Send every deposit letter so you can prove it was sent and received. If it ever goes to small claims, “I mailed it” beats “I called them,” and proof of delivery defeats a landlord’s “I never got it.”
How to do it
- Print and sign the letter; keep a copy for yourself.
- At the post office (or online), send it Certified Mail with Return Receipt Requested (the “green card”) to the landlord’s official address (the one on your lease or where you pay rent).
- Keep: the certified mail receipt (with the tracking number), the return receipt/green card when it comes back, and your copy of the letter. Save the tracking page too.
- Optionally also send a plain copy by regular mail and/or email, so the landlord can’t claim they couldn’t open the certified envelope.
Dates that matter
- Write the date on the letter and note the mailing date.
- Track delivery date — some states measure deadlines from when the landlord sends/receives things; some measure from your move-out or from when you gave a forwarding address.
- Build a simple timeline: move-out date → forwarding address given → statutory deadline → letters sent → responses. You’ll reuse it in small claims.
Use the right address. Send to the landlord’s or management company’s official business address (often on the lease). Mailing to the rental unit you just left, or to an old address, can let a landlord credibly claim non-receipt — exactly what certified mail is supposed to prevent.
Check whether your state specifies a delivery method (some require certified or first-class mail) in the state table.