; electronic return only with written agreement (since 2024).
DISPUTED DEDUCTIONS
I dispute the following deductions under Or. Rev. Stat. § 90.300 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 Or. Rev. Stat. § 90.300(16), amounts withheld in bad faith or without the required written accounting expose you to damages of twice the amount withheld, with prevailing-party attorney fees also available. 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 which balance you seek and the particular basis you dispute. For carpet cleaning, include the relevant lease clause and evidence of the carpet's condition when you moved in.
Or. Rev. Stat. § 90.300: return and accounting ↗What happens after sending?
Compare each accounting with its own balance. Keep any written agreement for electronic return; do not assume an electronic transaction satisfies every delivery requirement.
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 Oregon filing guide. Attempted delivery may not complete statutory service.
Frequently asked questions
Which return deadline should my Oregon letter refer to?
Return or written accounting due not later than 31 days after the tenancy terminates and the tenant delivers possession; electronic return only with written agreement (since 2024). If no accounting or return arrives within 31 days, or the withholding is in bad faith, the tenant may recover twice the amount withheld (§ 90.300(16)).
What penalties does Oregon law allow if the withholding was wrongful?
Twice the amount withheld without a written accounting or withheld in bad faith (§ 90.300(16)) - the doubled amount is the total recovery. Prevailing-party attorney fees under ORS 90.255 (discretionary, two-way, non-waivable).
What happens if the landlord ignores the letter?
You can file in small claims court (limit: $10,000; filing fees $57 for claims up to $2,500, $102 above that). Check required notices, filing deadlines and the court's rules before filing.
Oregon filing steps and court forms →