6370EN | July 2023
Getting Your Deposit Back
6370EN | July 2023


Part 1. Introduction ............................................................................................ 3
Should I use this? ............................................................................................... 3
Who should not use this? ................................................................................... 3
Part 2. Protect your deposit before you move in ............................................ 3
When can the landlord make me pay a deposit?................................................ 3
Do I have to pay the deposit all at once? ........................................................... 3
What else can I do before I actually pay my deposit to protect my deposit? ...... 4
What can I do to protect my deposit before I move in? ...................................... 4
Part 3. Protecting your deposit while living in the rental ............................... 5
My lease is about to end. What if the landlord wants a bigger deposit to let me
stay? ................................................................................................................... 5
I am moving out soon. What can I do to try to make sure I get my deposit back?
........................................................................................................................... 5
Part 4. The law about deposits and damage ................................................... 6
What types of damage can my landlord charge me for? .................................... 6
What sorts of damage can the landlord not charge me for? ............................... 7
When does my landlord have to tell me about damages or return my deposit? . 8
What if my landlord doesn’t return my deposit or mail an itemized statement
within 30 days after I moved out? ....................................................................... 8
Are there different types of deposits? ................................................................. 9
My landlord went through foreclosure. Can I get my deposits back? ............... 10
Part 5. After you’ve moved out: special situations ....................................... 11
Introduction....................................................................................................... 11
What if I move out and do not hear from my landlord at all after 30 days? ....... 11
What if my landlord sends a letter within 30 days saying they are keeping some
or all of my deposit, or that I owe them money? ............................................... 11
What if my landlord ignores my letter? ............................................................. 12
6370EN | July 2023

What if I get a letter from a collection agency saying I owe my former landlord
money? ............................................................................................................ 12
I get rental assistance from the Housing Authority. They now say they will no
longer help me because a former landlord says I owe money. What should I
do? ................................................................................................................... 13
What if I get court paperwork saying I am being sued? .................................... 13
My former landlord sued me over damages and won. I have a Section 8
voucher and will have a hard time paying the landlord what I owe. Can I get
help? ................................................................................................................ 14
My former landlord says I owe money. No lawsuit has been filed. What if
potential landlords turn down my rental application because of this? ............... 14
What if I want to sue my former landlord to get my deposit back? ................... 14
Part 6. Get Legal Help ..................................................................................... 15





6370EN | July 2023

Part 1. Introduction
Should I use this?

❖ You can nd all the Do It Yourself resources we link to here at
WashingtonLawHelp.org.
Who should not use this?

• 
• 
• 
• 
Part 2. Protect your deposit before you move in
When can the landlord make me pay a deposit?




Do I have to pay the deposit all at once?






6370EN | July 2023

What else can I do before I actually pay my deposit to protect my
deposit?

❑ 

❑ 


❑ 


❑ 

What can I do to protect my deposit before I move in?













❑ 




6370EN | July 2023



❑ 




Part 3. Protecting your deposit while living in the
rental


❑ 
❑ 







My lease is about to end. What if the landlord wants a bigger
deposit to let me stay?



I am moving out soon. What can I do to try to make sure I get my
deposit back?




6370EN | July 2023

❖ See sample leer #1 at the end of this packet.

























Part 4. The law about deposits and damage



What types of damage can my landlord charge me for?

6370EN | July 2023


• 

• 


• 

• 
• 

What sorts of damage can the landlord not charge me for?

• 


• 






• 








6370EN | July 2023



Guide to Damages and Normal Wear from Ordinary Use
• 


When does my landlord have to tell me about damages or return
my deposit?


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


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
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






What if my landlord doesn’t return my deposit or mail an
itemized statement within 30 days after I moved out?







6370EN | July 2023















Are there different types of deposits?

• 


• 



• 




• 


• 

6370EN | July 2023





• 


• 






❖ If the lease does not say if money you paid as a deposit or fee is
nonrefundable, it is a refundable deposit.
My landlord went through foreclosure. Can I get my deposits
back?







6370EN | July 2023

Part 5. After you’ve moved out: special
situations
Introduction







What if I move out and do not hear from my landlord at all after
30 days?







❖ You can use sample leer # 2 at the end of this packet.
What if my landlord sends a letter within 30 days saying they are
keeping some or all of my deposit, or that I owe them money?




• 


• 

6370EN | July 2023




• 




• 



• 












❖ You can use sample leer # 3 at the end of this packet.
What if my landlord ignores my letter?




