Before you spend money, you should know exactly what this is.

What is the Demand Letter Companion?

It’s a guided web app for one security-deposit case. It reads your lease, asks you plain questions about what happened, checks your state’s deposit rules, and writes a demand letter you review and approve.

It runs right here on the site. There’s nothing to install, and nothing to upload into a separate AI tool.

Do I have to sue my landlord to use this?

No.

The goal is a serious demand built on your facts and your state’s rules. If the landlord pays or you accept a settlement you’re satisfied with, the dispute is over. No filing. No hearing.

Is it a PDF or a download?

No. It’s a web app. The only thing you download is your finished letter, as a Word document to print and sign.

(The free intake form is a separate PDF you can use to get organized first.)

Can I stop and come back later?

Yes. Your case is saved as you go. Open it again anytime with your private link. A copy of the link is emailed to you when you buy.

What does the free case assessment do?

It’s a quick, preliminary review that helps answer one question:

It asks about the key facts and gives you a preliminary signal: the situation looks promising, needs a closer look, or may not be worth the time.

Take the free case assessment →

What’s the difference between the free assessment and the Demand Letter Companion?

The free assessment helps answer “Is this worth pursuing?”

The Demand Letter Companion answers “What do I do now?” It reads your lease, gathers the full facts, applies your state’s rules, and produces the letter.

What does it cost?

$19.99, one time, for one case.

No AI subscription is needed. The AI is included. Certified mail for the letter is usually about $10 at the post office.

See everything it does →

What if I’m not ready even for the assessment?

Start smaller. The free Security Deposit Intake Form and the checklist help you put the dates, amounts, deductions, and evidence in one place without deciding anything yet.

Do I need ChatGPT or a paid AI plan?

No. The AI is built in and included in the $19.99. You don’t need any other account or subscription.

Why not just ask ChatGPT myself?

You can. ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini can all answer questions about deposits.

But a blank chat leaves you in charge. You decide which facts matter and which questions to ask, and you have to trust what the AI remembers about your state’s law.

The companion has the process built in, and your state’s rules come from a built-in table with the legal citations.

How does it reduce AI mistakes?

The parts where a guess would hurt you aren’t left to the AI:

• Deadlines, penalties, and deduction rules come from a built-in table for all 50 states and DC.
• Missed deadlines are calculated by the app from your confirmed dates.
• You check the lease facts and your case summary before anything is built on them.
• Every draft letter is reviewed automatically before you see it.

No system is perfect, which is why you read and approve the letter before it goes anywhere.

What if I make a mistake or something changes?

Fix it in Your case facts, at the bottom of your case page. You don’t have to start over.

The app redoes only what your change affects. A new address just means a new letter. A different move-out date means the legal check runs again. It tells you before anything already finished is cleared.

What if I lose my case link?

Go to Get your case link again and enter the email you used at checkout. We’ll email you a new link. The new link replaces the old one, so any old bookmark stops working.

What if my landlord pays after the demand letter?

Then you’re done. Record it in your case, and keep the payment record with your letter and mailing receipt.

What if the landlord offers part of it?

Come back to your case. The companion helps you weigh certainty now against possibly more later. It won’t make the decision for you, and it won’t recommend a number.

What if the landlord ignores the demand or refuses?

Your letter gives a response deadline, and your case keeps track of it. After it passes, you decide whether the amount is worth taking to small claims.

Step 2, court forms and case prep, is in development and is being built to pick up from your saved case. Until then, your state court’s small-claims self-help pages explain how to file.

Do I need a lawyer?

Many tenants handle deposit disputes themselves in small claims court. But if your case is complicated, involves a large counterclaim, or falls outside small claims, or you want advice about your specific rights, talk to a licensed attorney in your state.

Is this legal advice?

No. The site and the companion provide legal information and self-help tools. They don’t create an attorney-client relationship and aren’t a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney.

What happens to my information?

Your case facts and uploaded lease are stored privately. The lease and your answers are sent to our AI provider to read the lease and draft the letter.

Your case is deleted automatically 180 days after your last visit, and you can delete it yourself at any time, files included. Your email is used for your case link and messages about your case. We don’t sell your information.

Read the Privacy Policy →

Can anyone else open my case?

Only someone with your complete private link. There’s no public page and no search. Don’t share the link or forward the email that contains it.

Are there costs besides the companion?

Certified mail with a return receipt for the letter, usually about $10.

If you later decide to file in small claims, the court charges a filing fee and there may be a cost to serve the landlord. Those vary by state and court, and they’re paid to them, not to us.

Do I pay court fees if the demand works?

No. No filing means no filing fee.

Is there a refund?

Yes, if we can’t help. If the Demand Letter Companion finds your case is outside what it handles and stops, you can request a full refund of the $19.99. For example, the deposit may be above your state’s small-claims limit, or the time to bring a claim may have run out.

Email help@landlordkeptmydeposit.com from the address you used at checkout.

Read the Refund Policy →

Are mailing costs or court fees refunded?

No. The refund covers the $19.99 product price. Mailing and court costs are paid to others.

Does it work in every state?

It has deposit rules built in for all 50 states and DC, for residential deposits that can be handled in small claims court.

Some cities and counties add their own tenant rules. Those local rules aren’t included, so if your city has its own tenant ordinance, check it too.

What if my lease has roommates or an arbitration clause?

The companion asks about co-tenants and checks the rules for how roommates can pursue a shared deposit. If your lease has an arbitration or mediation clause, it checks how that affects your options before you go further.

What if my case is weak?

Then it may not be worth pursuing. Not every withheld deposit is wrongful. The free assessment gives you a preliminary read before you buy, and an honest “this may not be worth it” is a useful answer.

What do I need before I start?

You don’t need a perfect file. Helpful records include:

• Your lease (PDF, Word, or photos of each page)
• The landlord’s list of deductions, if you got one
• Your move-out date and the date you returned the keys
• Proof of what you paid and what came back
• Move-out photos, texts, or emails, if you have them

See the full checklist →