Minnesota Tenants
A professional demand letter citing Minnesota's security deposit statute (Minn. Stat. § 504B.178), the 21-day return deadline, and the double-damages-plus-$500 penalty for bad-faith withholding. Ready in minutes.
Deadline
21 days
to return your deposit after move-out
Penalty
2× + $500
double damages plus a bad-faith penalty
Statute
§ 504B.178
Minnesota Statutes
Under Minn. Stat. § 504B.178, your landlord has 21 days after your tenancy ends and you provide a forwarding address to return your security deposit, with interest, or provide a written statement explaining any amount kept.
If the landlord withholds your deposit in bad faith, you may recover:
So a $1,500 deposit wrongfully withheld can support a court judgment of $3,500 — $3,000 in double damages plus the $500 penalty. Most landlords settle quickly once they realize you know the law.
Good to know: Minnesota deposits earn 1% simple interest per year. There is no statewide deposit cap, though some cities (such as Minneapolis) impose local caps.
Every letter follows the structure courts expect — your facts, the statute, a specific demand, and a deadline. Here's the skeleton; the generator fills the brackets from your answers and computes Minnesota's deadlines under § 504B.178.
[Date]
[Your name]
[Your forwarding address]
[Landlord's name and address]
RE: Security Deposit — Formal Demand for Return of $[Amount]
I am the former tenant of [rental property address]. You accepted a security deposit of $[Amount], and my tenancy ended on [move-out date]. My forwarding address for return of the deposit is stated above, which I am providing to you in writing.
Under § 504B.178, you were required to [return the deposit or provide an itemized statement] within [the statutory period]. That period has passed, and you have done neither. [The specific consequence Minnesota law attaches, cited by section.]
I demand return of $[Amount] no later than [deadline]. If I do not receive it, I am prepared to pursue all remedies available under [statute], including filing suit in the appropriate court.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
21 days after you move out.
Noncompliance makes the landlord liable for the withheld amount plus an equal amount as a penalty (effectively double), and bad-faith retention adds punitive damages of up to $500 per deposit under § 504B.178(4), (7).
Minn. Stat. § 504B.178. We verify these against the statute text itself; the date we last checked is shown on this page.
Sources & verification
The Minnesota rules on this page were verified against the statute text itself:
Last verified against primary sources on .
How we verify this →Laws change. If you spot something out of date, tell us at support@gettenantshield.com and we'll correct it.
Properly formatted, addressed to your landlord by name, citing the exact Minnesota statutes that apply to your situation.
Minn. Stat. § 504B.178 and any others triggered by your circumstances — not generic legalese.
The letter computes the exact dollar amount you're entitled to demand based on your deposit and the deductions at issue.
Download instantly, print, sign, and send via USPS Certified Mail with Return Receipt.
Most Minnesota landlords return the deposit within days of receiving a properly drafted demand letter.
Generate my letter — $39