My Landlord Won't Return My Deposit — Here's What to Do
Your position is often stronger than you think: the law puts strict formal requirements and short deadlines on the landlord — not on you. This guide takes you all the way from the first written demand to a decision at the rent tribunal (huslejenævnet), with a checklist and the common pitfalls along the way.
Check the landlord's deadlines first: the move-out inspection and the two-week rule
Before you argue about painting bills, check the formalities — because that is often where the case is decided. Landlords who rent out more than one residential unit must call a move-out inspection (flyttesyn) within two weeks of learning that you are moving out, produce a move-out report, and hand it to you.
Renovation claims must in principle be raised in connection with the inspection. If the claims only surface weeks or months later — or no inspection was ever held — the landlord’s claims may be wholly or partly lost. It is that simple: the landlord’s missed formalities are your strongest card.
So write a short timeline before you complain: when you gave notice, when you moved out, when the inspection was held (if at all), and when you received the report and the statement.
A deposit case is won on paper, not on phone calls. Spend ten minutes collecting everything before you send your demand — then you are ready for both the landlord and the rent tribunal in one go.
Checklist: what to gather
The lease with all appendices
The move-in report and your list of defects from moving in
The move-out report from the inspection (if one was held)
Photos of the property from both move-in and move-out
Receipts if you paid for any renovation yourself
All correspondence with the landlord — including texts and messages
Proof that the deposit was paid
Send a written demand with a 14-day deadline
Write to your landlord — email is fine and doubles as evidence. Keep the demand short and concrete: the amount you claim back, your account number, and a 14-day deadline.
At the same time, request an itemised written statement with documentation for every deduction the landlord claims — invoices, not round numbers. Close by stating that you will bring the case before the rent tribunal if the deadline passes.
Keep the tone factual, with no threats beyond exactly that: the tribunal. A calm, well-documented demand resolves a large share of cases at this stage — landlords know when their formalities will not hold up.
How to complain to the rent tribunal (huslejenævnet)
If the landlord does not pay by the deadline, you go to the rent tribunal in the municipality where the property is located. You do not need a lawyer, and the case is handled in writing.
Step by step
Find the rent tribunal via the municipality's website
Write the complaint: what happened, what you claim, and why
Attach the documentation from the checklist — complete from the start
Pay the fee (a small amount — check the current rate with the municipality)
Await the tribunal's written processing of the case
What happens while the case is processed?
The tribunal sends your complaint to the landlord, who responds in writing — and you get the chance to comment on the response. Address any new allegations point by point, referencing your documentation.
Processing typically takes some months — often longer in the big cities. That is normal and does not mean your case is weak. The decision is binding unless one of the parties takes it to the housing court (boligretten) within four weeks.
If you win, the landlord must repay the amount — in many cases with interest from when you raised the claim.
If the landlord still doesn't pay
If the landlord ignores the tribunal's decision, the claim can be enforced with the decision in hand — ultimately through the court system. If the landlord instead takes the case to the housing court, it continues there.
If the case does go to court, this is the moment to check your legal expenses insurance (retshjælpsforsikring): housing cases are a classic use of the cover, and it often decides whether the case is worth running.
In principle at the move-out inspection — and landlords with more than one rental unit must call the inspection within two weeks of learning about the move-out. Claims that only arrive long after can be lost.
Yes. Deposit cases can generally be brought before the rent tribunal up to roughly three years after moving out. But the longer you wait, the harder it becomes to document the property’s condition — so act sooner rather than later.
A small fee of a few hundred kroner, set politically and adjusted over time — check the current rate with the municipality. You do not need a lawyer, and the case is handled in writing.
Only documented claims arising from the tenancy — typically justified renovation and unpaid rent, and never to a better condition than you received the property in.
The formal duty to hold an inspection and produce a report applies to landlords with more than one residential unit. But even a single-unit landlord must raise claims within reasonable time and be able to document them — otherwise the claims stand weak.
Where to complain
The rent tribunal (huslejenævnet) in your municipality
Deposit cases can generally be brought up to roughly three years after moving out — but complain early, while the evidence is fresh. In social housing (almen bolig) it is the residents’ complaints board (beboerklagenævnet) instead.
Send a written demand to the landlord with a 14-day deadline
Gather the documentation from the checklist
Bring the case before the rent tribunal (small fee)
Landlord ignoring the decision? Consider the housing court — and check your legal expenses insurance first