Getting your deposit back in Burlington County, NJ: the courthouse, the boards, and who helps
You do not need a lawyer to sue for a deposit here. On the county's median rent, a full-deposit case lands in the Special Civil Part at the Mount Holly courthouse - but that depends on your deposit, not the median, and the check below settles it. The rules behind it are the state's, not the county's: New Jersey law governs the deposit in all 40 municipalities, for the 42,298 households that rent here. What is local is everything around the rule: which courthouse hears the case, which towns keep a rent board, where the landlord is registered, and who will help for free.
Where you stand
Your deadline, your numbers, and why no Burlington County ordinance changes either.
Has your landlord missed the 30-day deadline?
Two fields, ten seconds - the math follows N.J.S.A. 46:8-21.1, the same statute in every Burlington County town. Add your deposit to see what you can demand and which Mount Holly track the doubled claim lands on.
The rules themselves: 30 days, doubled, one and a half months
These rules come from New Jersey state law, not from the county. We checked the published code of all 40 Burlington County municipalities against the state's 2026 survey: not one has a deposit ordinance of its own, so a landlord who tells you it works differently in Mount Holly, Shamong or Bass River is wrong.
The Rent Security Deposit Act, N.J.S.A. 46:8-19 to 46:8-26, reads the same in every Burlington County town. The New Jersey page has the full text and the case law; this is the short version.
- 30 days
- to return it after you move out
- 2x
- what a court awards on money wrongfully kept
- 1.5 months
- the most any NJ landlord may collect
The clock starts the day the tenancy ends - usually the day the keys go back - and runs 30 days, five business days if fire, flood or condemnation put you out. Miss it, or keep money without an itemized reason, and the court doubles what was withheld: "shall", not "may", with costs on top. The same doubling applies at the Mount Holly courthouse as anywhere in the state. The statute in full, the exemptions and the case law are on the New Jersey page.
What a deposit dispute looks like in Burlington County, in numbers
- $1,745
- median monthly rent
- $2,618
- the most a landlord may hold on it
- 42,298
- renter households - 24% of the county
The median Burlington County renter pays $1,745 a month, so the deposit on a median unit tops out at $2,618 - one and a half months is the state cap. If a landlord keeps all of it past the 30 days, the claim is that amount doubled, $5,235, which is over the $5,000 Small Claims line: a typical full-deposit case in this county files in the Special Civil Part, on the longer form with the higher fee. Smaller deposits - anything under $2,500 - stay in Small Claims.
One rent board in the county: Shamong
Rent control is the one landlord-tenant rule New Jersey towns set locally, and one town in Burlington County keeps a board. None of it touches deposits - the cap and the 30 days are the state's everywhere - but a board knows its local landlords, which is worth a call when a management company has gone quiet.
The 1 Burlington County boards, and the towns without one
| Municipality | Covers | Annual limit | Board |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shamong | Mobile Homes only | CPI-U Philadelphia/South NJ. Maximum of 5%. | Rent Control Board (609) 268-2377 |
No rent control: Bass River, Beverly, Bordentown City, Bordentown Township, Burlington City, Burlington Township, Chesterfield, Cinnaminson, Delanco, Delran, Eastampton, Edgewater Park, Evesham, Fieldsboro, Florence, Hainesport, Lumberton, Mansfield, Maple Shade, Medford, Medford Lakes, Moorestown, Mount Holly, Mount Laurel, New Hanover, North Hanover, Palmyra, Pemberton Borough, Pemberton Township, Riverside, Riverton, Southampton, Springfield, Tabernacle, Washington, Westampton, Willingboro, Woodland, Wrightstown. In those towns the rent is whatever the lease says, and the deposit is still capped at one and a half months of it.
The courthouse, and how you file
The Mount Holly window, the form your claim needs, and what it costs here.
Where a Burlington County deposit case is filed
Deposit lawsuits go to the Special Civil Part of the Superior Court, which sits by county. You file in the county where the landlord lives or does business - not where you live - and if the landlord is out of state, in the county where the rental is. A Mount Holly tenant whose landlord runs the building from the next county over files there; a Mount Holly tenant with a Mount Holly landlord files here. The Special Civil Part window is in the Burlington County Court Facility.
