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Your Virginia security deposit demand letter

See the whole letter free — your deadline, the days late, and the statutory exposure as possible — before you pay anything.

The letter cites Va. Code § 55.1-1226 and states the date your landlord’s deadline passed — 45 calendar days after the later of the date the tenancy ended and the date you moved out.

Your details
Your former landlord
The rental and the deposit

Virginia counts the deadline from the later of the tenancy end date and the move-out date. If they are the same day, enter that date in both fields.

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The full letter with your facts, the Virginia deadline, the deposit table and the statute quoted — watermarked. You only pay to remove the watermark and get the PDF.

Rule applied: 45 calendar days after the later of the date the tenancy ended and the date you moved out, per Va. Code § 55.1-1226.

Before you pay: the full letter is shown free in the preview, watermarked. You only pay to remove the watermark and get the PDF.

This tool produces a self-help document. It is not legal advice, no attorney-client relationship is created, and no outcome is guaranteed. If your claim is large or disputed, speak to a landlord-tenant lawyer or legal aid.

Example Virginia letter

This is a real letter, produced by the same engine that makes the PDF, with a fictional tenant and landlord and Virginia’s actual rule. Read it before you pay for anything — it is exactly what you would receive.

Maria Gonzalez 1420 Sunset Blvd
Springfield, VA 90026
(213) 555-0142

November 4, 2026

VIA CERTIFIED MAIL — RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED

Brightline Property LLC 880 Wilshire Blvd
Springfield, VA 90017
Attention: Property Manager
Re: Demand for return of security deposit — Virginia
Va. Code § 55.1-1226
Rental premises: 77 Rented Avenue, Springfield

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 Va. Code § 55.1-1226, 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 later of the date the tenancy ended and the date you moved out. 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 Va. Code § 55.1-1226 requires one.

1. The amount I am asking you to return

Security deposit paid
$2,400.00
Amount returned to me
-$700.00
TOTAL AMOUNT DEMANDED
$1,700.00

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 Va. Code § 55.1-1226. 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: Deposit applied only to accrued rent, damages for noncompliance less reasonable wear and tear, other charges in the lease, or actual damages for breach; all deductions itemized in a written notice with the amount due.

The deadline is measured in calendar days: 45 calendar days after the later of the date the tenancy ended and the date you moved out, which for the dates above is October 10, 2026.

“within 45 days after the termination date of the tenancy or the date the tenant vacates the dwelling unit, whichever occurs last”

“If the landlord willfully fails to comply with this section, the court shall order the return of the security deposit to the tenant, together with actual damages and reasonable attorney fees, unless the tenant owes rent to the landlord, in which case the court shall order an amount equal to the security deposit credited against the rent due to the landlord.”

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

Because if the failure was willful, Va. Code § 55.1-1226 also says: return of the deposit plus actual damages; reasonable attorney’s fees.

This letter does not state a separate dollar amount for those consequences. The amount demanded above is the unreturned balance, and I reserve every right and remedy the statute provides.

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.

Sincerely,


Maria Gonzalez

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

Questions about the Virginia letter

What does the builder compute?

The deadline from your dates and the state rule (45 calendar days after the later of the date the tenancy ended and the date you moved out), the days late, the unreturned balance, and — where the statute has a verified penalty — the possible exposure above that balance.

Can I preview before paying?

Yes. The whole letter is shown watermarked, free. You pay only to download the clean PDF.

Is this legal advice?

No. It is a self-help document tool, not a law firm. No outcome is guaranteed.