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Security deposits · MN
Last updated October 13, 2026
You moved out, cleaned up, handed back the keys, and the deposit still hasn't shown up. Or it did, minus a list of charges that don't add up. Here is what Minnesota law says about that, in plain terms, with the statute so you can check it yourself.
3 weeks after the tenancy ends and the landlord has your forwarding address. 5 days if the building was condemned through no fault of yours.
In Minnesota the forwarding address matters more than people expect. The landlord's duty to refund, or your right to the extra damages, is tied to having your address in writing. A text message saying "send it to my new place" is weak evidence. An email or letter with the full address is better.
You can recover the amount wrongfully withheld plus a penalty equal to that amount and interest. Bad-faith retention can add up to $500 in punitive damages.
That is the part that tends to move a landlord. Plenty of them hold on to a deposit simply because nobody asks twice. A short letter that names the statute and the penalty changes the math for them: paying you now is usually cheaper than risking the penalty in small claims court.
Unpaid rent, and damage beyond normal wear and tear. Faded paint, light carpet wear and a few small nail holes after a long tenancy are the classic examples of wear and tear. A broken door or a large stain is damage. If the deductions are vague ("cleaning, $400") ask for the itemized list and receipts. Whether you're entitled to one, and how detailed it must be, depends on the statute above.
Minnesota doesn't put a ceiling on how big a deposit can be. That makes the return rules the part worth knowing, because a large deposit is a lot of money to leave sitting with a former landlord.
Dear [landlord],
I moved out of [address] on [date] and returned the keys. My security deposit of $[amount] has not been returned, and I have not received an itemized list of deductions within 21 days the law allows.
Minn. Stat. § 504B.178 sets out when a landlord in Minnesota must return a deposit and what happens when they don't. I'd rather settle this directly than in court.
Please pay $[amount] to me at [forwarding address] within 10 days of this letter. If I don't receive it by then, I will file a claim in small claims court and ask for everything the statute allows.
Sincerely,
[your name]
The generator fills this in with your actual numbers and dates, adjusts the tone, and gives you a PDF or an email ready to send.
Write my Minnesota demand letter →3 weeks after the tenancy ends and the landlord has your forwarding address. 5 days if the building was condemned through no fault of yours.
No statutory cap.
You can recover the amount wrongfully withheld plus a penalty equal to that amount and interest. Bad-faith retention can add up to $500 in punitive damages.