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Indiana security deposit: 45 days to get it back

The landlord must deliver the deposit balance and a written itemized notice of deductions within 45 days after the rental agreement ends and the tenant gives up possession. The landlord is not liable under the chapter until the tenant supplies a mailing address in writing.

Double-check before you rely on this. Parts of this page come from legal-aid and other secondary summaries instead of the official statute text. Confirm the deadline and penalty in Ind. Code §§ 32-31-3-12 and 32-31-3-13, and check whether a local ordinance changes the rules.

What the law requires

Itemized statement: Written notice itemizing what was subtracted: accrued rent, damages from the tenant's noncompliance with the law or rental agreement, and unpaid utility or sewer charges. Section 32-31-3-13 also lets a deposit cover rent due after early move-out, and last month's rent if a written agreement says so. No receipt threshold found.
Forwarding address: Yes. The landlord is not liable under the chapter until the tenant supplies a mailing address in writing.
If the landlord breaks the rules: If the landlord does not comply, the tenant may recover all of the security deposit due plus reasonable attorney's fees. No statutory multiple. Either side may still recover other damages they are entitled to.
Deposit cap: No statewide cap (per FindLaw); cities or counties may set one.
Small claims limit: $10,000 in Small claims docket of the county circuit or superior court (Marion County: township small claims courts)
Statute: Ind. Code §§ 32-31-3-12 and 32-31-3-13

If your landlord misses the deadline

Write down your dates and gather proof: move-out date, the date you gave your forwarding address, the deposit amount, and anything the landlord sent. Photos and receipts help.
Send a written demand by certified mail, keep the receipt, and cite Ind. Code §§ 32-31-3-12 and 32-31-3-13. Give a date to respond.
If you still aren't paid, file in Small claims docket of the county circuit or superior court (Marion County: township small claims courts). Deposit claims up to $10,000 can be filed there, usually without a lawyer. Check the court's website for current filing fees and forms.

What a Indiana demand letter looks like

Re: Demand for return of security deposit / Rental address: [Street address, unit, city, state ZIP]

Dear [Landlord name]:

I rented the property above from you under a lease that began on [lease start date]. I paid a security deposit of $[deposit amount] on [date paid]. I moved out and returned possession on [move-out date].

My forwarding address is [forwarding address]. Please send my deposit and any required statement to that address.

[A.] I have not received my deposit or an itemized statement of deductions. Under Ind. Code §§ 32-31-3-12 and 32-31-3-13, a landlord must return a tenant's security deposit, or send an itemized statement of any deductions, within 45 days after the tenant moves out. That deadline passed on [deadline date].

Preview of the first part of letter one. Yellow marks the parts you fill in.

Common questions

How long does a landlord in Indiana have to return a security deposit?

What happens if a Indiana landlord keeps the deposit wrongfully?

If the landlord does not comply, the tenant may recover all of the security deposit due plus reasonable attorney's fees. No statutory multiple. Either side may still recover other damages they are entitled to.

Do I have to give my Indiana landlord a forwarding address?

Yes. The landlord is not liable under the chapter until the tenant supplies a mailing address in writing.

Where do I sue for my deposit in Indiana?

Deposit claims up to $10,000 can be filed in Small claims docket of the county circuit or superior court (Marion County: township small claims courts). Check the court's website for current filing fees and forms.

Other states

Rules reviewed October 2026. Laws change, so confirm with the statute before you rely on this page.