- The courthouse
- Burlington County Court Facility
Special Civil Part (Small Claims Section)
49 Rancocas Road, Mount Holly, NJ 08060 - Phone and hours
- 609-288-9500 ext. 38092
Mon - Fri: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. - Small Claims Section
- Claims up to $5,000. Filing fee $35, plus $5 for each additional defendant.
- Special Civil Part
- Claims up to $20,000. Filing fee $50 to $75.
The Mount Holly office in practice
Checked on September 4, 2026 against the court's own pages. Rooms, hours and phone extensions change without notice - confirm with the office before you rely on any line below.
- Special Civil Part / Small Claims line - the courthouse number above
- 609-288-9500 ext. 38092
- Landlord-tenant line
- 609-288-9500 ext. 38094
- Mediation and arbitration
- 609-288-9500 ext. 38096
Free help inside the courthouse. The vicinage's Ombudsman office - Burlington County Court Facility, 49 Rancocas Road, 1st Floor, Mount Holly, NJ, 08060, 609-288-9500 ext. 38118, [email protected] - explains forms and procedure to people without a lawyer, Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Staff cannot give legal advice, but they can tell you which form, which window, and what is missing from your file before you pay the fee.
Settling before the judge. On the hearing date the court sends both sides to a settlement conference first; many deposit cases end there with a payment plan.
Filing here: the Burlington County layer
The procedure is the state's - what is local is the window you hand it to. Filing to judgment in New Jersey, in four steps has the sequence, the exhibit stack and the hearing itself. Here is the Burlington County layer.
- Before you file
- Send the demand letter by certified mail first, citing N.J.S.A. 46:8-21.1 and the 30-day deadline, and give it 10 to 14 days. A judge will ask whether the landlord had a chance to pay, and the letter becomes your first exhibit.
- Your form
- Up to $5,000 it is the Small Claims kit; above that the Special Civil Part complaint. Enter your deposit in the check at the top and this page names your form.
- Where to hand it in
- The Special Civil Part window, 49 Rancocas Road, Mount Holly, NJ 08060 - in person during court hours, by mail to the same address, or online through JEDS. One copy of the complaint per defendant.
- What it costs here
- $35, plus $5 for each additional defendant in Small Claims, $50 to $75 in the Special Civil Part. A fee waiver is available if you cannot afford it - ask the clerk for the form when you file.
The Mount Holly office at 609-288-9500 ext. 38092 can tell you the current wait - count on two to three months from filing to a hearing date in most vicinages.
The forms, from the court itself
Looking things up, and getting help
The landlord's legal name and address, which of 40 Burlington County clerks holds it, and who helps for free.
Finding the landlord's mailing address
A demand letter needs an address, and the one on the lease is often a management office that has since moved. Under New Jersey's Landlord Identity Law your landlord had to register the owner's name and address - with the municipal clerk for one- and two-unit buildings, with the state for anything larger - and the clerk's copy is public. The lookup below has the clerk for every one of Burlington County's 40 municipalities.
3 Burlington County cities run their own rental registries on top of the state filing - an inspection or licensing office that holds the current owner and managing agent for every registered rental. Where your building is in one of them, that office is usually quicker than the clerk.
- Mount Holly · Rental Licensing and Registration (annual rental operating license, Landlord Registration File Update) (Code Enforcement and Housing Department (Community Housing Office)) · 609-845-1100
Rental License Application / Landlord Registration / File Update records owner name, address, telephone, cell and email, manager/agent and maintenance agent with phones, a Burlington County emergency contact, and tenant names per unit. No public lookup shown; call 609-845-1100 (Housing staff Carolyn Youngbean, Lee Eckert, Mon-Thu) or the Community Housing Office at 609-864-1203 / 609-864-2464, 17 Pine Street, Mount Holly.
- Willingboro · Annual Rental Property Registration and Inspection (Township Code Chapter 280 Rental Property) (Inspections and Code Enforcement) · 609-877-2200 ext. 1019
All residential rental units must be registered and inspected annually and before any change of occupancy; new rentals register and pay the annual fee when applying (fines $100/$200/$500 for failing to file). No public lookup shown; call Inspections and Code Enforcement at 609-877-2200 (ext. 1019 Director Dennis Tunstall, ext. 1214 complaints), 1 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr, Willingboro, NJ 08046; online rental inspection applications and a Rental Complaint Intake Form are on the site.