What if I get a letter from a collection agency saying I owe my
6370EN | July 2023

former landlord money?











❖ You can use sample leer # 4 at the end of this packet.
I get rental assistance from the Housing Authority. They now say
they will no longer help me because a former landlord says I
owe money. What should I do?










❖ You can use sample leer # 5 at the end of this packet.
What if I get court paperwork saying I am being sued?


6370EN | July 2023







My former landlord sued me over damages and won. I have a
Section 8 voucher and will have a hard time paying the landlord
what I owe. Can I get help?


My former landlord says I owe money. No lawsuit has been filed.
What if potential landlords turn down my rental application
because of this?





What if I want to sue my former landlord to get my deposit back?



Silver v. Rudeen Mgt. Co., Inc. 







6370EN | July 2023





Part 6. Get Legal Help
• 
• 
• 
• 


• 



• 




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Sample Letter #1 – Use this to tell your landlord that you plan to move at the end of your rental
period.
Re: Notice of Intent to Move Out; Certified Mail #
To :
My rental period will expire on (date) . I will move out of my rental located at (address
of rental) at the end of that
rental period. I am giving you this notice at least 20 days before my move-out date.
Please contact me at (phone number or email address) to schedule a
time for a move-out inspection. Please send my deposit to the following address:
.
Sincerely,
(Date)
(Landlord’s Name)
(Landlord’s Street address)
(City, state and zip)
(Signature)
(Print name)
(Phone number / Email - optional)
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Sample Letter #2 – Use this letter if you have not heard from your former landlord after 30 days
of when you moved out.
Re: Request for Return of Deposit; Certified Mail #
To :
I moved out of my rental located at (address of rental)
on (date) . When I moved in, I paid a (type of deposit)
of (amount of deposit) $ . It has been more than 30 days since I
moved out. I have not received my deposit back from you. I have not received any statement from you.
The Washington State Residential Landlord Tenant Act says that if you do not send the statement
within 30 days, I am entitled to a complete refund of my deposit. If you intentionally failed to return my
deposit or send me the statement, I can ask a court for double the amount of my deposit. RCW
59.18.280(2). If I do not receive my full deposit within one week, I may file a lawsuit to recover my
deposit. If this becomes necessary and I win, you may have to pay the costs of the lawsuit and
attorney's fees. You can send my full deposit to (address): .
Thank you for your cooperation.
(Date)
(Landlord’s Name)
(Landlord’s Street address)
(City, state and zip)
(Signature)
(Print name)
(Phone number / Email - optional)
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Sample Letter #3 – Use this to dispute that your security deposit is being kept or that you your
former landlord money.
Re: Alleged Damages/Charges; Certified Mail #
To :
I received your letter dated __ stating I owe $ in damages or other
charges.
I dispute these damages. The Residential Landlord-Tenant Act states that tenants are not liable for
certain things, such as normal wear from ordinary use, damage(s) caused by third parties, damage(s)
that existed when I moved in, or unreasonable charges.
(Check all that apply, give an explanation, and attach evidence)
I am not responsible for the following alleged “damages” because there was no damage; there
was only normal wear from ordinary use:
I am not responsible for the following alleged “damages” because they were not caused by me,
a roommate, my immediate family, or my guests:
(Date)
(Landlord’s Name)
(Landlord’s Street address)
(City, state and zip)
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I am not responsible for the following alleged “damages” because these were the conditions
when I moved in so no damage was done:
I am not responsible for the following charges because they are not reasonable:
I cannot be charged for any alleged damage because you did not do a written checklist of
conditions when I first moved in that described the condition of the rental. The law requires you
to do this. Since you did not, you cannot charge me for any alleged damages.
You did not provide a “full and specific statement” of alleged damages and documentation of
repair costs within 30 days of when I moved out. The law requires you to do this. Since you did
not, you cannot charge me for any alleged damages.
I agree that I am responsible for the following charges:
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Please send me $_____________ immediately at this address:
_____________________________________________________. Please also send me a copy of all
proof you have of (1) all alleged damages and charges; (2) the amounts you actually paid to have
repairs made.
Thank you for your cooperation.
(Signature)
(Print name)
(Phone number / Email - optional)
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Sample Letter #4 – Use this to respond to a collection agency.
Re: Account # ; Certified Mail #
To Whom It May Concern:
I write to request that you stop communications to me about my account. Under the Fair Debt
Collection Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. §1692 et seq., you must honor my request. Under the Fair Debt
Collection Practices Act, once I have asked you to stop contacting me, you may only communicate with
me to (1) advise that you are ending your efforts, (2) notify me that you may invoke specified remedies
that you normally invoke or (3) where applicable, to notify me that you intend to invoke a specified
remedy.
Please provide me with:
• Verification of any debt relating to my account;
• Name and address of original creditor and current creditor;
• Confirmation that you will treat any such debt and the accuracy of the items in the files relating to
me as disputed; and
• Forms and assistance I can use to dispute the accuracy of such items.
Until advised otherwise, you should assume I am disputing this debt.
Thank you for your cooperation.
(Date)
(Collection Agency Name)
(Collection Agency Street address)
(City, state and zip)
(Signature)
(Print name)
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Sample Letter #5 – Use this to respond to a Housing Authority’s decision to stop your housing
assistance.
RE: Request for Grievance Hearing
To Whom It May Concern:
I received your notice dated saying you will no longer provide me housing
assistance because my former landlord says I owe money. I dispute that I owe any money to my former
landlord.
Further, I do not agree that my housing assistance should stop. I am requesting a grievance hearing
within 10 days of receiving your notice. Please notify me of the date, time, and place for the
grievance hearing. I would like an opportunity to review my file at your office before the grievance
hearing.
Sincerely,
(Date)
(Housing Authority Name)
(Street address)
(City, state and zip)
(Signature)
(Print name)
(Mailing Address)
(Phone number / Email - optional)

