What if the agency holds the deposit?

You claim it from whoever signed the contract with you as landlord; if the agency collected it and manages the rental, you can send it to both. Each recipient is one burofax.

Can I get paid into a non-Spanish account?

Yes. Give the full IBAN; if the bank is outside the SEPA area, add the SWIFT or BIC code.

Do I need a Spanish address?

No. It goes out in your name with our address as sender («c/o Burofácil», +10 €). Your address and email go in the letter, so they reply to you.

Is there a deadline to claim?

Years, not months, but the sooner the better: the flat's condition and the key date are easier to prove while recent.

From outside Spain · deposit

I left Spain and my landlord won't return my deposit: how do I claim it?

With a burofax asking for the deposit back by a deadline, with your IBAN and what you will do if they don't pay. It proves you claimed, it is the step before going to court, and it often works on its own: many landlords pay once they receive it. From abroad you do it online: 39 € with your letter, sent on paper with proof of delivery. Written in English? We send it translated into Spanish (+20 €).

1 month: after handing back the keys, the deposit starts earning interest
39 €: your letter, sent from abroad
2,000 €: up to this, you can sue without a lawyer

I have my letter, 39 €Draft it for me (form in Spanish), 59 €

Why it is hard from abroad

Once you leave Spain the deposit stays there, and the landlord knows it: an unanswered email obliges them to nothing, and from abroad you can't just walk into a post office or a court. A burofax changes that: it proves what you asked for, when, and that they received it, and the deadline you give starts that day.

What the landlord can keep, and what not

They can deduct unpaid rent or utility bills you left, and damage beyond normal wear and tear. They have to justify it.
They can't keep it for repainting, for normal wear, or without saying why.
One month after you handed back the keys, whatever they haven't returned earns interest in your favour.

What the letter must say

Your details, the landlord's or agency's, the flat's address and the date you handed back the keys.
The deposit amount (and any extra guarantee you paid).
Your full IBAN for the refund; outside the SEPA area, add the SWIFT or BIC.
A deadline to pay and what you'll do otherwise: claim it in court with interest.
Your email and current address, so they reply to you.

How it works from abroad

Paste your letter or upload it as PDF or Word. We check for free that it has what Spanish law requires.
Without an address in Spain, tick the box (+10 €): it goes out in your name «c/o Burofácil».
Pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. We send it on paper with proof of delivery and email you when it arrives.

If they don't answer

Up to 2,000 € you can sue in Spain without a lawyer or procurador, and for a documented debt (the contract, the deposit receipt) there is a simple payment-order procedure started with a form. Inside the EU there is also the European Small Claims Procedure, up to 5,000 €, done in writing. From abroad it often pays to have someone represent you, and with the burofax and proof of delivery they have most of the work done.

What Spanish law says

One month after the keys are returned, the unpaid deposit earns statutory interest (art. 36.4 Urban Leases Act, LAU). fuente
Claims up to 2,000 € need neither lawyer nor procurador (arts. 23.2.1 and 31.2.1 LEC). fuente
The European Small Claims Procedure covers cross-border claims up to 5,000 € (Regulation (EC) 861/2007, as amended). fuente
Before suing you must try to settle; if the other side doesn't answer your proposal, the attempt counts as made (Organic Law 1/2025). fuente

Frequently asked questions

What if the agency holds the deposit?: You claim it from whoever signed the contract with you as landlord; if the agency collected it and manages the rental, you can send it to both. Each recipient is one burofax.
Can I get paid into a non-Spanish account?: Yes. Give the full IBAN; if the bank is outside the SEPA area, add the SWIFT or BIC code.
Do I need a Spanish address?: No. It goes out in your name with our address as sender («c/o Burofácil», +10 €). Your address and email go in the letter, so they reply to you.
Is there a deadline to claim?: Years, not months, but the sooner the better: the flat's condition and the key date are easier to prove while recent.