- Burlington City · Landlord Registration (annual, expires Dec 31) and Rental Certificate (before each new tenant) (Code Enforcement Department (Housing, Rental and Code Enforcement)) · 609-386-0200
No landlord may rent a unit without a valid annual landlord registration filed with the city; the Rental Registration Application, tenant survey, photo ID and lead certification are filed with Code Enforcement and a Rental Certificate is issued per tenancy. No public lookup shown; call 609-386-0200 or visit 525 High St., Burlington, NJ 08016 (Mon-Fri 9-5).
Where the landlord's registration is filed: the municipal clerk
New Jersey's Landlord Identity Law makes every landlord file a registration statement - the owner's legal name and address, and the managing agent's - and for one- and two-unit buildings it is filed with the clerk of the municipality the rental is in (larger buildings register with the state Department of Community Affairs). The clerk's copy is a public record. Pick your town for the office that holds it.
All 40 municipal clerks in Burlington County
| Municipality | Clerk's office | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Bass River Township | 3 N. Maple Ave. (P.O. Box 307), New Gretna, NJ 08224 | 609-296-3337 |
| Beverly City | Frank R. Costello Municipal Building, 446 Broad Street, Beverly, NJ 08010 | (609) 747-4084 |
| Bordentown City | 101 E. Park Street (P.O. Box 395), Bordentown, NJ 08505 | 609-298-0604 |
| Bordentown Township | 1 Municipal Drive, Bordentown, NJ 08505 | 609-298-2800 x 2108 |
| Burlington City | City Hall, 525 High Street, Burlington, NJ 08016 | 609-386-0200 ext. 101 |
| Burlington Township | 851 Old York Road, Burlington, NJ 08016 | 609-239-5816 |
| Chesterfield Township | 295 Bordentown-Chesterfield Rd., Chesterfield, NJ 08515 | (609) 298-2311 |
| Cinnaminson Township | 1621 Riverton Road, Cinnaminson, NJ 08077 | (856) 735-2397 |
| Delanco Township | 770 Coopertown Rd., Delanco, NJ 08075 | 856-461-0561 |
| Delran Township | 900 S. Chester Ave., Delran, NJ 08075 | (856) 461-7734 Ext. 103 |
| Eastampton Township | 12 Manor House Court, Eastampton, NJ 08060 | (609) 267-5723 ext. 209 |
| Edgewater Park Township | 400 Delanco Rd., Edgewater Park, NJ 08010 | 609-877-2050 |
| Evesham Township | 984 Tuckerton Road, Marlton, NJ 08053 | 856-983-2900 |
| Fieldsboro Borough | 204 Washington Street, Fieldsboro, NJ 08505 | (609) 298-6344 ext 100 |
| Florence Township | 711 Broad Street, Florence, NJ 08518 | (609) 499-2525 |
| Hainesport Township | One Hainesport Centre, Hainesport, NJ 08036 | 609-267-2730 |
| Lumberton Township | Lumberton Township Municipal Complex, 35 Municipal Drive, Lumberton, NJ 08048 | 609-267-3217 |
| Mansfield Township | 3135 Rt. 206 South, Ste 1, Columbus, NJ 08022 | 609-298-0542 |
| Maple Shade Township | 200 Stiles Avenue, Maple Shade, NJ 08052 | 856-779-9610 |
| Medford Lakes Borough | 1 Cabin Circle, Medford Lakes, NJ 08055 | 609-654-8898 |
| Medford Township | 49 Union Street, Medford, NJ 08055 | (609) 654-2608 |
| Moorestown Township | Moorestown Town Hall, 111 West 2nd Street, Moorestown, NJ 08057 | 856-235-0912 |
| Mount Holly Township | 23 Washington Street (P.O. Box 411), Mount Holly, NJ 08060 | (609) 845-1100 |
| Mount Laurel Township | 750 Centerton Road, Mount Laurel, NJ 08054 | 856-234-0001 Ext: 1233 |
| New Hanover Township | 2 Hockamick Rd., Cookstown, NJ 08511 | 609-758-7149 |
| North Hanover Township | 41 Schoolhouse Rd, Jacobstown, NJ 08562 | (609) 758-2522 |
| Palmyra Borough | 20 West Broad Street, Palmyra, NJ 08065 | 856-829-6100 |
| Pemberton Borough | 50 Egbert Street, Pemberton, NJ 08068 | 609-894-8222 |
| Pemberton Township | 500 Pemberton-Browns Mills Road, Pemberton, NJ 08068 | (609) 894-8201 |
| Riverside Township | 237 S. Pavilion Avenue (P.O. Box 188), Riverside, NJ 08075 | 856-461-1460 |
