A letter to get your security deposit back

Type your details and the letter writes itself. Copy it into an email or download it as a PDF. Nothing you type leaves this page.

[Your name]

To: [Landlord or agent]

Return of my deposit: [Address of the home]

Dear [Landlord or agent],

On [Date you handed back the keys] I moved out of [Address of the home] and handed back the keys. Please return my deposit of [Amount] by [How you want to be paid].

If you intend to deduct anything, please tell me in writing what, why and how much, with photos or quotes.

The condition of the home when I moved in is recorded, with dated photos, here: [Link to your dated photos (optional)]

Please reply to confirm when the payment will be made.

Kind regards, [Your name]

Made in your browser. Send it by email or a channel that keeps the date.

What to send with it

Your move-in photos, with a date.A link the landlord can open, showing how the home was on the day you arrived, answers most “it was not like that” replies.
Your move-out photos.From the same spots and angles, so each pair can be compared side by side.
The key handover.A receipt or a message saying when the keys were returned: that date is where most deadlines start.
The meter readings.With a photo, so the last bills are not deducted from the deposit.

Example: open kitchen of an empty flat, wooden floor — Kitchen

Example: bathroom with bath, toilet and basin — Bathroom

Example: ceiling with paint peeling from damp — Damp on the bathroom ceiling

Printable move-in checklist · Normal wear and tear: what to photograph

How long they have to pay

England and Wales: your landlord has 10 days to return the deposit once you both agree how much you get back. GOV.UK
Spain: if the balance is not returned within one month of handing back the keys, it starts to earn statutory interest. Ley de Arrendamientos Urbanos, art. 36
Brazil: the rental law sets no deadline to return a cash deposit. Lei 8.245/1991, art. 38

Elsewhere, including the US states, the deadlines differ: look up your local rental law, and add its deadline to the letter if it helps.

No dated photos yet?

With DepositSeal you photograph each room from your phone, we seal the date and the fingerprint of each photo, and you get a link to put in this letter. Free, no account.

Sealed · 3 photos

22 October 2026, 10:42

Damp on the bathroom ceiling
Fingerprint: ce01432efcd46059abe9547fde85d172099b7bb3319ebf1c6e4623c9d0c80033

Hi. Here are dated photos of the condition of the flat at move-in. You can confirm them or add comments here: depositseal.com/v/7KQ2M9XA

Was the place like this?

The landlord confirmed the condition

22 October 2026, 18:05

Make a dated record, free How to get your deposit back, step by step

Questions

How do I write a letter to get my security deposit back? Say when you moved out and handed back the keys, the amount, how you want to be paid, and ask for any deduction in writing with its reason and cost. Add a link to your dated move-in photos. The template on this page fills those in as you type.

How long does a landlord have to return a deposit? It depends on where you live and on your lease. In England and Wales it is 10 days once you both agree the amount (GOV.UK). In Spain a balance not returned within one month of handing back the keys earns statutory interest (LAU art. 36). Brazil’s rental law sets no deadline.

What should I attach to the letter? Your move-in photos with a date the landlord can check, move-out photos from the same angles, the key handover receipt or message, and the meter readings.

Is what I type sent anywhere? No. The letter and its PDF are made in your browser; nothing you type is sent to our server.

It matches: photo 2 (Kitchen).

ce01432efcd46059abe9547fde85d172099b7bb3319ebf1c6e4623c9d0c80033

It does not match any photo in this record.

ce01432efcd46059abe9547fde85d172099b7bb3719ebf1c6e4623c9d0c80033

This page is general information, not legal advice.