Landlord Claims · All 50 States

Take your tenant
dispute to small claims.

Unpaid rent, damage beyond the deposit, or a balance left after move-out — tell Sophie what happened, about six minutes, and walk away with a demand letter and a small-claims case built for your state.

13,000+ disputes resolved Free demand letter No lawyer required
Example
Statement of Amounts DueFormer tenant, Unit 4B · After move-out
Amounts due
Unpaid rent (June)$1,650.00
Damage beyond deposit$890.00
Late fees (per lease)$120.00
Balance you may be owed$860.00
Sophie

Sophie organized 3 line items and prepared your demand.

U.S. Patent 11,328,375 B2
~3,000 courts, all 50 states
Triple-Check™ accuracy
(877) 245-2328
What you can take to court

Three kinds of landlord claims.

Most landlord money claims fall into one of these. Each is about a balance the deposit didn’t cover.

Unpaid rent

Rent a tenant still owes under the lease — back rent, the last month, or a balance after they moved out.

Damage beyond the deposit

Repairs that cost more than the deposit held back — documented with photos and receipts.

Holdover & lease-break balances

Money owed after an early move-out, a broken lease, or a holdover period past the term.

Are you the tenant?Deposit kept, repairs ignored, or fees you shouldn’t have paid — see the tenant side.
For tenants
Filing as a landlord

What you can claim — and how to prove it.

Small claims is built for money disputes like these. Here's the shape of it; the exact limits and deadlines live on your state's page.

Mind the limits

Small claims has a dollar cap and filing deadlines that vary by state. File in the right court, within the right window.

Itemize what’s owed

Unpaid rent, damage beyond the deposit, and lease-allowed fees — line by line, each backed by a receipt or the lease.

Damage vs. ordinary wear

You can claim real damage beyond ordinary wear — back it with move-in/move-out photos and repair costs.

Apply the deposit first

Put the deposit toward what’s owed; small claims is for the balance beyond it, plus court costs the court allows.

All 50 states

Find your state's rules.

Each state sets its own small-claims limit, fees, and filing rules — mapped, sourced, and ready.

How it works

From “they kept it” to resolved.

One path, six steps. You tell the story once; Squabble carries it the rest of the way — and you review everything before anything is filed.

Step 1

Told Sophie

You tell Sophie what happened, in plain words. About six minutes.

Step 2

Prepared

Your demand letter — and any court papers — are prepared and Triple-Checked.

Step 3

Filed

Squabble files with the right court, or hands you a file-ready packet.

Step 4

Served

The other side is formally notified, the way your court requires.

Step 5

Hearing

You walk in prepared, evidence organized, case in order.

Step 6

Resolved

You reach a resolution — by settlement or judgment.

Sound familiar?

The landlord claims we see most.

If any of these is your story, these are exactly the claims Squabble is built for.

Skipped rent

Moved out still owing rent the deposit didn’t cover.

Broke the lease early

Left mid-term and stopped paying the balance.

Damage beyond the deposit

Repairs that cost more than the deposit held back.

Stopped responding

Calls and notices about the balance go unanswered.

Unpaid fees or utilities

Lease-allowed fees or utilities that were never paid.

Abandoned the unit

Left without notice, owing a balance.

Straight talk

What small claims can — and can't — do.

We'd rather you walk in clear-eyed. Squabble isn't a law firm and doesn't give legal advice — here's the honest scope.

What it can do

  • Award a money judgment for unpaid rent and documented damage the court finds owed.
  • Add interest and lease-allowed fees the court permits.
  • Add your court costs to the judgment.
  • Give you an enforceable judgment for the balance owed.

What it can't do

  • Evict the tenant — removal is a separate housing-court process.
  • Award amounts beyond what you can document and your state allows.
  • Guarantee an outcome — every case turns on its facts and evidence.
  • Replace legal advice — for that, talk to a licensed attorney.
Why Squabble

The rigor is the reassurance.

Attorney-founded & patented

Created by a practicing attorney and law professor, on patented technology (U.S. 11,328,375 B2) — not a generic form mill.

