Sample letter · Ohio

An Ohio security deposit demand letter, when the landlord charged for normal wear and tear

This is the full letter the Demand Letter Companion wrote for a fictional Columbus tenant. After three years, the landlord kept $975 of a $1,100 deposit for a full repaint and carpet cleaning. Its list came on time, so the letter disputes the charges themselves, not a deadline. Names and addresses are blurred, as they would be on a real letter.

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Ohio's deposit rules at a glance

The rules this letter is built on, checked against the statute on October 30, 2026. General information, not legal advice.

Deadline: 30 days after the lease ends and the tenant returns possession to return the deposit, or deliver a written, itemized notice of deductions with the balance.Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16(B)
What can be deducted: Past-due rent, and damages from the tenant’s failure to meet the tenant’s duties under § 5321.05 or the lease.Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16(B)
Normal wear and tear: The statute doesn’t use the phrase. Ohio courts hold that a tenant isn’t liable for ordinary wear and tear, and the landlord has to connect the damage to the tenant.Warner v. Evans, 2015-Ohio-2022, ¶ 8 (9th Dist.)
Forwarding address: The tenant gives the landlord a forwarding address in writing. Without one, the tenant can’t recover the extra damages or attorney’s fees.Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16(B)-(C)
Penalty: The money wrongfully withheld, plus an equal amount in damages, plus reasonable attorney’s fees. A court decides what was wrongfully withheld.Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16(C)
Interest: 5% a year on the part of a deposit above $50 or one month’s rent, whichever is greater, if the tenant stays six months or more.Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16(A)
Small claims: Claims up to $6,000.Ohio Rev. Code § 1925.02

Sample Fictional case · names and addresses blurred

October 30, 2026

Jamal [redacted]
[redacted]
Columbus, Ohio 43211

[redacted] Rentals LLC
[redacted]
Columbus, OH 43235

Re: Demand for return of security deposit — [redacted], Columbus, Ohio 43211

Dear [redacted] Rentals LLC:

I am writing to dispute $975.00 of the deductions shown in the itemized statement I received on August 20, 2026.

I rented the property identified above from August 1, 2023, through July 31, 2026, and paid a $1,100.00 security deposit. I moved out and returned possession on July 31, 2026. I gave you my forwarding address in writing on July 31, 2026 (Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16(B)).¹ I received a $125.00 refund and the itemized statement on August 20, 2026.²

I am not responsible for ordinary wear from normal use³, and any claimed damage must be supported by evidence connecting it to me (Warner v. Evans, 2015-Ohio-2022, ¶¶ 8–12).

I dispute the full $650.00 charged for interior repainting. I lived there for three years.⁴ The paint was faded and lightly scuffed, with no damage. These conditions reflected ordinary use, not damage I caused.

I dispute the full $325.00 charged for carpet cleaning. I vacuumed the carpets, and they were clean when I moved out. My lease does not require professional carpet cleaning. I have photographs of the entire unit supporting my account of its condition.

If a court finds that these deductions were unlawful and the money was wrongfully withheld, I may recover the amount wrongfully withheld plus an equal amount in damages and reasonable attorney's fees under Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16(C). If the court finds the full $975.00 was wrongfully withheld, my potential statutory recovery is $975.00 × 2 = $1,950.00 total, plus reasonable attorney's fees⁵.

To settle this matter without litigation, I request payment of $975.00 by November 13, 2026⁶. This settlement demand is lower than my potential $1,950.00 recovery in court, plus reasonable attorney's fees.

I would prefer to resolve this matter without litigation. If I do not receive payment by November 13, 2026, I will file a complaint in small claims court without further notice.

Please mail payment by check or money order to my address above.

Sincerely,

____________________________
Jamal [redacted]

What to notice

1
The forwarding address, as a factIn Ohio, the extra damages and attorney’s fees depend on a written forwarding address. He wrote it on the move-out form, and the letter says so plainly, with the date.
2
No deadline it can’t back upThe list came 20 days after move-out, inside Ohio’s 30 days. So the letter doesn’t claim anything was late.
3
Wear and tear, backed by an Ohio courtOhio’s statute doesn’t use the words “wear and tear.” The letter cites an Ohio appeals decision that says a tenant isn’t liable for it, and that the landlord has to tie any damage to the tenant.
4
Time countsPaint fades and scuffs over three years of normal living. The letter puts the length of the tenancy right next to the charge.
5
Honest about penaltiesTwice the amount, plus attorney’s fees, only if a court finds the money was wrongfully withheld. The letter says so.
6
A clear amount and a dateThe $975 actually disputed, a two-week deadline, and what happens next if it passes.

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 →FloridaClaim sent by email, not certified mail; the whole $900 is owed.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 →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.