AI Dispute Engine

Security Deposit Protection · Florida

Did your Florida landlord your landlord simply kept your entire deposit without providing any explanation, accounting, or itemized deductions?

Generate a formal statutory demand to claim your full refund and potential penalty damages.

Property managers cannot treat your deposit as a personal slush fund. In Florida, landlords face strict statutory deadlines and limits on how much they can withhold. If your landlord has your landlord simply kept your entire deposit without providing any explanation, accounting, or itemized deductions, they may have forfeited their right to keep any of your money. Use our informational utility to generate a professional Security Deposit Demand that formally documents their violation and demands immediate payment.

Your tenant rights: Florida security deposit law

Landlords often assume former tenants do not know their rights under the civil code. Here is the exact statutory reference you can use to hold them accountable in Florida.

Governing statute — Florida

Florida Statute § 83.49

Florida Statute § 83.49 requires landlords to return the deposit or provide written notice of intended deductions within 15 days (non-itemized) or 30 days (itemized) depending on the lease terms. If no notice is given, the landlord forfeits the right to make deductions.

Statutory leverage

recovery of the deposit, statutory damages, and court costs and attorney's fees; the landlord may forfeit the right to claim any deductions

Why this withholding is illegal

Withholding a deposit without any written explanation is among the clearest violations of landlord-tenant law. Every jurisdiction with a security deposit statute requires at minimum a written accounting. Silence is not a defense; it is presumptive bad faith.

Statutory deadline

15–30 days depending on lease terms

Evidence to lock in your claim

Document every attempt to contact the landlord for an explanation, save any response (or lack thereof), preserve your lease and deposit receipt, and note how many days have passed since move-out without any written communication regarding deductions.

Crucial tactic: Sending a structured, formal written demand that explicitly cites Fla. Stat. § 83.49 signals to the landlord that you understand the law. Property managers will often immediately issue a check to avoid defending a bad-faith claim in small claims court.

How to claim your deposit today

STEP 1
Detail the violation
Tell our system the exact date you moved out, the total amount of your original deposit, and how your Florida landlord violated Fla. Stat. § 83.49.
STEP 2
Generate the formal claim
Our software formats your facts into a professional notice, citing the specific sections of Fla. Stat. § 83.49 that govern the 15–30 days depending on lease terms rule and bad faith penalties.
STEP 3
Deploy the notice
Download your formal PDF notice. Send it directly to your former landlord or property management company via certified mail to establish your official timeline and assert your consumer rights.
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Housing

Security Deposit Demand

Question 1 of 813%

The person, company, or agency this letter is addressed to.

Most states allow 2–3x deposit as statutory damages

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June 1, 2026

[recipient name]
[recipient address]

Re: Demand for Return of Security Deposit

Dear [recipient name]:

I vacated the premises on [move out date] and you have failed to return my security deposit of $[deposit amount] within the statutory timeframe.

Facts:
[facts]

Requested resolution:
[desired outcome]

If the full amount is not returned within fourteen (14) days of this letter, I will file a small-claims action seeking the deposit, statutory damages, and attorneys' fees as permitted under applicable state landlord-tenant law.

Sincerely,

[user full name]
[user address]
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