docmydispute · housing
They kept your deposit. Ask for it properly.
The lease, the move-out photos, the condition report, every unanswered text — dated and kept together. Then the written demand, and the regulator above them if it goes quiet.
A tool of record — not legal advice.
Is this you?
Is this happening to you?
The keys went back, the deposit didn’t. If any of this sounds familiar:
- Deductions with no itemized list and no receipts
- Charges for damage that was in the condition report when you moved in
- Calls and texts that stop being answered once you ask for money back
- Photos of the property spread across your phone, undated
- No idea whether to write again, or to go to small claims
A deposit dispute is won with dates and documents — the lease, the condition report, the photos, the demand you sent. That is the thing this app builds.
How it works
Three steps.
Keep the record
Log every message, call, and inspection with the landlord or agent, the moment it happens.
Write the demand
The assistant drafts a written demand from your record, with a clear deadline. You review and approve it before it goes.
Escalate, with proof
No response? Take a complete, dated case file to your State AG, HUD, or small claims — the whole history, in order.
What to gather
For a withheld deposit, these are the documents people usually need. A guide, not a requirement — add whatever you have.
- Photos of damage/condition
- Lease or rental agreement
- Bond receipt
- Condition report
- Correspondence with landlord/agent
- Receipts for repairs
When you hand it over
One file. The whole story, in order.
Whether it goes to the landlord, a state consumer-protection office, or a small-claims clerk, they all want the same thing: what happened, on what date, with the documents attached. Not a folder of screenshots.
A dated record of every exchange
Each call, text, and email — attributed to the side that sent it.
The demand you sent, as you sent it
Drafted from your record, reviewed by you, kept with the rest.
The evidence, indexed and attached
The lease, the condition report, the photos — numbered and referenced.
It never invents events. The words are yours to approve.
Questions
Getting a security deposit back
- How long does a landlord have to return my security deposit?
- It is set by state law, and in some places by city ordinance — the window commonly runs from a couple of weeks to a month or more after you move out. Check the rule for the state the property is in, and note the exact date you handed back the keys.
- What can a landlord legally deduct from a deposit?
- That is defined by your state and your lease. Generally, unpaid rent and damage beyond ordinary wear and tear are deductible, and routine cleaning often is not. Ask for an itemized list with receipts in writing, and keep the reply.
- What should I keep if my deposit is withheld?
- The lease or rental agreement, the deposit receipt, the move-in and move-out condition reports, dated photos of every room, and all correspondence with the landlord or agent — including the messages they did not answer.
- When would I contact HUD or my State Attorney General?
- After you have made a written request to the landlord and been refused or ignored. State consumer-protection offices and HUD handle housing and tenant complaints, and reviews commonly take 30 to 90 days. Many deposit cases are also resolved in small claims court.
- What does docmydispute actually do?
- It keeps a dated record of every exchange with the landlord, drafts the demand letter from that record for you to review before sending, and compiles a complete case file you can hand to a regulator, a small-claims clerk, or a lawyer. It is a tool of record — it does not give legal advice.
Other situations
Dealing with more than one thing?
docmydispute works the same way for any dispute where someone has more power than you. A few others: