How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit?
Short answer: Many states cap security deposits — commonly at one or two months' rent — while others set no limit. Some cities add their own caps.
Pet deposits, cleaning fees and "last month's rent" may or may not count toward the cap depending on the state. Check your state's statute in the table.
The rule in every state
Each answer below links to the statute or official page it comes from (51 of 51 jurisdictions verified).
| State | Security deposit limit |
|---|---|
| Alabama | One month's periodic rent. Additional deposits are allowed only for pets, changes to the premises, or increased liability risks to the landlord or premises. Ala. Code § 35-9A-201(a) |
| Alaska | Security deposits plus prepaid rent may not total more than two months' rent. Units renting for more than $2,000 per month are exempt from this cap. The landlord may require an additional pet deposit of up to one more month's rent; no pet deposit may be charged for service animals. AS 34.03.070(a), (h) |
| Arizona | One and one-half months' rent, counting all security however labeled, including prepaid rent. A tenant may still voluntarily prepay more rent. A.R.S. § 33-1321(A) |
| Arkansas | Two months' rent. Example: with rent of $500, the maximum deposit is $1,000. The deposit rules apply only to landlords who rent six or more dwellings. Ark. Code Ann. §§ 18-16-303, 18-16-304 |
| California | One month's rent, in addition to the first month's rent. Small-landlord exception: up to two months' rent if the landlord is a natural person (or an LLC whose members are all natural persons) who owns no more than two residential rental properties with no more than four units in total. The exception does not apply if the prospective tenant is a service member. Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.5(c)(1), (c)(5) |
| Colorado | Two monthly rent payments. A separate pet deposit may be no more than $300 and must be refundable. Monthly pet rent may be no more than the greater of $35 or 1.5% of monthly rent. C.R.S. §§ 38-12-102.5, 38-12-106 |
| Connecticut | 2 months' rent; 1 month's rent if the tenant is 62 or older. A tenant who turns 62 after paying more than one month's rent can ask for the excess back. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21(b) |
| Delaware | 1 month's rent for leases of 1 year or more, and for month-to-month tenancies once they have lasted 1 year (excess must be credited back). No cap for furnished units or for the first year of a month-to-month tenancy. A separate pet deposit of up to 1 month's rent is allowed (none for a support animal). 25 Del. C. § 5514(a), (i) |
| District of Columbia | May not exceed the initial monthly rent (one month's rent), and must be held in an interest-bearing account. 14 DCMR §§ 308-311; D.C. Code § 42-3502.17 (as summarized in OTA Tenant Bill of Rights, Form OTA 2026.09.25) |
| Florida | No statutory cap on the amount of a security deposit. Fla. Stat. § 83.49 |
| Georgia | 2 months' rent. No landlord may demand or receive a security deposit that exceeds the equivalent of two months' rent. O.C.G.A. § 44-7-30.1 (added by HB 404, 2024 Safe at Home Act, Act 392) |
| Hawaii | 1 month's rent, plus an optional pet deposit of up to 1 month's rent (only if the tenant has a pet; never for an assistance animal). At move-in the landlord may collect only the first month's rent and the security deposit. HRS § 521-44(b) |
| Idaho | No statutory cap on the amount of a security deposit. Idaho Code § 6-321 |
| Illinois | No statewide legal limit on the amount of a security deposit. Illinois AG fact sheet 'Landlord and Tenant Rights and Laws' (01/24) |
| Indiana | No statutory cap on security deposits. IC 32-31-3 |
| Iowa | Two months' rent. Iowa Code § 562A.12(1) |
| Kansas | Unfurnished unit: one month's rent. Furnished: 1.5 months' rent. If pets are allowed, an additional pet deposit of up to one-half month's rent. K.S.A. 58-2550(a) |
| Kentucky | No statutory cap (statewide or under URLTA). KRS 383.580 |
| Louisiana | No statutory cap La. R.S. 9:3251-3254 |
| Maine | 2 months' rent 14 M.R.S. § 6032 |
| Maryland | 1 month's rent per dwelling unit, regardless of the number of tenants. Up to 2 months' rent is allowed only if the tenant qualifies for Department of Human Services utility assistance, the lease requires the tenant to pay utilities directly to the landlord, and both agree in writing. A landlord who charges more than the cap can be sued for up to 3 times the extra amount plus reasonable attorney's fees. Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-203(b)(1)-(3) |
