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Security deposits · checked October 20, 2026

Security deposit law in New Hampshire

Cap: 1 month's rent or $100, whichever is greater. Return deadline: 30 days under RSA 540-A:6, I(a); RSA 540-A:7, I.

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  1. 1Deposit cap1 mo. rent
  2. 2Return deadline30 days
  3. 3CheckedOctober 20, 2026
  4. 4StatuteRSA 540-A:6, I(a); RSA 540-A:7, I

The rule in New Hampshire

New Hampshire limits a residential security deposit to 1 month's rent or $100, whichever is greater. The wording in RSA 540-A:6, I(a); RSA 540-A:7, I: “in excess of one month's rent or $100, whichever is greater.”

The return deadline is 30 days, counted after the tenancy ends. The text reads: “within 30 days from the termination of the tenancy.”

Of the 44 jurisdictions verified here, 15 give landlords less time and 9 give more; the median is 30 days. 19 others also allow 30 days, among them Iowa, Kansas, Maine and Massachusetts.

What the cap means in dollars: $1,000 rent: up to $1,000, $1,500 rent: up to $1,500 and $2,000 rent: up to $2,000. The $100 floor matters only when rent is below $100 a month.

Worked date: if the clock starts on November 30, 2026, the deadline falls on December 30, 2026.

In neighbouring states with verified rules: Maine allows 30 days and caps deposits at two months' rent, Massachusetts allows 30 days and caps deposits at one month's rent and Vermont allows 14 days and sets no cap.

If a deposit is not returned, the small claims limit in New Hampshire is $10,000 (small claims rules); at the cap, a full-deposit claim fits whenever rent is $10,000 a month or less.

Vermont14 daysNew Hampshire30 daysMaine30 daysMassachusetts30 daysMedian, verified30 days
Deposit return deadlines in days (business days drawn at 7/5 of their count). Bar lengths are to scale.
$1,000$1,000$1,500$1,500$2,000$2,000
Largest deposit allowed in New Hampshire at three example rents (columns to scale).

Sources: New Hampshire General Court, RSA 540-A:6; New Hampshire General Court, RSA 540-A:7 · last checked October 20, 2026.

If the deposit does not come back

The statute above sets the deadline; what happens after it passes is covered in general terms in the guide on a deposit that is not returned, and the way each state starts and counts the clock is compared in how deposit deadlines are counted.

Questions

How much can a landlord charge as a security deposit in New Hampshire?

1 month's rent or $100, whichever is greater, under RSA 540-A:6, I(a); RSA 540-A:7, I.

How long does a landlord in New Hampshire have to return a deposit?

30 days: “within 30 days from the termination of the tenancy” (RSA 540-A:6, I(a); RSA 540-A:7, I).

When does the New Hampshire deadline start?

The clock runs after the tenancy ends.

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