Your Maryland security deposit demand letter

November 4, 2026

VIA CERTIFIED MAIL — RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED

Dear Property Manager:

I rented the premises at 77 Rented Avenue, Springfield from you. My tenancy ended and I moved out on August 26, 2026. I paid a security deposit of $2,400.00.

You have returned $700.00 of that deposit. $1,700.00 remains unreturned.

Under Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-203, you were required to return the deposit and an itemized statement of any deductions no later than October 10, 2026 — 45 calendar days after the date the tenancy ended. That date passed 25 days ago, and I have received no payment of the balance.

You did not give me a written, itemized statement of the deductions you are keeping, although Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-203 requires one.

1. The amount I am asking you to return

The deposit I paid was $2,400.00. You returned $700.00. The balance I am asking you to return is $1,700.00.

2. What the statute says

The rule that applies is Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-203. The state's official source for it is listed for this state on locafact.com, and the fragments below are quoted from the statute text captured for this letter.

The statute describes the deductions a landlord may make as follows: Within 45 days after the end of the tenancy the landlord must return the security deposit together with simple interest (the greater of the daily 1-year U.S. Treasury yield curve rate or 1.5% a year; interest accrues monthly after the deposit has been held 6 months and is payable only on deposits of $50 or more), less any damages rightfully withheld. If any portion is withheld, the landlord must present by first-class mail directed to the tenant's last known address, within 45 days after the termination of the tenancy, a written list of the damages claimed together with an itemized statement of the cost incurred; the itemized statement must include supporting documentation (an estimate is permitted, and if actual costs are less the excess must be returned within 30 days after the repairs are completed). Failure to provide the list forfeits the right to withhold any part of the deposit for damages. A tenant who was evicted or who abandoned the premises may demand return by written notice within 45 days, and the landlord must then respond and return within 45 days of receipt of that notice.

The deadline is measured in calendar days: 45 calendar days after the date the tenancy ended, which for the dates above is October 10, 2026.

“Within 45 days after the end of the tenancy, the landlord shall return the security deposit to the tenant together with simple interest which has accrued at the daily U.S. Treasury yield curve rate for 1 year, as of the first business day of each year, or 1.5% a year, whichever is greater, less any damages rightfully withheld.”

“If the landlord, without a reasonable basis, fails to return any part of the security deposit, plus accrued interest, within 45 days after the termination of the tenancy, the tenant has an action of up to threefold of the withheld amount, plus reasonable attorney’s fees.”

“if any portion of the security deposit is withheld, the landlord shall present by first–class mail directed to the last known address of the tenant, within 45 days after the termination of the tenancy, a written list of the damages claimed under subsection (f)(1) of this section together with an itemized statement of the cost incurred.”

“If the landlord fails to comply with this requirement, the landlord forfeits the right to withhold any part of the security deposit for damages.”

3. What the statute adds if the deposit is not returned

Because if the condition the statute sets out is met, Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-203 may also allow amounts above the unreturned balance:

• 3× the amount due to the tenant (the amount above the unreturned balance): $3,400.00

• the landlord also forfeits any right to retain any portion of the deposit

• reasonable attorney’s fees

On the figures above, that is up to $3,400.00 in addition to the $1,700.00 unreturned balance — a possible total of up to $5,100.00. These amounts are not owed unless the condition the statute sets out is established; they are stated as the possible exposure, not as a demand.

4. What I am asking you to do

Please pay me $1,700.00 within ten (10) days of the date of this letter.

A check payable to me can be sent to the address at the top of this letter. If you believe some part of the deposit was properly kept, send me an itemized statement with the receipts or invoices for each amount.

If I do not receive payment or a written response within that time, I will consider filing a claim in small claims court for the unreturned deposit and any amount the statute allows, and I will keep this letter and the certified-mail record as evidence.

This is a self-help document, not legal advice, and no outcome is guaranteed.