The rule in New Jersey
New Jersey limits a residential security deposit to 1.5 months' rent. The wording in N.J.S.A. 46:8-21.2; 46:8-21.1: “cannot be more than one and one-half times one month's rent.”
The return deadline is 30 days, counted after the tenancy ends. The text reads: “Within 30 days after the termination of a tenancy, a landlord must return the security deposit.”
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 $1,500, $1,500 rent: up to $2,250 and $2,000 rent: up to $3,000.
Worked date: if the clock starts on November 30, 2026, the deadline falls on December 30, 2026.
In neighbouring states with verified rules: Delaware allows 20 days and caps deposits at one month's rent, New York allows 14 days and caps deposits at one month's rent and Pennsylvania allows 30 days and caps deposits at two months' rent.
If a deposit is not returned, the small claims limit in New Jersey is $5,000 (small claims rules); at the cap, a full-deposit claim fits whenever rent is $3,333 a month or less.
Source: New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, Truth in Renting · 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 Jersey?
1.5 months' rent, under N.J.S.A. 46:8-21.2; 46:8-21.1.
How long does a landlord in New Jersey have to return a deposit?
30 days: “Within 30 days after the termination of a tenancy, a landlord must return the security deposit” (N.J.S.A. 46:8-21.2; 46:8-21.1).
When does the New Jersey deadline start?
The clock runs after the tenancy ends.