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

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
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Last revised June 6, 2011 Page 1 of 1
Guide to Damages and Normal Wear from Ordinary Use
Normal wear from ordinary use can be confusing for many. Normal wear is essenally the deterioraon of an item that
occurs under normal condions.
Damage occurs from accidents or unreasonable use. Even intenonal alteraons to the premises can be considered
damage.
Rented premises should be returned to a Landlord in the same condion it was given to the Tenant minus normal wear
from ordinary use.
NOTE: Damages caused by things beyond tenant’s control (such as building res, break-ins or natural disasters) may or may
not be tenant’s responsibility. This list is not intended to determine fault, but just to disnguish between normal wear and
more extensive damage.
Examples:
Normal wear from ordinary use
Damages
Worn or loose hinges on doors or locks.
Doors with holes. Windows or doors broken. Damage to
door or doorframe from forced entry.
A few small tack or nail holes, minor marks on or nicks in
wall.
Large or substanal holes or dents in wall.
Scued up wood oors.
Badly scratched or gouged wood oors.
Loose or inoperable faucet or door handles.
Broken or missing faucet or door handles.
Toilet runs or wobbles.
Broken toilet seat or tank top.
Faded, cracked or chipped paint.
Crayon marks, wring on walls, unapproved paint color or
excessive dirt requiring more than one coat to cover.
Loose wallpaper.
Ripped, torn or marked up wallpaper.
Carpeng/curtains showing average wear or fading by sun.
Torn, stained or burned carpeng/curtains.
A rug worn thin by ordinary use.
Stains and odors in rug caused by pets, spills or leaks.
Vinyl ooring worn thin.
Vinyl ooring with tears, holes or burn marks.
Stains on old porcelain xtures that have lost their
protecve coang.
Grime-coated bathtub and toilet.
Bathroom mirror beginning to “desilver”.
Mirrors broken, missing or caked with grime.
Worn gaskets on refrigerator.
Broken refrigerator shelves, trays, bins or bars.
Worn countertop.
Burns or cuts in countertop.
Cabinet doors that will not close.
Greasy, scky or broken cabinets and interiors.
Closet door o track.
Damaged or missing closet door.
Dusty blinds.
Missing, broken or bent slats on blinds.
Broken windows or torn or missing screens.
Food odors or smoke, that dissipate over a few hours.
Smoke damage to paint from smoking or burning candles.
Lost keys.
Aer determining if an item requires replacement due to Tenant’s abuse or neglect (not normal wear from ordinary use), to
calculate Tenant’s responsibility, a Landlord must know: (a) actual cost to replace the item, (b) how long an item would be
expected to be useful before it wears out (its “useful life”), (c) current age of the item, and (d) its remaining useful life.
Landlord may only charge Tenant for the remaining useful life of the item.
Example:
Cost of new dishwasher: $400 Remaining useful life: 6 years (10 yrs less 4 yrs)
Useful life of dishwasher: 10 years Tenant Responsibility: $400 x .60 = $240
Age of dishwasher at the end of tenancy: 4 years