Evidence for Your Security Deposit Case
If you are trying to get your security deposit back, evidence is where a lot of cases are won or lost.
Not complicated evidence. Clear evidence.
What Matters Most in Vermont
The key Vermont records are:
- the lease
- the deposit amount
- the vacate date
- proof that you gave the landlord notice of the vacate date
- proof that the landlord received that notice
- proof of possession delivery
- your last-known address or mailing/contact address record
- whether the rental was seasonal or your primary residence
- photos showing condition
- any written itemized deduction statement
- any refund paid
- rent ledger and utility/direct-charge records
- abandoned-property communications, if relevant
- new landlord or ownership-transfer notices, if relevant
- messages and mailing records
Those records help show both timing and condition.
Why the Dates Matter
Vermont's 14-day clock uses the landlord's discovery of vacancy or abandonment, or the tenant's vacate date if the landlord received notice of that date.
If those dates are unclear, the deadline gets harder to prove.
What to Photograph
Take photos of:
- walls and floors
- appliances and cabinets
- bathrooms and fixtures
- windows, doors, and blinds
- anything that could later be called damage
- the final cleaned condition
How to Organize It
Put everything in one place:
- Lease
- Deposit Proof
- Move-Out Timeline
- Vacate-Date Notice
- Proof Landlord Received Notice
- Possession / Key Return
- Mailing Address Record
- Move-In Photos
- Move-Out Photos
- Rent / Utility / Direct-Charge Records
- Abandoned-Property Communications
- Ownership Transfer Notices
- Messages
- Itemized Statement / Refund Documents
- Demand Letters
What to Do After You Have Everything
Once your evidence is together, the next step is usually a clear written request.
Start here if your deposit was not returned: Deposit Not Returned
Or go straight to: Security Deposit Demand Letter