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Security deposit · New Hampshire

30 days after tenancy ends.

By housr editorsStatute text checked 2026-10-05Legal review pending
A named legal reviewer hasn't signed this page yet. We read and quoted the statute ourselves on 2026-10-05. Until review, this page isn't indexed by search engines. This is information, not legal advice. See legal review.
The short answerN.H. Rev. Stat. §540-A:7(I)
Deadline30 calendar days
Before it appliesTell the landlord your new address
If kept in bad faithTwice the deposit plus interest due, less lawful charges

The rule

In New Hampshire, the clock starts when: tenancy ends. The landlord then has 30 calendar days. The statute says:

“…a landlord shall return a security deposit to a tenant and pay the interest due, if any, within 30 days from the termination of the tenancy.”

The landlord isn't liable if the failure was because you didn't give your new address.

For example, if you returned the keys on Oct 25, 2026, the date would be Nov 24, 2026. Use the Clock for your own dates.

What the landlord has to send

A written, itemized list of damages with the nature of each repair and satisfactory evidence it has been or will be done.

“…a landlord shall not be liable nor forfeit any rights if his failure to comply with said sections and paragraph is due to the failure of the tenant to notify the landlord of his new address upon termination of the tenancy.”
N.H. Rev. Stat. §540-A:8(II)

Do this

On move-out day

Give your forwarding address in writing and keep proof of sending. Photograph every room before you return the keys.

Deductions and wear and tear

New Hampshire's statute limits what can be kept to the purposes it lists. We haven't summarised its wear-and-tear language yet; read the section linked above.

For a charge to replace something old, Fair Charge works out a prorated estimate from the item's age and useful life, and says where the useful life comes from. See also the item guides for carpet, paint and cleaning.

If the deadline passes

Twice the deposit plus interest due, less lawful charges.

“…shall be liable to the tenant in damages in an amount equal to twice the sum of the amount of the security deposit plus any interest due under this subdivision, less any payments made and any charges owing…”
N.H. Rev. Stat. §540-A:8(I)(b)

The usual first step is a written demand that states the date the deposit was due and cites the statute. Our demand letter does that and carries any disputed deductions.

Your next steps

Sources

  1. N.H. Rev. Stat. §540-A:7(I) · checked 2026-10-05
  2. N.H. Rev. Stat. §540-A:8(II) · checked 2026-10-05

Information, not legal advice. Statutes are quoted from official legislature sites; summaries are ours. Spotted an error? Tell us.