Depositron
An AI-powered platform that generates legally grounded, evidence-backed demand letters to help New York City tenants recover illegally withheld rental deposits quickly and without costly legal intervention.
Project Description
Depositron is an online tool designed to address New York City’s widespread security deposit withholding problem. Built for NYC tenant protections and New York State law, it enables renters to produce professionally formatted demand letters citing relevant statutes—including the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019 and General Obligations Law Sections 7-103 to 7-108. The platform integrates photo evidence and procedural details to create enforceable legal pressure without requiring tenants to hire attorneys or navigate lengthy small claims court proceedings.
How It Was Built
The system combines plain-language intake, legal rule automation, and templated letter generation. Users answer simple questions about their tenancy (deposit amount, move-out date, apartment condition) and optionally upload photos. It was built using the LawDroid platform.
Depositron then applies New York’s statutory rules—including the 14-day return deadline and automatic forfeiture provision—to produce a demand letter tailored to the tenant’s case. The letter is output in a format suitable for sending directly to landlords or using as part of a small claims action.
Value for Users and Teams
- For Tenants: Converts complex legal requirements into actionable steps in minutes, replacing uncertainty with clear, law-backed documentation.
- For Advocates & Policymakers: Generates structured, anonymized data on violation patterns, common landlord practices, and geographic trends to inform targeted enforcement.
- For the System: Reduces court backlogs by encouraging compliance before formal litigation.
How to Measure It
- User Success Rate: Percentage of tenants who recover their deposits after sending a letter.
- Response Time: Average number of days to landlord compliance versus small claims court timelines.
- Usage Volume: Number of demand letters generated over time, segmented by neighborhood and landlord type.
- Behavior Change Indicators: Reduction in reported violations in areas with high Depositron adoption.
How It Can Be Adapted
Depositron’s model could be extended to:
- Other states with security deposit return laws, adapting statutes and deadlines.
- Related tenant protection claims such as illegal fees, habitability violations, or failure to make repairs.
- Other consumer law areas where demand letters have high impact but are underutilized due to legal complexity.