Security DepositGuide

Helping tenants reclaim money that already belongs to them.Back in their pocket.

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You moved out. What happened with your Security Deposit?

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

What did you expect to receive back when you moved out?

How much of your Security Deposit did your landlord return?

Tell us the details.

Date keys and remotes returned

Original Security Deposit Amount$

Did you receive a statement of deductions?

Your information is encrypted and never shared without your permission.We are not a law firm.We are not attorneys and do not provide legal advice.We prepare demand letters and guide the recovery process.

Your Security Deposit.Want it back?

Security Deposit Guide founder holding cash

Did you move out and get some money back—or, worse, nothing at all?

Answer a few questions so we can understand what happened and help get some or all of your Security Deposit back in your pocket.

There’s no charge to find out.

How much money are we talking about?

A Security Deposit is often about one month’s rent. Do you remember your monthly rent? Was it within one of these ranges?

Apartment$1,800 – $2,000

House$3,800 – $4,500

Items that can be deducted from a Security Deposit

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

Examples of Wear and TearSee 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 is not required to leave it in better condition than when they moved in. Ordinary wear from living there is expected.

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

Possible 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

California photo requirement

Since April 1, 2025, California law requires landlords to photograph the rental within a reasonable time after the tenant returns possession and before any cleaning or repairs they plan to deduct from the deposit. They must also photograph it within a reasonable time after that work is complete. For California tenancies beginning on or after July 1, 2025, landlords must also photograph the rental at the start of the tenancy. You can ask for these photos even if you did not take your own. Other states may have different rules.

A landlord cannot use the deposit to improve the home at the tenant’s expense—for example, to replace an aging appliance, repaint the entire place, or install new carpet simply because the old items show normal wear. A reasonable charge may still apply for damage beyond normal wear caused during the tenancy.

We help you organize the landlord’s explanation and your records so you can decide whether to dispute a deduction.

Your money matters

If a landlord kept your money, specific rules and proof are required.

Did your landlord provide a complete, itemized accounting?
It should list each deduction, the amount taken, and the reason. Receipts or other records can help show whether each charge is supported. If you dispute a charge in court, the landlord must show that the law allows it and that the evidence supports it. A charge is not valid just because it appears as a deduction on a statement.

How we’re differentWe 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 prepares the next step
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.

Answer a few questions to see whether money belongs back in your pocket.

What happens next

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 the deposit amount still in dispute without court involvement. This can save both sides time and expense.

If the landlord does not return your deposit, Small Claims court may offer a way to seek an enforceable decision. You can decide whether to bring a claim and present the facts that support it, including evidence of bad faith if you have it. We try to resolve the matter directly first, with court as a last step. Later, we explain what that step involves and why it may be worth your time.

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 Process Fee $250

We prepare the formal request using the information you provide, send it to the landlord, track the deadline, and send you a copy of the request.

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

No upfront payment: If this request results in recovery, the fixed $250 service fee applies under your agreement. Any payment and fee collection steps will be explained separately.

Three days to pay.

Our formal request gives the landlord three business days to return the deposit amount still in dispute. Weekends and recognized federal holidays are not counted. You receive a copy of the request email.

If the payment deadline passes.

The landlord has until 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on the third business day to return the remaining deposit balance. A partial return reduces what is still sought, but the request remains unresolved. If any balance remains after the deadline, you decide whether to pursue Small Claims court. Some state laws let a judge award additional damages if the landlord keeps a deposit in bad faith. For example, in one state, a tenant may ask a Small Claims judge for up to twice the original Security Deposit in additional damages, on top of the deposit amount still being sought. Other states may have different rules. This is not automatic. The judge decides whether local law allows an award and whether the evidence proves bad faith.

Deposit still sought$1,500 Possible additional damagesUp to $3,000 Possible totalUp to $4,500

Original deposit: $1,500. No amount returned.

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.

Gather what you have: your lease, proof of the original Security Deposit, move-in and move-out photos or videos, the landlord’s statement and receipts, messages, and a signed, dated receipt for returned keys or remotes.

What the Tenant Fact Summary makes clear

Where verified for your state, the timeline shows the applicable deposit deadline, the days that passed before our request, the time provided for payment, and the total time the landlord held your deposit. These dates help you show the court what happened and may support a claim of bad faith alongside your other evidence.

Tenant Fact Summary — $500

If you choose to pursue Small Claims court, we gather and organize your dates, documents, and communications in a clear summary to help you present your case.

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 Process Fee; the two fees are never combined.

You do not have to sort through the process alone. We explain the steps, help you organize the evidence, and prepare a clear account of the facts for court. You decide whether to file and present your claim.

If the court awards you all or part of your claim and the landlord does not pay, the judgment gives you legal ways to try to collect the amount awarded. Collection is a separate step; payment is not automatic.

How the applicable service fee works.

Money recovered The recovered amount belongs to you

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

No money recovered $0 service fee

Some state laws establish this potential exposure in advance to discourage bad-faith withholding. A request letter can make the landlord aware of applicable rules; the letter does not create or automatically impose an award. Only a court can award additional damages where the law allows and the judge finds the evidence supports them.

Return to your request