Delaware Landlord Guide — Get Your Action Plan in 60 Seconds

Tenant behind on rent? Damage beyond wear and tear? Holding over after the lease ended? Describe the situation in your own words and get a plain-English breakdown, severity rating, step-by-step next steps, and ready-to-send notices — specific to Delaware law.

Delaware landlord law, at a glance

• Security deposit: you must return it within 20 days of move-out, with an itemized statement for deductions.
• Tenant entry: Landlords must generally give 48-hour notice before entering, except in emergencies.
• Eviction: you must go through the courts. Self-help eviction is illegal.

Under 25 Del. C. § 5514(f), the deposit must be returned with an itemized list within 20 days of termination; a tenant has 10 days to object to deductions, and violations can yield double the amount wrongfully withheld. Landlords must give 48 hours' notice and enter only between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. (§ 5509(b)). Rent carries a 5-day grace period before late fees (8 days if the landlord has no office in the county), and late fees are capped at 5% of monthly rent (§ 5501(d)). Self-help eviction is illegal — a landlord must secure a court order of possession before removing a tenant.

Free legal help in Delaware

• Community Legal Aid Society (CLASI) — (302) 575-0660 — Free intake by county; subsidized-housing eviction, lockouts, unsafe conditions, fair housing.
• Legal Services Corporation of Delaware — (302) 575-0408 — Free civil legal aid; Legal Help Link program handles all landlord-tenant problems.
• Delaware Legal Help Link — Free public service from Delaware's nonprofit civil legal-aid providers; eviction help.
• Call or text 211 for free local referrals.

Common questions