New Hampshire security deposit interest
New Hampshire requires interest on a security deposit held for a year or more, at the rate the bank where it is deposited pays on regular savings accounts. The deposit must be held in a New Hampshire bank or savings institution, in a separate account or a landlord’s general escrow account with a bond.
Print this page for a dated statement showing the rate applied to each year and the statute.
How New Hampshire deposit interest works
Interest is normally paid at the end of the tenancy with the deposit, but a tenant can ask for the accrued interest every three years, within 30 days of the tenancy’s anniversary. The deposit itself may not exceed one month’s rent or $100, whichever is greater.
The rules in brief
- Interest at the bank’s regular savings rate once the deposit has been held one year.
- Tenant may request payment of accrued interest every three years, within 30 days of the anniversary.
- Exemptions for single-family landlords with no other rentals and owner-occupied buildings of five or fewer units.
- Return within 30 days of termination with an itemised list; wrongful withholding carries double damages.
Set by the holding bank. Whatever the bank pays on regular savings.
Worked examples: one year held
Assuming an account rate of 0.5%. Enter the real rate from the landlord’s notice in the calculator.
| Deposit | Interest-bearing portion | Interest owed |
|---|---|---|
| $1,000.00 | $1,000.00 | $5.00 |
| $1,500.00 | $1,500.00 | $7.50 |
| $2,500.00 | $2,500.00 | $12.50 |
Other New Hampshire deposit rules
- Maximum deposit: The greater of 1 month's rent or $100.
- Return deadline: Deposit plus any interest due returned within 30 days from termination of the tenancy, with a written itemized list of damages (and evidence repairs have been or will be made) or of unpaid rent/charges.
- Late fees: No statutory cap or grace period; late fees must be provided for in the lease and reasonable.
Full page: New Hampshire landlord and tenant rules.
Frequently asked questions
How much deposit interest does a New Hampshire landlord owe?
Whatever the holding bank paid on regular savings accounts, for every year the deposit was held once the tenancy has lasted at least a year. Ask the landlord for the account details; you are entitled to them.
Can I get the interest before I move out?
Yes, once every three years. Request it within 30 days of the anniversary of the tenancy.
Does a small landlord have to pay?
Not if they rent a single-family home and own no other rental property, or live in a building of five or fewer units. Everyone else does.