Renters' Rights · Security Deposit
Security Deposit Laws in North Dakota
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 North Dakota.
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What your landlord can hold, and when it's due back
Enter your rent for the North Dakota maximum, plus the return-deadline clock.
Estimate only, based on North Dakota'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: The base cap is one month's rent. The landlord may demand up to two months' rent only if the tenant has been convicted of a felony or has had a judgment entered against them for violating the terms of a previous rental agreement. On top of that, for a tenant who keeps a pet (other than a service or companion animal for a person with a disability), the landlord may charge a separate pet security deposit not exceeding the greater of $2,500 or two months' rent.
Penalties & recent changes
What happens if the landlord keeps your deposit wrongfully.
What North Dakota renters get wrong
North Dakota caps a residential security deposit at one month's rent as the baseline (N.D.C.C. 47-16-07.1). A landlord can only go higher, up to two months' rent, if you have a felony conviction or a past judgment for breaking a rental agreement, and can add a separate pet deposit of up to the greater of $2,500 or two months' rent for a non-service animal. Your money cannot just sit in the landlord's pocket: it must go into a federally insured interest-bearing savings or checking account held for your benefit. If your tenancy lasts nine months or longer, the interest earned belongs to you; for a shorter stay the landlord does not owe interest. After you move out, the landlord has 30 days to return the deposit with an itemized statement of any deductions, and one that keeps your money without reasonable justification faces treble damages.
Common questions
How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in North Dakota?
Usually no more than one month's rent. A landlord can require up to two months' rent only if you have a felony conviction or a prior judgment for violating a rental agreement. If you have a pet that is not a service or companion animal, the landlord can also charge a separate pet deposit of up to the greater of $2,500 or two months' rent.
Does my North Dakota landlord have to pay interest on my deposit?
Sometimes. The landlord must keep your deposit in a federally insured interest-bearing savings or checking account for your benefit, and any interest belongs to you. But interest is only owed if you occupied the unit for nine months or longer. If your stay was shorter than nine months, the landlord does not have to pay interest.
How long does a landlord have to return my deposit in North Dakota?
Within 30 days after your lease ends and you give back the unit. The landlord must mail or deliver your refund, along with any interest owed and a written itemized statement of any deductions, to the last address you provided.
What happens if my North Dakota landlord wrongfully keeps my deposit?
A landlord who withholds any part of your deposit without reasonable justification is liable for treble damages, which means three times the amount that was wrongfully withheld.
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.