Security Deposit Guide — Want it back?

You moved out. What happened with your Security Deposit?

We ask only for the information needed to evaluate what happened to your Security Deposit. We’ll ask for the rental address only after you choose to move forward with a letter.

Your Security Deposit.Want it back?

A renter holding out empty front pockets

Did you move out expecting at least some of your Security Deposit back, only to get nothing at all?

Answer a few questions so we can understand what happened—and whether you may still be able
to reclaim some or all of your Security Deposit.

There’s no charge to find out.

In most states, landlords may deduct from a Security Deposit for:

Unpaid rent
Cleaning necessary to make the property as clean as it was when you moved in—not to make it cleaner at your expense
Repairs for damage beyond normal wear and tear

Confused about what “normal wear and tear” means?See examples

Normal wear and tear is the gradual, expected change that happens when a home is lived in. It does not include damage caused by a tenant, neglect, or misuse.

A tenant should return the home reasonably clean, but they are not required to leave it in the same condition—or a better condition—than when they moved in.

Usually normal wear and tear

Carpet that looks slightly matted, less plush, or less bright along ordinary walking paths
Fading paint, blinds, or curtains from sunlight and age
Light wall scuffs, minor marks, and small picture-hanging holes
Caulk, hinges, cabinet hardware, or fixtures that loosen or wear with time

May be tenant-caused damage

A large tear, burn, or stain beyond ordinary use
Large holes in walls
Broken windows
Damaged screen frames
Water damage to wood floors
A broken or missing fixture
Unusual damage caused by misuse or neglect

A tenant is not responsible for the cost of repainting, recarpeting, or refurbishing a home simply to make it brand-new. What matters is what occurred, the home’s condition when you moved in and out, and whether the amount withheld is properly explained and supported.

SDG helps you look beyond the landlord’s label and understand what information supports a deduction.

If your landlord kept any of your Security Deposit, did you receive an explanation showing what was deducted and why? A charge is not automatically valid or deductible just because the landlord listed it.

We don’t just write a letter—we guide the recovery process.

Other companies offer a letter.

Provides a demand letter
Charges you before the letter is sent
The service usually ends when the letter is delivered
Leaves you to determine what comes next
Gets paid even if the letter does not work

Security Deposit Guide offers a complete guided recovery process.

Manages the recovery process
Charges no fee upfront
Tracks the deadline and follows up
Prepares and guides your next step
Charges a fee only when money is recovered

No money upfront.

We charge our fee only afteryour money is recovered.

We never take a percentage of the amount recovered.

Our service is a fixed $250 fee—not a percentage of the amount recovered.

And if we are unable to recover any money for you,you pay us nothing.

Ready to find out what happened?

We’ll guide you through the process.

View a sample letter

From request to recovery.

Money out

?Request

Money back

Why we start with a request

The quickest path is direct payment.

We first give the landlord a clear opportunity to return your Security Deposit without court involvement. This can save both sides time and expense.

If the landlord does not pay, you can decide if you want to move forward in Small Claims court. We are making court the last step, not the starting point.

Going to Small Claims court may feel intimidating—especially if you have never been through it before. You will not be left to figure it out on your own. We help you organize and present the facts the court needs to hear.

What makes us different?

We offer a guided recovery process—not just a letter.

You should not have to keep chasing money
that already belongs to you.

We handle the formal request.

Security Deposit Guide prepares and emails the formal request and keeps you informed by email.

Request Handling Fee $250

Our fee to prepare, send, and manage the request process.

Fixed fee: We never take a percentage of your Security Deposit.

No upfront payment: If this request results in recovery, Stripe, our financial processor, credits the full recovered amount to you and processes your authorized $250 payment to Security Deposit Guide.

Three days to pay.

Our formal request gives the landlord three business days to return your Security Deposit. Weekends and recognized federal holidays are not counted. You receive copies of every email sent.

One final opportunity.

At midnight on the third business day, a final letter gives the landlord one more opportunity to return your full Security Deposit. No partial payment is accepted through Security Deposit Guide. If a full return is not made, the opportunity to resolve the matter without court has expired.

Prepared for Small Claims.

If you decide to file in Small Claims court, we prepare a case-specific Tenant Fact Summary organizing the facts, dates, amounts, communications, and supporting information in a clear order for your filing and court presentation. It can also include other documented, unreimbursed losses connected to the tenancy when supported by a receipt, date, and description.

What the Tenant Fact Summary makes clear

It shows the state-required response period and potential damage allowance, the original deadline, the days that passed before SDG’s request, the additional four-day SDG deadline, and the total time the landlord had to make a full return.

Tenant Fact Summary — $500

This is a later service that you choose only if you decide to prepare for Small Claims court.

Fixed fee—not a percentage: If money is recovered after you choose this stage, the total service fee is $500. It replaces the $250 request-handling fee; the two fees are never combined.

Don’t worry—you won’t be left to figure this out alone. If the landlord does not pay, we’ll guide you through what comes next. You can then decide if you want to move forward in Small Claims court. Court is our last resort, not our starting point.

The potential recovery can exceed the deposit. Here’s why:

Original deposit$1,500 Potential additional damagesUp to $3,000 Potential totalUp to $4,500

Stripe, our financial processor, handles the applicable fee.

Money recovered Full amount credited to you

Applicable service fee $250 request handling or $500 Tenant Fact Summary Never both

No money recovered $0 service fee

The potential recovery may be greater than the original Security Deposit.

Return to your request