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 domestic-violence 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
StatuteN.J.S.A. §§46:8‑19
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.
30days
Return clock: 30 days (5 business days after displacement, 15 after a domestic-violence 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, at the variable rate the required account actually earns rather than a fixed percentage. It is paid in cash or credited toward rent at each annual renewal date or every January 31 (§46:8-19). The one fixed figure in the statute is a remedy: if the landlord fails to invest the deposit or give the required notice, the tenant may apply the deposit to rent and the landlord owes 7% interest (§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.
New Jersey Department of Community Affairs · nj.gov
C
Cholilurrohman Every figure on this page is checked line-by-line against the current statute. 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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