Deposits + back pay
Housing & work
Security deposits landlords keep without cause, unpaid overtime, withheld final paychecks, stolen tips. What state law and the Fair Labor Standards Act say you are owed, and how to claim it for free, often with double damages.
- Housing & workLandlord keeping your security deposit? Deadlines by state, what they can't deduct, and the 2x–3x penalty for bad faithEvery state sets a deadline (14 to 60 days) for the landlord to return your deposit with an itemized list of deductions. Normal wear and tear can't be charged. Miss the deadline or withhold in bad faith and many states make the landlord pay double or triple the deposit. The move-out checklist, the demand letter, and small claims.
- Housing & workUnpaid overtime or wages? You're owed double (FLSA back pay + liquidated damages), and it's free to claimFederal law requires time-and-a-half after 40 hours for most hourly and many salaried workers, and pays back wages plus an equal amount in liquidated damages when employers get it wrong. Off-the-clock work, misclassified "managers" and "contractors," tip theft, unpaid breaks: how to check if you're owed, the Department of Labor's free wage claim, and why lawyers take these cases at no cost to you.
- Housing & workFinal paycheck rules by state: when it's due, unused vacation payout, and the penalties for paying lateQuit or fired, your last paycheck has a legal deadline in most states, from immediately to the next regular payday, and many states pay you a penalty for every day it's late (California: up to 30 days of wages). Which states must pay out unused PTO, what an employer can and can't deduct, and how to file a wage claim in 15 minutes.
Money landlords and employers owe you
Two of the most common debts people are owed come from housing and jobs, and both are governed by state law with strong penalties for bad actors.
- Security deposits: every state sets a deadline for returning your deposit (often 14 to 30 days after move-out) and requires an itemized list of deductions. Landlords can't charge you for normal wear and tear. In many states a landlord who keeps a deposit in bad faith owes you two or three times the amount.
- Unpaid overtime and wages: under the Fair Labor Standards Act, most hourly and many salaried workers earn time-and-a-half after 40 hours a week. Employers who don't pay can owe the back wages plus an equal amount in damages, and filing with the Department of Labor is free.
- Final paychecks: states set deadlines for your last paycheck, from immediately to the next payday, and some require payout of unused vacation. Late payment can trigger daily penalties.
How to claim
Send a written demand citing the law and a deadline. If that fails, small claims court handles most deposit and wage disputes without a lawyer, and state labor departments investigate wage claims for free. The guides below include deadlines and a demand letter template.