Sample letter · Florida

A Florida security deposit demand letter, when the landlord’s claim didn’t come by certified mail

This is the full letter the Demand Letter Companion wrote for a fictional Tampa tenant. The landlord kept $900 of an $1,800 deposit for pet odor treatment and blinds, and sent its claim by email. Florida requires certified mail. Names and addresses are blurred, as they would be on a real letter.

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Florida's deposit rules at a glance

The rules this letter is built on, checked against the statute on October 25, 2026. General information, not legal advice.

No claim: A landlord who isn’t claiming any of the deposit must return it within 15 days after the tenant moves out.Fla. Stat. § 83.49(3)(a)
Making a claim: To keep any part of it, the landlord must send written notice of the claim, with the amount and the reason, by certified mail within 30 days after the tenant moves out.Fla. Stat. § 83.49(3)(a)
Missing the notice: A landlord who doesn’t send that certified-mail notice within 30 days forfeits the right to impose a claim on the deposit.Fla. Stat. § 83.49(3)(a)
Tenant’s objection: After receiving a proper notice, the tenant has 15 days to object in writing. Without an objection the landlord may deduct the claim, though the tenant can still sue.Fla. Stat. § 83.49(3)(b)
Penalty: No double or triple damages. The winner of a deposit lawsuit can recover court costs and a reasonable attorney’s fee.Fla. Stat. § 83.49(3)(c)
Small claims: Claims of $8,000 or less.Florida county court small-claims guidance

Sample Fictional case · names and addresses blurred

October 29, 2026

Marcus [redacted]
[redacted]
Tampa, FL 33611

Raymond [redacted]
[redacted]
Tampa, FL 33624

Re: Demand for return of security deposit — [redacted], Tampa, FL 33611

Dear Mr. [redacted]:

I am writing to demand return of $900.00 of my security deposit.

I rented [redacted], Tampa, FL 33611, from August 1, 2025, through July 31, 2026, and paid a security deposit of $1,800.00. I moved out and returned possession on July 31, 2026. You returned $900.00 on August 25, 2026. I received your itemized statement of deductions by email on August 18, 2026. I objected to your deductions in writing on August 20, 2026.¹

Under Fla. Stat. § 83.49(3)(a), you had 30 days from July 31, 2026—until August 30, 2026²—to send written notice of your claim against my deposit by certified mail. You sent the itemized deductions by email, not by certified mail as the law requires³. The required notice was never given. Under the forfeiture provision of Fla. Stat. § 83.49(3)(a), you forfeited the right to impose a claim on my deposit⁴ and have no right to keep any part of it. I am therefore entitled to return of the remaining $900.00 regardless of the merits of the deductions.

Even apart from that, I dispute both deductions.⁵ You charged $500.00 for pet odor treatment, and I dispute the full $500.00. I had the carpets professionally cleaned with pet treatment before moving out and have the receipt. I left the home clean and empty.

You also charged $400.00 for replacement blinds, and I dispute the full $400.00. The signed move-in checklist states, "living room blinds bent." The damage was already present when I moved in, and I should not be charged to replace blinds because of that preexisting damage.

To resolve this matter now, I am willing to accept $900.00 if received by November 12, 2026⁶.

I would prefer to resolve this matter without litigation.

If I do not receive payment by November 12, 2026, I will file a complaint in small claims court without further notice.

Payment may be made by check or money order, mailed to my address above.

Sincerely,

____________________________
Marcus [redacted]

What to notice

1
The tenant’s own objection, on recordFlorida gives tenants a short window to object in writing. The app asked about it up front, and the letter states the date he did.
2
The deadline math, done for youMove-out July 31, plus 30 days, is August 30.
3
How it was sent mattersFlorida requires the landlord’s claim to go by certified mail. This one came by email, so the required notice was never given.
4
What that costs the landlordWithout a proper notice, the landlord loses the right to claim any of the deposit. So the letter asks for the full $900, whoever is right about the charges.
5
A backup argumentIt still disputes each charge on the facts, including the move-in checklist note about the bent blinds.
6
A clear amount and a dateJust the $900 and a deadline. Florida has no double or triple damages, so the letter doesn’t claim any.

Your letter will be different

The Companion builds each letter from your lease, your answers, and your state’s rules. So yours won’t look exactly like this one:

Not every landlord misses a deadline. If yours didn’t, the letter won’t claim it.
Penalties vary a lot by state. Some states have none, some double or triple the deposit, and some require bad faith. Your letter uses your state’s rule.
Your disputes come from your facts — what was there at move-in, what you did at move-out, and what you can show.

You read and approve every word before you print, sign, and mail it.

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More sample letters

CaliforniaStatement sent nine days late; $1,400 kept for carpet and painting.Read the letter →IllinoisEstimates sent, receipts never followed; the whole $1,100 is owed.Read the letter →New YorkNo refund and no statement within 14 days; the whole $2,400 is owed.Read the letter →OhioRepaint and carpet cleaning after three years; $975 disputed as normal wear.Read the letter →PennsylvaniaList eight days late, after a written forwarding address; the whole $1,250 is owed.Read the letter →TexasDeduction list three weeks late; bad faith presumed; $1,350 kept.Read the letter →

All sample letters · Deposit laws by state

This sample shows what the Demand Letter Companion produces for one fictional situation. It is not legal advice, and it is not a template to copy for your own case. Laws and outcomes vary by state and by facts.