Free case assessment for renters
Landlord kept your
security deposit?
Before you give up, find out if you may have a case.
Your landlord may be counting on one thing: that you feel too overwhelmed, intimidated, or unsure to fight back. But many deposit disputes come down to a few simple questions — and you don't have to guess at the answers.
Free. Takes about 5–10 minutes. Informational only — not legal advice.
It usually comes down to a few things
Many disputes hinge on simple questions
Missed deadlines
Did your landlord miss the legal deadline to return your deposit?
Itemized list
Did they send a proper, timely itemized list of deductions?
Normal wear
Are they charging you for ordinary wear and tear?
Old items
Full price to replace something that was already old?
Vague charges
Are the deductions vague, inflated, or unsupported?
No proof
Did they keep the whole deposit without real proof?
Why people walk away
Most tenants give up too early
A lot of renters walk away from money that may legally belong to them. Not because they're wrong — because the process feels too big. The thoughts are familiar:
- "My landlord probably knows the law better than I do."
- "I can't afford a lawyer."
- "Court sounds expensive."
- "I don't have perfect evidence."
- "The landlord will just win anyway."
- "I don't even know where to start."
That feeling is exactly what keeps tenants stuck. The truth is simpler: deposit cases are usually about deadlines, paperwork, deductions, receipts, photos, move-out condition, and whether the landlord can prove what they kept. The free assessment helps you sort through those facts one step at a time.
An honest signal — not a sales pitch
Find out where you stand
The assessment asks simple questions about your situation, checks your state and local rules, and gives you an honest case-strength signal. You may get one of three outcomes:
Strong indicators of merit
Your situation may show strong signs that the landlord violated deposit rules or wrongfully kept your money.
Worth investigating
You may have real issues, but the strength depends on the facts, the evidence, and how the deductions are presented.
Weak indicators
Your situation may not show strong signs of a claim worth pursuing. An honest "no" is a valid result.
The goal isn't to push everyone toward court. The goal is to help you stop guessing.
It's smaller than you picture
This may be more manageable than you think
Most tenants imagine a lawsuit as a huge, expensive, confusing process. A security deposit case is usually much smaller. With the right structure, the core preparation can often be done in a few focused sessions — many tenants prepare their core materials in about four hours using the full playbook.
Gather
Lease, deposit proof, messages, move-out photos, deduction notice.
Check the rules
Your state's deposit deadline and penalty rules.
Calculate
What may actually be owed to you.
Demand letter
Send a clear, well-structured demand.
Small claims
If needed, prepare forms and organize evidence.
Hearing prep
A short script so you know what to say.
The most important thing to understand
The landlord has to prove the deductions
In a security deposit dispute, the landlord generally has to justify what they kept. That means they may need to show receipts, invoices, photos, a timely itemized list, and proof the charges were for real damage beyond normal wear — and that they followed the deadline rules.
You don't automatically lose because you lack perfect photos. You don't lose because the landlord sent a professional-looking deduction sheet. You don't lose because they say the unit needed cleaning or paint. The question is whether the deductions are legally justified.
Confusion to action
A clear path forward
- 1
Take the free assessment
Find out if your situation shows strong, moderate, or weak indicators of merit.
- 2
Understand the rules
The assessment checks your state's deposit deadlines, deduction rules, and possible penalties.
- 3
Decide whether to move forward
You choose what to do. No pressure. No scare tactics.
- 4
Use the full playbook if you want help
It walks you through demand letter, filing, evidence, hearing prep, and post-judgment steps.
- 5
Show up prepared
If your case reaches court, you walk in with your documents, timeline, and a short case narrative ready.
If your assessment looks strong
The free assessment answers one question. The playbook answers the next.
The assessment tells you whether you appear to have a case worth pursuing. The full Get My Security Deposit Back playbook answers "what do I do now?" — walking you through the process step by step, designed to work with ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini. You don't need to be good with AI: upload the playbook, paste one activation message, and it begins guiding you one question at a time.
Start with the free assessment
Before you assume your landlord wins — before you assume court is too hard — before you walk away from your money — take 5 to 10 minutes and find out where you stand.
Free. Informational only. Not legal advice.