EasyForm Letter - Home Security Deposit Return Under the SCRA

The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act
 

As a member of the Armed Forces, Reserves, National Guard or other uniformed services, you have legal protections for you and your family when you are called into active duty military service.
 

A law that provides many of these protections is called the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA). This law was made to help protect members of the military and their family who may have trouble with financial and legal issues because of military service.

 

The SCRA and Home Security Deposits
 

The SCRA states that the landlord must refund the security deposit (minus any damages) within 30 days of the date the lease was lawfully terminated under the SCRA, 50 U.S.C. App. §3955.
 

In fact, it is a criminal offense for a landlord to knowingly withhold your security deposit.

The SCRA states that:

“Any person who knowingly seizes, holds, or detains the personal effects, security deposit, or other property of a servicemember or a service member’s dependent who lawfully terminates a lease covered by this section, or who knowingly interferes with the removal of such property from premises covered by such lease, for the purpose of subjecting or attempting to subject any of such property to a claim for rent accruing subsequent to the date of termination of such lease, or attempts to do so, shall be fined as provided in title 18, United States Code, or imprisoned for not more than one year, or both."  - 50 U.S. Code § 3955

 

About the EasyForm Letter
 

This form letter is for service members or their dependents that have lawfully terminated their home lease under the SCRA and the former landlord has failed to return their security deposit.

This is an easy-to-use interactive form. The program will create a customized letter to give to your former landlord and provides on how to do that. This letter can be used to notify your former landlord about the SCRA requirements regarding the return of your security deposit. All you need to do is:
 

1. Answer a few simple questions. 
2. Review, Sign, Download, and Print out the form (letter and instructions). 
3. Attach a copy of your orders. 
4. Make copies for your own records. 
5. Send the original, with attachments, to your former landlord.
   
    

How to get started
 

• Start the EasyForm now and let the tool customize the letter for you,
  
  or
   
• Download the attached Sample Form to review