Back to Delaware

SB186 • 2025

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 25 RELATING TO THE LANDLORD-TENANT CODE.

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 25 RELATING TO THE LANDLORD-TENANT CODE.

Housing
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Last action
2025-06-12
Official status
Introduced and Assigned to Housing & Land Use Committee in Senate
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on how proof of receipt for electronic messages is established or what happens if there's disagreement about using electronic communication.

Changes to Landlord-Tenant Rules About Security Deposits

This law changes how landlords and tenants can prove they sent messages about security deposits and allows them to use electronic communication if both sides regularly communicate that way.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds rules for showing proof that messages about security deposits were sent.
  • Allows important documents related to security deposits to be sent electronically if the parties usually communicate by a certain method.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Landlords
  • Tenants

Terms To Know

Security Deposit
Money a tenant pays to the landlord at the start of renting an apartment or house, which is usually returned when the lease ends.
Electronic Communication
Messages sent through email, text messages, or other digital methods.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how to prove electronic communication was received.
  • It is unclear what happens if one party disagrees about using electronic communication.

Bill History

  1. 2025-06-12 Delaware General Assembly

    Introduced and Assigned to Housing & Land Use Committee in Senate

Official Summary Text

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 25 RELATING TO THE LANDLORD-TENANT CODE.
This Act identifies evidence that communications were sent relating to a security deposit. It also allows for the required communications to be sent electronically if it can be shown by the party utilizing electronic communications that the parties regularly communicated by a particular method and that the electronic communication was received by the other party.