Triple-Checked

Every document is checked for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy against your court's requirements before it goes anywhere.

Free to start, yours to control

Your custom demand letter is free, and you review and attest to every document before anything is filed.

Sophie, your intake assistant
Free to start

Choose your level of support.

Wherever you are right now — you just want them to respond, or you’re ready to file today — there’s a level that fits. Upgrade anytime, without starting over.

Make them respond · included free

Your Custom Demand Letter

Prepared from the facts you gave Sophie — download, sign, and send.

Get my free letter
Recommended for claims $2,000+
Your dedicated case agent
Hand it off

Dedicated Case Agent

$398 + fees

A dedicated agent prepares, files, and stays with your case the whole way — evidence, hearings, and every step through to Resolved.

Told Sophie
Prepared
Filed
Served
Hearing
Resolved
Everything in File NowPersonally assigned case agentUnlimited & escalated case meetingsEvidence prep for settlement or courtVirtual hearing & motion assistance*Service of Process optional · $88 at submission or $128 if ordered later
Get a Dedicated Case Agent
Get it filed

File Now

$238 + fees
Reaches Served

Squabble Triple-Checks, prepares, and files your claim — E-Service included.

Filing handled by SquabbleE-Service included†Full case management platformService of Process optional · $88 at submission or $128 if ordered later
File My Claim
Put them on notice

Credible Threat

$128
Reaches Prepared

Court-ready documents you file yourself — a demand backed by the paperwork.

Court-ready documents, Triple-Check™ verifiedE-Service included†Live chat with the Squabble team
Send Credible Threat
† E-Service is a courtesy email to the other party — not lawful service of process. With Credible Threat it gives notice of intent to file; with File Now and a Dedicated Case Agent, notice that the claim has been filed.
* Additional court fees may apply for filed documents. Ordering does not form an attorney-client relationship.
Case Brief

Walk in knowing your case.

Most people aren’t sure what to prove or what the other side will say. A Case Brief maps all of it out — the facts, the evidence, the numbers, the likely defenses — so you’re the prepared one in the room.

$98Add it to any path — even your free demand letter.
Add a Case Brief — $98

Educational only — not legal advice, no attorney-client relationship, and no opinion on the merits. Example shown for illustration.

Questions

Landlord claims, answered.

Can I take my tenant to small claims for unpaid rent?

Often, yes. Unpaid rent a tenant still owes under the lease is a common small-claims money claim. Limits and deadlines vary by state — your state page has the specifics.

Can I claim for damage beyond the security deposit?

Yes — when documented damage exceeds ordinary wear and the deposit doesn’t cover it, the balance can be a small-claims claim. Photos, receipts, and your lease do the work.

Is this the same as evicting a tenant?

No. Small claims handles money owed, not removal. Eviction is a separate housing-court process — if that’s what you need, we’ll point you to the right place.

Isn’t this debt collection?

No. Squabble prepares your small-claims case — it doesn’t collect debts, hold funds, or contact anyone on your behalf as a collector. You review and file the case yourself, or with our help.

What documents do I need?

Your lease, a ledger of what’s owed, the deposit accounting, and photos and receipts for any damage. Sophie organizes them into a clean, court-ready case.

How much does Squabble cost?

Your custom demand letter is free. To go further, Credible Threat is $128, File Now is $238, and a Dedicated Case Agent is $398. You only pay if you decide to escalate.

Does this work in my state?

Yes — Squabble covers all 50 states, with small-claims limits and the right court mapped for each.

Modern civil recourse

Built for everyone the system kept waiting.

Small-claims court exists so ordinary people can be heard without a lawyer or a fortune. Over time it filled up with forms, deadlines, and procedure most were never shown — and too many quietly gave up what they were owed.

Squabble puts it back within reach. Tell Sophie what happened, and your demand letter, court-ready paperwork, filing, and follow-through are prepared and moving — in about six minutes, off your shoulders.

Free to start — your Custom Demand Letter is free.