Not a form letter you could send yourself — a system that adapts to your landlord and makes paying you back their cheapest move. You stay out of it.
Amount in dispute
Illustration only — not an estimate of your specific recovery. Tribune: 15% of recovery, $0 if nothing recovered. Attorney fees estimated ~$1,200 (avg. 4 hrs × $300/hr).
01 / Why Landlords Fold
That asymmetry is a landlord's whole advantage. They're betting you don't know the rules and won't follow through — because most tenants don't. Tribune erases the bet. Now they're the one negotiating against someone who has seen the entire playbook.
Stall, vague invoice, lowball, silence. Landlords run a small set of plays — and we know what each one is actually worth under § 47a-21.
This isn't a template you could've downloaded. We read your landlord's specific response and adapt the next step to the leverage your case actually has.
Against documented exposure and someone who won't go away, paying you back is cheaper than fighting. We make that math impossible to miss.
02 / What They Can't Charge
Under Connecticut law, normal wear and tear is never deductible. Landlords charge for it anyway — because most tenants don't push back.
These charges appear in thousands of CT deduction notices. Most don't hold up under § 47a-21.
The ruleIf it happened because someone lived there — not because they abused it — it's wear and tear. Landlords don't get to charge you for the passage of time.
03 / The Law
21 days to return the deposit or send an itemized list. Miss it by a day and your claim gets significantly stronger.
"Cleaning — $300" isn't compliant. Connecticut requires specific, documented deductions. Most landlords don't meet this bar.
Deposits must be held in interest-bearing accounts with annual statements. If they weren't, that's a separate violation.
When a landlord violates § 47a-21, the statute provides for liability of up to twice the amount of the security deposit. Whether it applies depends on the facts — Tribune prepares the documentation; you assert the claim.
Your landlord has to justify every dollar kept. Can't document it? Can't deduct it.
04 / How It Works
The delay, the vague invoice, the lowball offer — each step of our process is built around what landlords actually do.
You see every update in your case log. You don't have to deal with any of it.
We evaluate your documents, timeline, and the landlord's compliance with § 47a-21. If the claim isn't strong, we'll tell you directly.
A formal demand citing § 47a-21, documenting every violation, and naming the deadline — with their exposure calculated to the dollar. Some landlords settle on this alone.
Holdouts test you with vague rebuttals, lowball offers, and silence. We know what each one means and answer it specifically — every round adding to the record and to what they stand to lose.
Most cases resolve before this point. For holdouts, we prepare the complete filing package. You show up once. Filing fees are typically under $75.
05 / Pricing
Tribune charges 15% of what we recover — paid after the money hits your account. If we recover nothing, you owe nothing.
06 / About
We've been through this — bogus deductions, holdout landlords, the whole thing. After researching the statute and learning how bad landlords actually operate, we built Tribune to make what we figured out available to every Connecticut tenant.
Tribune is a legal-information and document-preparation service — not a law firm, and nothing here is legal advice. We handle the research, drafting, and correspondence; you authorize what goes out. If a case would be better with an attorney, we'll tell you directly.
07 / FAQ
No. Tribune is a document-preparation and legal-information service. You authorize what goes out — we research, draft, and handle the correspondence. If your case needs a lawyer, we'll tell you.
You can — and if your landlord is reasonable, it might work. Most aren't. They stall because they're betting you'll give up, and a one-off letter from a tenant who won't follow through is a bet they're happy to take. Tribune doesn't give up, knows every move they'll try, and adapts each response to your specific case. You stop being one tenant guessing at the rules.
15% of what we recover, paid after money hits your account. If we recover nothing, you pay nothing. Hard costs are pass-through and disclosed up front.
No. Tribune handles all correspondence. The entire negotiation runs through us — you see updates but you're completely out of the conversation.
Often yes. Deductions must be itemized, specific, documented, and exclude normal wear and tear. Most don't meet that standard.
Every ignored deadline raises the statutory exposure and strengthens the record. For holdouts, we prepare the small-claims package ready to file.
Most matters resolve in 4–8 weeks. Small claims adds time but is straightforward — filing fees are typically under $75.
Takes about 10 minutes · No credit card · No commitment unless we recover
Tribune provides legal-information and document-preparation services for Connecticut tenants. Not a law firm. All correspondence signed by the tenant.