Oregon Security Deposit Demand Letter

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An Oregon security deposit demand letter is a document a tenant sends to their landlord after moving out to demand payment for an unreturned security deposit. It notifies the landlord that they missed the 31-day deposit return deadline and must reimburse the tenant’s money to avoid a potential lawsuit.

Oregon Security Deposit Demand Letter

An Oregon security deposit demand letter is a document a tenant sends to their landlord after moving out to demand payment for an unreturned security deposit. It notifies the landlord that they missed the 31-day deposit return deadline and must reimburse the tenant’s money to avoid a potential lawsuit.

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Last updated April 8th, 2025

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An Oregon security deposit demand letter is a document a tenant sends to their landlord after moving out to demand payment for an unreturned security deposit. It notifies the landlord that they missed the 31-day deposit return deadline and must reimburse the tenant’s money to avoid a potential lawsuit.

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Security Deposit Return Laws

  • Return Deadline – After the lease terminates and the tenant vacates the rental property, the landlord has 31 days to do the following[1]:
    • Give the tenant a written accounting of each deduction made to the deposit (if any).
    • Return the full deposit or the amount remaining after deductions.
  • Legal Penalties – If the landlord doesn’t follow the deposit return laws, the tenant can sue to recover two times the deposit amount.[2]

When to Take Legal Action

After delivering the demand letter, tenants should give the landlord at least 10 days to repay the deposit.[3] If there is no response within that time frame, they can file a case against the landlord in small claims court.

Small claims court is only an option if the deposit amount is within the state’s limit ($10,000 as of this writing).[4] If the deposit exceeds that limit, the tenant must file the lawsuit in civil court instead.

Sample

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OREGON SECURITY DEPOSIT DEMAND LETTER

[TENANT NAME]
[TENANT ADDRESS]
[TENANT CONTACT INFO]

Date: [DATE]

[LANDLORD NAME]
[LANDLORD BUSINESS NAME (IF APPLICABLE)]
[LANDORD ADDRESS]

Re: Return of Security Deposit for [RENTAL PROPERTY ADDRESS]

Dear [LANDLORD NAME],

In accordance with ORS 90.300, I am entitled to receive either a full refund of my security deposit or an accounting of what the deposit was used for within 31 days from when I moved out. I moved out on [DATE] and I have not yet received the deposit or the accounting.

Please send my security deposit of $[AMOUNT] or the accounting within 10 days to the following address: [DEPOSIT RETURN ADDRESS].

If there is no response to this demand letter by [DATE], I may file a claim for the full value of the deposit in small claims court. ORS 90.300 entitles me to twice the amount wrongfully withheld.

Sincerely,

________________________
[TENANT NAME]

Sources

  1. §§ 90.300(12), (13)
  2. § 90.300(16)
  3. Renter’s Handbook on Small Claims Court (p.3)
  4. § 55.011(3)