Washington, D.C. security deposit demand letter
Ask for your deposit with the Washington, D.C. 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 Washington, D.C.
Dispute the unpaid-amount notice within 30 days
For notices governed by the amendment effective August 14, 2026, D.C. gives tenants 30 calendar days after service to dispute alleged unpaid amounts. The landlord must include supporting documentation and contact details in that notice.
What records should support deductions?
The regulation requires an itemized statement of repairs/uses with the cost of each; no express receipts-attachment requirement found.
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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 DCMR § 309: Within 45 days after termination the housing provider must return the deposit plus interest or give written notice of intent to withhold (14 DCMR 309.1); an itemized statement must follow within 30 days of that notice. 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 DCMR § 309.5, you are liable for the amount wrongfully withheld, and a bad-faith refusal to return my deposit exposes you to treble damages. 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.
Washington, D.C. 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 DCMR §§ 308-311; D.C. Code § 42-3502.17 ↗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 Washington, D.C. case. Letter and exhibit pages extracted from a generated case PDF. Your letter uses your own facts and state law.
Read the complete Washington, D.C. sample letter
Fictional Washington, D.C. case. Generated sample, not a court outcome or a substitute for your own letter.
Maya Patel (fictional tenant)
[Fictional current mailing address]
August 25, 2026
Daniel Reed (fictional landlord)
[Fictional landlord mailing address]
SENT VIA CERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED
RE: Demand for return of security deposit - [Fictional Washington, D.C. 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 DCMR § 309 (Washington, D.C. Security Deposit Law), the applicable return rule is: Within 45 days after termination the housing provider must return the deposit plus interest or give written notice of intent to withhold (14 DCMR 309.1); an itemized statement must follow within 30 days of that notice.
DISPUTED DEDUCTIONS
I dispute the following deductions under 14 DCMR § 309 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: Deposit must be held in an interest-bearing escrow account at a District institution; accrued interest is returned with the deposit (14 DCMR 309, 311).
This demand is limited to the amount improperly withheld. The applicable statutory remedy is conditional: under 14 DCMR § 309.5, you are liable for the amount wrongfully withheld, and a bad-faith refusal to return my deposit exposes you to treble damages. 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 08, 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 each amount you contest and send your supporting records to the contact in the notice. Keep evidence of when the notice was served and when your response was delivered.
D.C. Code 42-3502.17(e): notice and dispute response ↗What happens after sending?
Under section 42-3502.17(e), the landlord must respond to information you provide within 10 days of receipt. Track this dispute response separately from the deposit accounting and refund.
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 Washington, D.C. filing guide. Attempted delivery may not complete statutory service.
Frequently asked questions
Which return deadline should my Washington, D.C. letter refer to?
Within 45 days after termination the housing provider must return the deposit plus interest or give written notice of intent to withhold (14 DCMR 309.1); an itemized statement must follow within 30 days of that notice. Failure to comply with the 45-day/30-day requirements is prima facie evidence that the tenant is entitled to full return of the deposit plus interest (14 DCMR 309.3) - a rebuttable presumption shifting the burden to the provider, not automatic forfeiture; bad-faith withholding brings treble damages.
What penalties does Washington, D.C. law allow if the withholding was wrongful?
Liable for the amount withheld, or treble damages for bad faith - defined as a frivolous or unfounded refusal motivated by a fraudulent, deceptive, misleading, dishonest, or unreasonably self-serving purpose (14 DCMR 309-310).
What happens if the landlord ignores the letter?
You can file in small claims court (limit: $10,000; filing fees $5-$45 depending on claim size). Check required notices, filing deadlines and the court's rules before filing.
Washington, D.C. filing steps and court forms →