| Massachusetts | Security deposit may not exceed one month's rent. At or before the start of a tenancy a landlord (or the landlord's agent) may require only: first full month's rent, last full month's rent (at the same rate as the first), a security deposit of up to one month's rent, and the purchase and installation cost of a new lock and key. No other upfront charges (e.g., application, pet, or landlord-side broker fees) are allowed. G.L. c. 186, § 15B(1)(b) |
| Michigan | 1.5 months' rent MCL 554.602 |
| Minnesota | No statewide cap on the amount of a security deposit. Minn. Stat. § 504B.178 |
| Mississippi | No statutory cap. § 89-8-21 governs how deposits are held and returned but sets no maximum amount. Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-21 |
| Missouri | Landlord may not demand or receive a security deposit of more than two months' rent. RSMo 535.300.1 |
| Montana | No statutory cap on the amount of a residential security deposit. Mont. Code Ann. Title 70, Ch. 25 (§§ 70-25-101 to 70-25-206) |
| Nebraska | One month's periodic rent (any security however labeled). A separate pet deposit of up to one-fourth of one month's periodic rent may also be charged. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416 |
| Nevada | Security deposit plus any surety bond may not total more than 3 months' periodic rent. NRS 118A.242(1) |
| New Hampshire | One month's rent or $100, whichever is greater. RSA 540-A:6, I(a) |
| New Jersey | 1.5 times one month's rent. Any additional security collected in a year may not exceed 10% of the current deposit. N.J.S.A. 46:8-21.2 |
| New Mexico | No cap for leases of one year or more (but if the deposit exceeds one month's rent on an annual lease, the owner must pay annual interest). For rental agreements shorter than one year: max one month's rent. NMSA 1978, § 47-8-18(A) |
| New York | One month's rent N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 7-108(1-a)(a) |
| North Carolina | 2 weeks' rent (week-to-week tenancy); 1.5 months' rent (month-to-month); 2 months' rent (terms longer than month-to-month) N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-51(b) |
| North Dakota | One month's rent. Up to two months' rent allowed from a tenant with a felony conviction (as an incentive to rent) or with a prior judgment for violating a rental agreement. A separate pet deposit (not for service/assistance animals) may not exceed the greater of $2,500 or two months' rent. N.D.C.C. § 47-16-07.1(1)-(2) |
| Ohio | No statutory cap Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16 |
| Oklahoma | No statutory cap on the amount of a security deposit. 41 O.S. § 115 |
| Oregon | No statutory cap on the amount of a security deposit. ORS 90.300 |
| Pennsylvania | First year of the lease: no more than 2 months' rent. Second and later years (or any renewal): no more than 1 month's rent. After 5+ years of tenancy, a rent increase cannot require a higher deposit. Landlord and Tenant Act § 511.1 (68 P.S. § 250.511a) |
| Rhode Island | One month's periodic rent. A separate furniture deposit (also capped at one month's rent) is allowed only for furnished units whose furniture has a replacement value of $5,000 or more. R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19(a), (e) |
| South Carolina | No statutory cap on the amount of a security deposit. S.C. Code § 27-40-410 |
| South Dakota | One month's rent, unless landlord and tenant agree to a larger deposit where special conditions pose a danger to maintenance of the premises. SDCL 43-32-6.1 |
| Tennessee | No statutory cap on the amount of a security deposit. T.C.A. 66-28-301 |
| Texas | No statutory cap. Tex. Prop. Code ch. 92, subch. C (92.101-92.113) |
| Utah | No statutory cap. Utah Code 57-17-1 to 57-17-5 |
| Vermont | No statutory cap. 9 V.S.A. 4461 |
| Virginia | Two months' periodic rent. Va. Code 55.1-1226(A) |
| Washington | No statutory cap on a residential security deposit. A holding fee/deposit to secure a unit may not exceed 25% of the first month's rent, and tenants may request to pay deposits, nonrefundable fees and last month's rent in installments (3 equal monthly installments for terms of 3 months or more; 2 otherwise). RCW 59.18.260; RCW 59.18.610 |
| West Virginia | No statutory cap on the amount of a security deposit. W. Va. Code §§ 37-6A-1, 37-6A-2 |
| Wisconsin | No statutory cap on the amount of a security deposit. Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.06; Wis. Stat. § 704.28 |
| Wyoming | No statutory cap on the amount of a deposit. W.S. 1-21-1207, 1-21-1208 |
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General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.