New Hampshire security deposit law

What your landlord is legally required to do after you move out, how long they have, and what it costs them if they get it wrong.

The deadline

Under N.H. Rev. Stat. § 540-A:7, a landlord in New Hampshire must return your security deposit — together with any required written itemization of deductions — within 30 days. Once that window closes without payment or a proper itemization, the landlord is in violation of the statute.

The 30 days run from termination of the tenancy. RSA 540-A:8, I(b) makes the doubling mandatory — there is no bad-faith or wilfulness requirement. It does not carry attorney's fees; fees are available only under RSA 358-A:10 for the separate trust-account, receipt and excess-deposit violations in RSA 540-A:6. A landlord is not liable at all if you never gave them your new address after the tenancy ended, and under RSA 540-A:8, II a deposit left unclaimed for six months after termination becomes the landlord's property.

What it costs your landlord

Under N.H. Rev. Stat. § 540-A:8, a landlord who wrongfully withholds a deposit in New Hampshire may be liable for twice the sum of the security deposit plus any interest due, less any payments made and any charges owing for damages, unpaid rent, or share of real estate taxes. That exposure is the reason a formal demand letter works: it is usually cheaper for a landlord to pay you than to argue about it.

How to get your deposit back in New Hampshire

1. 1. Confirm the deadline has passed. Count from the day you moved out and returned possession. In New Hampshire that's 30 days.
2. 2. Put your forwarding address in writing. In several states a landlord has no obligation until they have it, and having sent it protects your claim.
3. 3. Gather your evidence. The lease, proof you paid the deposit, move-in and move-out photos, and any itemization they sent.
4. 4. Send a written demand by certified mail. Cite N.H. Rev. Stat. § 540-A:7, state the amount owed, and give a deadline to pay. Certified mail creates the delivery record a judge will want to see.
5. 5. File in small claims if they ignore you. You don't need a lawyer. File in the county where the property is located.

Common questions

How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in New Hampshire?

Under N.H. Rev. Stat. § 540-A:7, a New Hampshire landlord has 30 days to return the deposit and provide any required written itemization of deductions.

What is the penalty if my landlord keeps my deposit in New Hampshire?

Under N.H. Rev. Stat. § 540-A:8, a landlord who wrongfully withholds may be liable for twice the sum of the security deposit plus any interest due, less any payments made and any charges owing for damages, unpaid rent, or share of real estate taxes.

Do I have to sue to get my security deposit back?

Often not. A formal written demand sent by certified mail puts your landlord on notice of the statute, the deadline they missed and the penalty attached to it — and gives you a dated record that they received it. Small claims court is the fallback if they ignore it.