New Hampshire Tenants
A professional demand letter citing New Hampshire's security deposit law (RSA 540-A:7), the 30-day return deadline, and the mandatory double-damages penalty for wrongful retention. Ready in minutes.
Deadline
30 days
to return your deposit after move-out
Penalty
2× damages
mandatory, for wrongful retention under RSA 540-A:8
Statute
RSA 540-A:7
New Hampshire Revised Statutes
Under RSA 540-A:7, your landlord has 30 days after your tenancy ends to return your security deposit, with interest, along with a written, itemized statement of any deductions.
If the landlord wrongfully retains any part of your deposit, you may recover under RSA 540-A:8:
So a $1,500 deposit wrongfully withheld can support a court judgment of $3,000. Most landlords settle quickly once they realize you know the law.
Who this covers: Most residential tenancies in New Hampshire.
If it doesn't apply: The rules do NOT apply to (1) a single-family rental where the landlord owns no other rental property, or (2) an owner-occupied building of five or fewer units — EXCEPT that any unit occupied by a tenant age 60 or older keeps full protection. Your letter reflects whichever applies to your situation.
Scope exemptions: These rules do not apply to a single-family rental where the landlord owns no other rental property, or to an owner-occupied building of five or fewer units — except that a tenant age 60 or older keeps full protection regardless. Your letter applies the rules that fit your building.
Deposit cap: New Hampshire caps deposits at one month’s rent or $100, whichever is greater (all deposits combined). Interest is owed if the deposit is held one year or longer.
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 New Hampshire's deadlines under RSA 540-A:7.
[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 RSA 540-A:7, 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 New Hampshire 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]
30 days, where the statute applies. Most residential tenancies in New Hampshire. The rules do NOT apply to (1) a single-family rental where the landlord owns no other rental property, or (2) an owner-occupied building of five or fewer units — EXCEPT that any unit occupied by a tenant age 60 or older keeps full protection. Your letter reflects whichever applies to your situation.
A landlord who wrongfully retains any part of the deposit is liable for twice the amount wrongfully withheld, plus any interest due, under RSA 540-A:8 — the doubling is mandatory under the statute’s text, not discretionary.
N.H. RSA 540-A:7 and N.H. RSA 540-A:8. We verify these against the statute text itself; the date we last checked is shown on this page.
Sources & verification
The New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire statutes that apply to your situation.
RSA 540-A:7, RSA 540-A:8, 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 New Hampshire landlords return the deposit within days of receiving a properly drafted demand letter.
Generate my letter — $39