| Riverton Borough | 505A Howard Street, Riverton, NJ 08077 | (856) 829-0120 |
| Shamong Township | 105 Willow Grove Road, Shamong, NJ 08088 | 609-268-2377 |
| Southampton Township | 5 Retreat Road, Southampton, NJ 08088 | (609) 859-2736 |
| Springfield Township | 2159 Jacksonville-Jobstown Road, Jobstown, NJ 08041 | (609) 723-2464 |
| Tabernacle Township | 163 Carranza Rd., Tabernacle, NJ 08088 | (609) 268-1220 x115 |
| Washington Township | 2436 Old Green Bank School, Egg Harbor City, NJ 08215 | 609-965-3242 |
| Westampton Township | 710 Rancocas Road, Westampton, NJ 08060 | (609) 267-1891 ext. 6 |
| Willingboro Township | 1 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Willingboro, NJ 08046 | 609-877-2200 |
| Woodland Township | 3943 Main Street (P.O. Box 388), Chatsworth, NJ 08019 | 609-726-1700 |
| Wrightstown Borough | 21 Saylors Pond Road, Wrightstown, NJ 08562 | 609-723-4450 Ext. 17 |
List from the county's own directory, checked September 4, 2026.
Free help in Burlington County
- South Jersey Legal Services - Burlington County office · 609-261-1088
107 High Street, Mount Holly, NJ 08060. Free civil legal help for lower-income residents, including tenant matters.
- Volunteer Lawyers for Justice · 973-645-1955
Statewide pro bono program that helps tenants draft deposit demand letters and prepare pro se complaints against landlords who kept a deposit.
- Legal Services of New Jersey hotline · 1-888-576-5529
Statewide intake line for free legal help, 1-888-LSNJ-LAW.
If it goes wrong
What losing costs, whether they can retaliate, and how a Burlington County judgment is actually collected.
Before you file: the three things people worry about
- What if I lose?
- You are out the filing fee and the time. You are the one suing, so losing leaves you where you started and puts no eviction on your record. What losing actually costs - and the one point most failed claims turn on - is on the New Jersey suing page.
- Can the landlord retaliate?
- After a move-out, barely - the tenancy is over and you are the plaintiff. If you still rent from them, New Jersey bars reprisals for exercising a legal right. The full answer is on the New Jersey suing page; in Burlington County the ombudsman at the Burlington County Court Facility and South Jersey Legal Services - Burlington County office both take the question in person, for free.
- If I win, how do I get paid?
- The court does not collect for you - a judgment is an instrument you enforce, and judgments against landlords are unusually collectable. Collecting your judgment walks through levy, garnishment and liens. The writ is issued by the Vicinage 3 (Burlington) clerk at the same Mount Holly window you filed at.
Build your case
The case builder runs on New Jersey law, which is exactly the law that applies here. It checks the 30-day deadline against your move-out date, grades each deduction, and writes the demand letter with the statute cited - the letter that becomes Exhibit A at the Mount Holly courthouse if it comes to that.
Build your case →Sources
- NJ Department of Community Affairs, 2026 Rent Control Survey (all 564 municipalities)
- Superior Court of New Jersey, Vicinage 3 (Burlington) - address
- Superior Court of New Jersey, Vicinage 3 (Burlington) - NJ Courts Special Civil Part directory, 2024-11-13: phone
- NJ Courts, Burlington vicinage - offices and ombudsman pages
- NJ Courts, Lawsuits $5,000 or less (Small Claims)
- South Jersey Legal Services - Burlington County office
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year, tables B25064 and B25003 (via Census Reporter)
- Rent Security Deposit Act, N.J.S.A. 46:8-19 to 46:8-26 (official text)
Court, board and legal-aid details checked on September 4, 2026. Phone numbers and fees change; confirm with the office before you rely on one. Not reviewed by a licensed attorney, and not legal advice.