Sample letter · Pennsylvania

A Pennsylvania security deposit demand letter, when the list of damages came late

This is the full letter the Demand Letter Companion wrote for a fictional Pittsburgh tenant. She emailed her new address the day she moved out. The landlord’s list of damages came eight days after Pennsylvania’s 30-day deadline, keeping $1,250 of a $1,600 deposit. Names and addresses are blurred, as they would be on a real letter.

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Pennsylvania'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, or after the landlord accepts the tenant’s surrender of the unit if that comes first, to send a written list of damages and pay back the rest of the deposit.68 P.S. § 250.512(a)
Missing the list: A landlord who doesn’t send the list within 30 days forfeits all rights to keep any part of the deposit, and the right to sue the tenant for damage.68 P.S. § 250.512(b)
Burden of proof: The landlord has to prove the actual damage the tenant caused.68 P.S. § 250.512(c)
Penalty: A landlord who doesn’t pay back the difference within 30 days owes double the amount by which the deposit exceeds the actual damages a court finds.68 P.S. § 250.512(c)
Forwarding address: The tenant must give the landlord a new address in writing when the lease ends. Without it, the landlord is relieved of the forfeiture and double-damages rules.68 P.S. § 250.512(e)
Deposit limit: Two months’ rent during the first year of a lease; one month’s rent from the second year on.68 P.S. § 250.511a
Small claims: Magisterial district judges hear claims up to $12,000. In Philadelphia, cases go to Municipal Court.42 Pa.C.S. § 1515(a)(3)

Sample Fictional case · names and addresses blurred

October 30, 2026

Rachel [redacted]
[redacted]
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15237

[redacted] Properties LLC
[redacted]
Pittsburgh, PA 15237

Re: Demand for return of security deposit — [redacted], Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15237

Dear [redacted] Properties LLC:

I am writing to demand return of $1,250.00 of my security deposit.

I rented the property identified above from September 1, 2025 through August 31, 2026, and paid a $1,600.00 security deposit. I moved out and returned possession on August 31, 2026. I gave you my forwarding address in writing on August 31, 2026 (68 P.S. § 250.512(e)).¹ I received a $350.00 refund and your itemized statement on October 8, 2026.

Under 68 P.S. § 250.512(a), you had 30 days from August 31, 2026—until September 30, 2026²—to return my security deposit or send an itemized list of deductions. You did neither by that deadline. Your October 8, 2026 refund and itemization were eight days late. Under 68 P.S. § 250.512(b), you therefore forfeited all rights to withhold any part of my deposit and to sue me for damage³. My right to return of the remaining deposit does not depend on resolving the individual deductions.

Even apart from that, the deductions themselves were improper. Deductions for damage must reflect actual damage I caused under 68 P.S. § 250.512(a), and you have the burden of proving that damage⁴ under 68 P.S. § 250.512(c).

I dispute the entire $350.00 carpet-cleaning charge. I cleaned the carpet well, and it had only light wear and tear.

I dispute the entire $500.00 painting charge. After one year, the walls had only small nail holes from pictures, which do not justify this charge.

I dispute the entire $400.00 trash-removal charge. I left no trash behind. I have photographs showing the apartment’s condition at move-out.

Under 68 P.S. § 250.512(c), failure to return the difference between the deposit and actual damages within 30 days requires payment of twice the unpaid balance. I satisfied the written-forwarding-address requirement. If the court finds that the disputed charges were not allowable actual damages, the calculation is $1,250.00 × 2 = $2,500.00 total⁵. This is my potential recovery in court, not what I am asking for now.

To resolve this matter now, I am willing to accept $1,250.00 if received by November 13, 2026⁶. If this matter is not resolved, I will seek the larger statutory recovery and other relief the law allows. 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.

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

Sincerely,

____________________________
Rachel [redacted]

What to notice

1
The forwarding address, as a factIn Pennsylvania, the forfeiture and double damages apply only if the tenant gave a new address in writing when the lease ended. The app asked when she did, and the letter states it with the date.
2
The deadline math, done for youThe lease ended August 31, plus 30 days, is September 30. The list came October 8.
3
What the late list costs the landlordMissing the 30 days means the landlord can’t keep any of the deposit, or sue for damage. So the letter asks for the full $1,250, whoever is right about the charges.
4
Who has to prove whatPennsylvania puts the burden on the landlord to prove the damage. The letter says so, as a backup to the forfeiture.
5
Honest about penaltiesDouble the amount kept is what a court could award. The letter shows the math and keeps it separate from what it asks for now.
6
A clear amount and a dateThe $1,250 actually kept, 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 →OhioRepaint and carpet cleaning after three years; $975 disputed as normal wear.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.