Ohio Tenants
A professional demand letter citing Ohio's security deposit statute (Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16), the 30-day return deadline, and the double-damages penalty for wrongful withholding. Ready in minutes.
Deadline
30 days
to return your deposit after move-out
Penalty
2× damages
plus fees, if a forwarding address was given
Statute
§ 5321.16
Ohio Revised Code
Under Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16, your landlord has 30 days after your tenancy ends and you hand back possession to return your security deposit or provide a written, itemized list of deductions.
If the landlord wrongfully withholds any part of your deposit, you may recover:
So a $1,500 deposit wrongfully withheld can support a court judgment of $3,000 plus fees. Most landlords settle quickly once they realize you know the law.
Important: In Ohio, you must give your landlord a written forwarding address to preserve your right to the double damages and attorney fees — without it, you still get the deposit back but not the extra damages. Your demand letter includes your address in writing, which protects that right. Ohio sets no deposit cap.
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 Ohio's deadlines under § 5321.16.
[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 § 5321.16, 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 Ohio 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.
A landlord who fails to comply is liable for the money due plus damages equal to the amount wrongfully withheld (effectively 2×) plus reasonable attorney fees under § 5321.16(C) — but those damages and fees require the tenant to have given a written forwarding address.
Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16. We verify these against the statute text itself; the date we last checked is shown on this page.
Sources & verification
The Ohio 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 Ohio statutes that apply to your situation.
Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16 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 Ohio landlords return the deposit within days of receiving a properly drafted demand letter.
Generate my letter — $39