Typical residential security deposit amount a landlord holds and later accounts for on a return statement in New Mexico (2026)
A typical New Mexico 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 Mexico
New Mexico deposits sit below the national typical range, with Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Los Alamos the higher markets and Santa Fe notably high for the state. State law caps deposits at about one month's rent for leases shorter than a year, allows more on longer leases but then requires interest on the excess, sets a 30-day return window with an itemized statement, and penalizes noncompliance with forfeiture of the right to deduct, so confirm the current terms. High desert sun, dry air, and dust fade paint and dry out wood, while adobe and stucco maintenance is squarely the owner's job.
Tips for New Mexico buyers
- If you take more than one month on a longer lease, calculate and show the required interest on the excess.
- Depreciate paint and window coverings for sun exposure, which is intense at altitude.
- Stucco cracks and roof issues are owner maintenance, not tenant charges.
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.