Landlord ignoring you? How to write a deposit demand letter that works (template and how to send it)

02The 4 things the letter must say

1. Header: your name and address, the landlord's name and address, then the rental address and the lease period (for example 1 Sep 2024 to 31 Aug 2026).
2. Facts: the deposit amount, the move-out and handover date, that the unit was emptied and handed over, and that the landlord has not returned the deposit. If you have photos or chat records, say so.
3. Demand: return the deposit of NT$○○○ within 7 days of receiving the letter, to a named bank account (bank, branch, account number, account name).
4. Consequence: if the deadline passes, you will apply for mediation at the district office's mediation committee and reserve the right to apply for a payment order, file a small claim and claim statutory interest.

存證信函
寄件人：[your name]，住 [your address]
收件人：[landlord's name]，住 [landlord's address]

一、本人自 [lease start] 起承租台端所有坐落 [rental address] 之房屋，租期至 [lease end] 止，並已交付押金新臺幣 [amount] 元整。
二、本人已於 [move-out date] 搬離並完成點交，鑰匙已交還，租金及水電費均已結清，惟台端迄今尚未返還押金。
三、依租賃住宅市場發展及管理條例第 7 條規定，租賃關係消滅後，出租人應返還押金。請台端於本函到達後 7 日內，將押金新臺幣 [amount] 元整匯入 [bank / branch / account number / account name]。
四、逾期未返還，本人將向 [district office] 調解委員會聲請調解，並保留聲請支付命令、提起訴訟及請求法定利息之一切權利。

此致
[landlord's name]
寄件人：[your name]（signature）
中華民國 [year] 年 [month] 月 [day] 日

03How to send it: at the counter or online

1. At the counter: buy the 存證信函 form at any post office (or print the format from the Chunghwa Post site), write three copies (one for the landlord, one for you, one kept by the post office) and send by double registered mail. The first page costs NT$50 and each extra page NT$30, plus postage.
2. Online: use Chunghwa Post's e-letter service (電子函件服務) to upload a PDF and pay; the post office prints and sends it, also double registered and also kept on file.
3. Keep the receipt and the green return card. The landlord's signature date is the day the letter arrived, and the 7 days count from there.
4. If the landlord refuses it or never collects it, keep the returned envelope unopened. It still proves you sent the letter.

• Chunghwa Post (demand letters and e-letter service) — Fees and methods as published by the post office
• Ministry of the Interior real-estate information platform (rental dispute letter template) — Official template to compare against

04What comes after the letter

If the 7 days pass with no transfer, do not send a second letter. Go straight to the mediation committee at the district office where the property is (free). A mediation agreement approved by the court has the same effect as a final judgment (Township and County-Administered City Mediation Act, Article 27). If the landlord does not even show up, apply to the court for a payment order for NT$500. Those two steps are Part 4 and Part 5.

05The rest of the deposit series

This guide is one of five in the deposit series. Every part has a reel on Instagram @lawbao.tw; comment the keyword under a reel and the full guide for that part lands in your DMs.

• Part 1 | Landlord keeping your deposit? One legal move gets it back — Instagram reel
• Part 2 | How to write a demand letter that works (this one) — Comment "信函" on the reel to get this link
• Part 3 | Which deposit deductions are legal — Comment "耗損" on the reel to get this link
• Part 4 | What happens on mediation day — Comment "調解" on the reel to get this link
• Part 5 | A NT$500 payment order makes them pay — Comment "命令" on the reel to get this link

06Things to watch

1. The legal cap on a deposit is 2 months' rent; if you paid 3, the extra month was always refundable.
2. If the landlord wants to deduct repair costs, whether that is normal wear and tear is Part 3. You can already state in the letter that you do not agree to the deduction.
3. The 7 days count from the day the landlord signs for the letter, not the day you post it.
4. If the lease sets a different return method or deadline, follow the lease first; the Ministry of the Interior's model lease is tenant-friendly and worth comparing.