New Jersey Tenants
A professional demand letter citing New Jersey's security deposit statute (N.J.S.A. § 46:8-21.1), the 30-day return deadline, and the mandatory double-damages penalty. Ready in minutes.
Deadline
30 days
to return your deposit after move-out
Penalty
2× damages
mandatory, for wrongful withholding
Statute
§ 46:8-21.1
New Jersey Statutes Annotated
Under N.J.S.A. § 46:8-21.1, 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 withholds any part of your deposit, the court must award you:
So a $1,500 deposit wrongfully withheld can support a court judgment of $3,000. New Jersey's double-damages award is mandatory, not discretionary — most landlords settle quickly once they realize that.
Good to know: New Jersey caps security deposits at one and one-half months’ rent (any annual increase capped at 10% of the current deposit) and requires the deposit to be held in an interest-bearing account, with interest paid or credited to you annually.
Faster deadlines: The deadline shortens to 5 days for displacement by fire, flood, condemnation, or evacuation, and to 15 business days following a domestic-violence lease termination.
Owner-occupied buildings with 2 or fewer rental units: Under § 46:8-26, the Security Deposit Act does not apply to an owner-occupied building with two or fewer rental units — unless the tenant sends the landlord a written notice invoking the Act, which takes effect 30 days later. If that describes your building, your letter can serve as that notice, and your immediate demand rests on your lease and contract rights.
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 Jersey's deadlines under § 46:8-21.1.
[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 § 46:8-21.1, 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 Jersey 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 after you move out.
Wrongful withholding requires the court to award ("shall") double the amount wrongfully withheld under § 46:8-21.1; a special $500–$2,000 penalty applies where the deposit came from a government agency.
N.J.S.A. § 46:8-21.1. We verify these against the statute text itself; the date we last checked is shown on this page.
Sources & verification
The New Jersey 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 Jersey statutes that apply to your situation.
N.J.S.A. § 46:8-21.1 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 Jersey landlords return the deposit within days of receiving a properly drafted demand letter.
Generate my letter — $39