Typical residential security deposit amount a landlord holds and later accounts for on a return statement in New Hampshire (2026)
A typical New Hampshire range, the local factors behind it, and the tools to price your own project.
Reviewed for 2026, updated September 8, 2026.
What drives the cost in New Hampshire
New Hampshire deposits sit a little above the national typical range in the southern tier near Boston and near it elsewhere. State law caps deposits at about one month's rent or a modest floor, requires interest if the deposit is held more than a year, sets a 30-day return window with an itemized statement, and allows doubled damages, with exemptions for some small owner-occupied buildings, so confirm whether the statute reaches you. Cold winters, heating oil costs, and old housing stock make ice dams, radiator issues, and plaster wear common and mostly owner costs.
Tips for New Hampshire buyers
- Check whether the owner-occupied exemption applies before assuming the deadline and interest rules do not.
- Start accruing interest once the deposit passes the one-year mark and show it on the final statement.
- Dartmouth and other college-area leases end in early summer; plan inspections for June.
Ranges are hedged planning estimates derived from a national typical range and a local index, not quotes. A typical single deposit on a market-rate residential rental is commonly around one month's rent, which puts most deposits somewhere in this range; actual amounts vary widely with local rents, unit size, pets, and state caps, and this is a working reference rather than a survey figure.
Price your project
- Deposit Deduction Depreciation Calculator: Estimates how much of a carpet, paint, blind, or appliance replacement a landlord can fairly deduct from a security deposit once the item's age and normal wear are taken into account.
- Security Deposit Refund Statement Calculator: Adds up the deposit held, any interest owed, and each itemized deduction to show the exact refund due to the tenant or the balance the tenant still owes.
- Late Deposit Return Penalty Exposure Calculator: Shows landlords how many days remain before a state return deadline and what missing it could cost when a statute allows forfeited deductions or multiplied damages.