West Virginia Tenants
A professional demand letter citing West Virginia's security deposit law (W. Va. Code § 37-6A), the return deadline, and the 1.5× penalty for willful noncompliance. Ready in minutes.
Deadline
60 days
to return your deposit after move-out
Penalty
1.5× damages
on top of the deposit due, for willful noncompliance
Statute
§ 37-6A-5
West Virginia Code
Under W. Va. Code § 37-6A, your landlord has 60 days after your tenancy ends (or 45 days if a new tenant moves in sooner) to return your security deposit or provide a written, itemized statement of any deductions.
If the landlord deliberately fails to comply, you may recover:
So a $1,500 deposit wrongfully withheld can support a court judgment of $3,750 — the $1,500 back plus $2,250 in damages. Most landlords settle quickly once they realize you know the law.
Note: The deadline is the shorter of 60 days after termination or 45 days after a new tenant takes possession, extended by 15 days if damages exceed the deposit and a third-party contractor is needed. West Virginia sets no deposit cap and requires no interest.
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 West Virginia's deadlines under § 37-6A-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 § 37-6A-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 West Virginia 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]
60 days after you move out.
Willful or not-good-faith noncompliance exposes the landlord, under § 37-6A-5(a), to the unreturned portion of the deposit PLUS damages equal to one and one-half (1.5) times the amount wrongfully withheld. The "double damages" some sources cite is wrong — the statute says 1.5×.
W. Va. Code § 37-6A-1 and W. Va. Code § 37-6A-5. We verify these against the statute text itself; the date we last checked is shown on this page.
Sources & verification
The West Virginia 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 West Virginia statutes that apply to your situation.
W. Va. Code § 37-6A-1, § 37-6A-5, 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 West Virginia landlords return the deposit within days of receiving a properly drafted demand letter.
Generate my letter — $39