Renters' Rights · Security Deposit
Security Deposit Laws in New Hampshire
The most a landlord can charge, how long they have to return it, and what it costs them to keep your money without cause in New Hampshire.
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What your landlord can hold, and when it's due back
Enter your rent for the New Hampshire maximum, plus the return-deadline clock.
Estimate only, based on New Hampshire's statutory cap. Your lease may set a lower deposit, and local ordinances can be stricter. Not legal advice.
The full rules, with the statute
Every requirement and where it comes from in the code.
Exceptions: A landlord cannot require a security deposit greater than one month's rent or $100, whichever is larger (RSA 540-A:6). The rule applies to covered residential landlords. Under RSA 540-A:5, a person who rents a single-family home and owns no other rental property, or who rents units in an owner-occupied building of five units or fewer, is not treated as a landlord for these deposit rules, except for any unit in that building rented to a person 60 years of age or older. In those exempt situations the statutory cap and other deposit protections do not apply.
Penalties & recent changes
What happens if the landlord keeps your deposit wrongfully.
What New Hampshire renters get wrong
New Hampshire caps a residential security deposit at the greater of one month’s rent or $100, so even on a very low rent a landlord can still ask for up to $100 (RSA 540-A:6). Your deposit stays your money: the landlord must hold it in trust at a New Hampshire bank or credit union, or post a bond with the town, and cannot mix it with personal funds. If the landlord holds the deposit for a year or longer, they owe you interest at the rate the bank pays on regular savings where it sits. After the tenancy ends, the landlord has 30 days to return the deposit with any interest, or to give you a written, itemized statement of the damages they are charging for, backed by receipts or estimates. If the landlord keeps your money wrongfully or misses these steps, you can sue for twice the deposit. One important exception: owner-occupied buildings with five or fewer units, and single-family rentals by an owner with no other rental property, are outside these rules unless the unit is rented to someone 60 or older.
Common questions
How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in New Hampshire?
No more than the greater of one month's rent or $100 (RSA 540-A:6). Whichever figure is larger is the ceiling, so a landlord can always ask for at least $100 even if the monthly rent is lower than that.
When does my New Hampshire landlord have to pay interest on my deposit?
Only if the landlord holds your deposit for one year or longer. In that case they must pay interest at the rate the bank pays on regular savings accounts where the money is held. If deposits from several tenants are pooled in one trust account, the interest actually earned is divided proportionally. No interest is owed if the deposit is held less than a year.
How long does a New Hampshire landlord have to return my deposit?
Within 30 days after the tenancy ends. Within that same 30 days the landlord must either return the full deposit plus any interest, or return the balance along with a written, itemized statement of the damages being charged, supported by receipts, estimates, bills, or invoices.
What if my New Hampshire landlord keeps my deposit wrongfully?
You can sue for twice the amount of the security deposit if the landlord keeps it without cause, misses the 30-day deadline, fails to pay owed interest, or fails to provide the itemized statement (RSA 540-A:7). A broader violation of RSA 540-A can add actual damages or $1,000, whichever is greater, plus court costs and reasonable attorney fees.
Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.