Massachusetts Security Deposit Demand Letter
A free Massachusetts security deposit demand letter that follows Massachusetts law. Fill in the boxes, check the rules below, then print or copy it. Keep a copy and proof of how you sent it.
What Massachusetts law says
| Deposit return deadline | 30 days after the tenancy ends (end of a tenancy at will or end of the lease term). The landlord must return the deposit, or whatever balance remains, with any accrued interest. Source: G.L. c. 186, § 15B(4) |
|---|---|
| Itemized deductions | To keep any part of the deposit for damage, the landlord must give the tenant, within 30 days after the tenancy ends, an itemized list of the damage. The list must be signed under the pains and penalties of perjury, describe the damage and repairs in precise detail, and include written evidence such as estimates, bills, invoices, or receipts. Source: G.L. c. 186, § 15B(4)(iii) |
| Penalty for withholding | Three times the deposit (or the balance owed), plus 5% interest from the date payment was due, court costs, and reasonable attorney's fees. This applies to the failures listed in § 15B(6)(a), (d) and (e), including failing to return the deposit (or balance) within 30 days. The landlord also forfeits the right to keep any part of the deposit if it, for example, misses the 30-day itemized-list deadline or does not hold the deposit in a separate Massachusetts interest-bearing account. Source: G.L. c. 186, § 15B(6)-(7) |
| Wear and tear / move-out charges | A landlord may deduct from the deposit only unpaid rent or water charges, a share of a real estate tax increase owed under a tax-escalation clause, and the reasonable cost of repairing damage caused by the tenant or people under the tenant's control or on the premises with consent. 'Reasonable wear and tear' is excluded. Damage deductions require an itemized list, sworn under penalties of perjury, detailing the damage and repairs, with written evidence of costs such as estimates, bills or receipts. The statute does not define reasonable wear and tear or list cleaning or painting as allowed deductions. Source: M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B(4)(i)-(iii) |
Fill in your letter
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To: [landlord or manager name], [landlord address]
From: [your name], former tenant at [rental address]
I moved out and returned the keys on [move-out date]. I paid a security deposit of $[deposit amount]. I gave you my forwarding address in writing on [date you gave your address].
Under G.L. c. 186, § 15B(4), a landlord must return the deposit, or send an itemized list of lawful deductions, by the deadline set in that law. I have not received [the deposit / an itemized list].
Please send $[amount owed] to [forwarding address] within [number] days of this letter.
If I do not receive it, I plan to file a claim in small claims court and ask for any additional amount allowed by G.L. c. 186, § 15B(6)-(7).
Date: [today's date]
Tenant: [your name]
Signature: ____________________
How to send it: use a method you can prove — certified mail with return receipt, or email/text if your lease allows notices that way. Write down the date.
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General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.