New Mexico Tenants
A professional demand letter citing New Mexico's security deposit statute (NMSA § 47-8-18), the 30-day return deadline, and the forfeiture-plus-$250-penalty remedy. Ready in minutes.
Deadline
30 days
to return your deposit after move-out
Penalty
Forfeiture + $250
plus fees; no multiplier
Statute
§ 47-8-18
New Mexico Statutes Annotated
Under NMSA § 47-8-18, your landlord has 30 days after your tenancy ends to return your security deposit or provide a written, itemized statement of any deductions.
New Mexico does not use a 2× or 3× multiplier. A landlord who fails to provide the itemized refund within 30 days:
So a $1,500 deposit wrongfully withheld can support a judgment for the full deposit, plus a $250 penalty and your fees. Most landlords settle quickly once they realize you know the law.
Good to know: If your deposit was more than one month’s rent, New Mexico requires the landlord to pay you interest on it annually. For leases under one year the deposit is capped at one month’s rent.
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 Mexico's deadlines under § 47-8-18.
[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 § 47-8-18, 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 Mexico 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.
Failure to provide the itemized statement and balance within 30 days forfeits the landlord’s right to withhold any portion of the deposit (and to assert related counterclaims) under § 47-8-18(D), and bad-faith retention adds a $250 civil penalty plus attorney fees and costs. New Mexico uses no damages multiplier.
NMSA § 47-8-18. We verify these against the statute text itself; the date we last checked is shown on this page.
Sources & verification
The New Mexico 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 Mexico statutes that apply to your situation.
NMSA § 47-8-18 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 Mexico landlords return the deposit within days of receiving a properly drafted demand letter.
Generate my letter — $39