Certified Mail

Full Definition

Certified mail is a service offered by the U.S. Postal Service that provides the sender with a mailing receipt and electronic verification of delivery, including the date delivered and the name of the person who signed for it. In security deposit disputes, certified mail is important because many legal consequences -- penalty deadlines, the landlord's obligation to return the deposit, the start of the limitations period -- hinge on when and whether a notice was received. Sending a demand letter, a forwarding address notice, or a notice of lease termination by certified mail creates an objective, court-admissible record that the communication was sent and received (or that delivery was attempted). A simple first-class letter or text message can be denied by the other party; a certified mail receipt cannot. Some states specifically require that deposit-related notices be sent by certified mail to be legally effective -- for instance, some require certified mail for the landlord's itemized statement or for the tenant's demand letter to trigger the penalties phase. Tenants should retain both the green return receipt card and the online tracking confirmation.