Works with the AI tools you already use
Claude Code
Cursor
Codex CLI
GitHub Copilot
Gemini CLI+20 moreClaude CodeCursorCodex CLIGitHub CopilotGemini CLI
OpenClaw
Manus
Grok+17 agentsGet Your Security Deposit Back
The move-out protocol, deduction challenge, demand-letter ladder, and small-claims decision point for recovering a deposit.
$5
Get Your Security Deposit Back
Example session with this skill installed
I moved out of a Chicago apartment 35 days ago. Deposit was $1,800. Landlord sent a list: repainting $650, carpet replacement $900 (carpet was 6 years old when I moved in, I lived there 3 years), cleaning $250. I have move-in and move-out photos and the carpet had normal wear only. What do I do?
- Read your context and instructions
- Compiled the get your security
Deposit Recovery: $1,800 — phase: challenging
The Deduction Challenge
| Claimed deduction | Amount | Wear / damage / unsubstantiated | The response (with depreciation math where it applies) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Repainting | $650 | Wear | Painting after a 3-year tenancy is ordinary wear absent documented damage. Move-in and move-out photos show no holes or marks beyond normal use. Request the pre-tenancy paint date and an invoice. |
| Carpet replacement | $900 | Wear + depreciation | Carpet was ~9 years old at move-out. On a typical 7–10 year useful life it had little or no remaining value; a full replacement charge is unsupported. Even on a 10-year life: remaining value ≈ 10% × original cost, not $900. Request the original purchase invoice and installation date. |
| Cleaning | $250 | Unsubstantiated | No itemization or invoice. Move-out photos show the unit cleaned. Request the invoice and the specific areas cleaned. |
Total disputed: $1,800 of $1,800.
The Ladder
Rung 1 — Itemization and invoice request (send today, dated, trackable):
Re: Security deposit, [unit], tenancy [dates]. I received your deduction statement dated [date] claiming $1,800 in deductions. Please provide within 10 days: (1) invoices or receipts for each item, (2) the date the unit was last painted and the carpet's installation date, (3) the itemized cleaning work. Ordinary wear and tear is not deductible, and depreciated items cannot be charged at replacement cost. I have dated move-in and move-out photographs available on request.
Rung 2 — Demand letter (if no adequate reply in 10 days):
This is a formal demand for return of my $1,800 security deposit within 14 days. The claimed deductions consist of ordinary wear (painting after a three-year tenancy), a fully depreciated carpet charged at replacement cost, and an undocumented cleaning fee. Your itemization was also sent after the period local rules allow (35 days) — verify locally. If the deposit is not returned, I will file in small claims court and seek any statutory penalties available.
Rung 3 — Small-claims filing (see below). Flag: some jurisdictions allow multiplied damages when a landlord withholds in bad faith or misses the itemization deadline — verify locally before citing it.
Small-Claims Prep (if it gets there)
Economics: filing fees are typically well under the $1,800 at stake. Evidence binder order: lease → move-in photos (dated) → move-out photos (dated) → forwarding-address letter → the landlord's deduction list → your rung 1 and rung 2 letters with delivery proof → carpet age evidence. Hearing: 10–15 minutes, judge asks for the chronology; lead with the photos. Expect a settlement offer on the courthouse steps; decide your floor in advance.
Deposit deadlines, deduction rules, and penalty provisions are jurisdiction-specific — verify the local specifics before citing exact numbers; the letters here cite rule categories for exactly that reason. Not legal advice.
Connects securely to your tools. The creator never sees your data.
What you get
About this skill
The problem
Deposits are lost at move-out, not at the dispute. Tenants leave without photos, accept a vague deduction list, and send an angry email instead of a demand letter that cites the rule. By the time they consider small claims, the evidence is gone.
What it does
- Runs the move-out protocol: room-by-room photo sweep, walkthrough request wording, receipts, and the dated forwarding-address letter.
- Challenges an itemized deduction list line by line, sorting wear from damage with depreciation math.
- Drafts every rung of the escalation ladder verbatim: itemization request, demand letter, follow-up.
- Preps small claims: filing economics, evidence binder order, how the hearing runs.
- Flags multiplied-damages provisions to verify locally.
Why this beats prompting it yourself
A general prompt writes an angry letter. This skill works phase by phase, builds the evidence before the dispute, sorts wear from damage with numbers, and cites rule categories so each letter is credible without pretending to know your exact statute.
Use cases
- Moving out next week and want to protect the deposit.
- Received a deduction list that charges for repainting and carpet.
- Thirty days passed with no deposit and no itemization.
- Deciding whether $1,400 is worth small claims.
Known limitations
Not legal advice. Deposit deadlines, deduction rules, and penalty provisions are jurisdiction-specific; the letters cite rule categories and tell you to verify the local specifics before quoting numbers.
How to install
Works the same in every agent - Claude, Cursor, Codex, Copilot and 20+ more.
- 1
Download the ZIP
Free skills download straight away. Paid skills unlock right after purchase.
- 2
Unzip into your skills folder
Every agent reads skills from one folder on your machine. Drop the unzipped folder in there.
- 3
Ask your agent to use it
Restart the agent if it was already running. It picks the skill up automatically - no config needed.
Skills folder by agent
Click the path to copy it. Create the folder if it does not exist yet.
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be one of the first to try it. Every listed skill passes our trust checks below.
Security scanned
Passed our 8-point scan before listing
Fresh listing
Recently published to Agensi
30-day refund
Not a fit? Get your money back
Trust & safety
Security scanned
Verified clean 4 days ago
- Passed all security checks, Safe to install