§PlainStatute

Renters' Rights · Security Deposit

Security Deposit Laws in New Jersey

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 Jersey.

Draft entry: figures pending statute verificationStatute §§46:8-19 to 46:8-26Source nj.gov
Security deposit at a glance · New Jersey
1.5 months
is the most a landlord may charge for a security deposit in New Jersey. It must be returned within 30 days (5 business days after displacement; 15 after a dv termination).
Maximum deposit1.5 months' rent
Return deadline30 days
Interest to tenantRequired — paid to tenant
Separate accountTrust; insured NJ account
ItemizationRequired within 30 days
PenaltyDouble the amount + full costs
Statute§§46:8-19 to 46:8-26

What your landlord can hold, and when it's due back

Enter your rent for the New Jersey maximum, plus the return-deadline clock.

Deposit calculator · New Jersey
Most a landlord can hold
1.5 months
Enter your monthly rent to see the dollar maximum.
Return clock: 30 days (5 business days after displacement; 15 after a DV termination)
The deadline runs after the lease ends. Give your landlord a written forwarding address at move-out so the clock starts.

Estimate only, based on New Jersey'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.

Maximum deposit
1.5 months' rent. Any annual increase in the deposit may not exceed 10% of the current deposit (§46:8-21.2).

Exceptions: The deposit may not exceed 1.5 months' rent, and any yearly increase is capped at 10% of the existing deposit.

Return deadline
Within 30 days after the lease ends, the landlord must return the deposit plus its interest, minus itemized deductions. The window shrinks to 5 business days when the tenant is displaced by fire, flood, condemnation, or evacuation, and 15 business days after a domestic-violence lease termination.
Interest to tenant
RequiredInterest (or investment earnings) on the deposit belongs to the tenant. It is paid in cash or credited toward rent at each annual renewal date or every January 31 (§46:8-19).
Separate account
RequiredThe deposit must be held in trust, never commingled, in an insured New Jersey money-market fund or an insured interest-bearing account. Larger landlords (10+ units) must use the money-market option.
Itemization
The interest and any deductions must be itemized, with notice sent by personal delivery, registered, or certified mail (§46:8-21.1).

Penalties & recent changes

What happens if the landlord keeps your deposit wrongfully.

If the landlord withholds wrongfully
The court "shall award recovery of double the amount" of the deposit or interest wrongfully withheld, plus full costs; attorney's fees may be awarded at the court's discretion (§46:8-21.1).

What New Jersey renters get wrong

New Jersey is one of the few states where interest on your deposit is genuinely mandatory — it's your money, and the landlord must either pay it out or credit it against rent every year. The cap is one and a half months' rent, and even the annual increase is limited to 10%. The return deadline is normally 30 days, but it collapses fast in emergencies: just five business days if you're displaced by a fire, flood, or condemnation, and fifteen after a domestic-violence lease termination. Ignore the aggregator claim that the deadline became 45 days in 2024 — it's still 30.

Common questions

What is the maximum security deposit in New Jersey?

One and a half months' rent. On top of that, any yearly increase in the deposit is limited to 10% of the current deposit amount.

Does my New Jersey landlord have to pay interest on my deposit?

Yes. Interest or investment earnings belong to you and must be paid in cash or credited toward rent each year, either on the lease anniversary or by January 31.

How long does a New Jersey landlord have to return my deposit?

30 days after the lease ends. It drops to five business days if you were displaced by fire, flood, condemnation, or evacuation, and fifteen business days after a domestic-violence lease termination.

What is the penalty for withholding a deposit in New Jersey?

The court must award double the amount wrongfully withheld plus full court costs, and may add attorney's fees at its discretion.

Primary source
→ N.J.S.A. §§46:8-19 to 46:8-26
New Jersey Department of Community Affairs · nj.gov
Draft: pending editorial review
The interactive New Jersey legislature site refused connections; the full text was read verbatim from the official NJ DCA PDF and confirmed current via Justia (2025) and FindLaw, but a human should capture the per-section legislature deep-links in a browser before this page carries a verified byline. Editorial standards →

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.

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