Landlord kept your deposit in New Jersey? Find your next step.
No refund, only part of your money back, or charges you disagree with? Start with what you received, then build a response using your records and New Jersey law.
Analysis free · Full case package $29-$49, one time · mailing optional
The deadline check is optional. See what you get
What do you need help with?
Open the situation that fits. Each route gives you something to check, something to keep, and a next step.
I received nothingNo refund and no list of deductions.
Check the trigger, then the date. 30 days after termination of the tenancy (5 business days if the tenant is displaced by fire, flood, condemnation, or evacuation).
Keep: your deposit payment, move-out or key-return record, forwarding-address notice and any earlier written request. These establish the timeline behind your demand.
Analyze my missing refund - free →I received part of my depositSome money came back. Find out what explains the difference.
Reconcile the refund. Compare the original deposit, what was returned and each deduction. Separate charges you accept from charges you dispute.
Check the amount they kept - free →Enter the refund and deductions in the case builder. You do not need a separate worksheet first.
The New Jersey accounting rule: The deposit plus the tenant's share of interest, less lawful deductions, must come with an itemized statement of deductions within 30 days, delivered personally or by registered/certified mail (N.J.S.A. 46:8-21.1).
Check interest too. Deposit must be banked or invested and the earnings paid or credited to the tenant annually and at return (N.J. Stat. § 46:8-19).
Keep: the refund record, deduction list and notice envelope or delivery record. If money is still unexplained, identify that gap in your written request.
I disagree with the deductionsYou have a charge list, whether or not a refund arrived.
Respond to the specific charges. Note each amount, why you dispute it, and which photo, message or record supports your position. Check the notice instructions above before choosing how and when to reply.
Check my deductions - free →The records rule in New Jersey: The statute limits deductions to 'charges expended in accordance with the terms of a contract, lease, or agreement,' which must be itemized in the written statement; the ordinary wear-and-tear limit is case-law gloss, not statutory text. If claimed damages exceed the deposit the landlord must sue separately for the difference.
No move-in photos? Use an inventory checklist, inspection report, dated repair request, messages or witness accounts to explain the condition.
I already sent a demandThe landlord has not paid, or the dispute is still unresolved.
Keep the landlord's personal-delivery or registered/certified-mail records with the refund. Check whether the response accounts for interest as well as the retained charges.
See the New Jersey court route →Keep: your sent demand, delivery record and any reply. Use the court guide to check where to file, which forms to use, and the filing and service costs.
Turn the dispute into a documented demand
- Free: understand your dispute
- Add your refund, charges and records. Get a charge-by-charge analysis of the deposit rules and potential remedies under N.J.S.A. 46:8-21.1.
- Optional: your case documents, $29-$49
- Your demand letter, damages summary and evidence checklist, ready to review and send with your records. Mailing is optional and costs extra.
One charge, backed by a reason and records
Fictional New Jersey example. Assumes coverage under the cited law; not a customer outcome.
- The charge
- Repainting ordinary wall scuffs: $900
- Records to attach
- move-in photos and move-out photos
Open PDF ↗In the generated letter
Ordinary wear and tear - not deductible. Repainting after a tenancy is ordinary wear and tear unless the walls were damaged beyond normal use (large holes, unauthorized colors). Dated move-in and move-out photos help distinguish ordinary wear from tenant-caused damage.
Prefer to write it yourself? Use the free New Jersey letter template.
Before you call the refund late
30 days after termination of the tenancy (5 business days if the tenant is displaced by fire, flood, condemnation, or evacuation).
Check coverage: New Jersey's deposit law does not automatically cover you if your landlord lives in the building and rents out no more than two units. You can still bring yourself under the law by giving your landlord 30 days written notice that you are invoking the Rent Security Deposit Act - after that, its protections, including the deposit cap and the double-damages return rule, apply to your tenancy (N.J.S.A. 46:8-26).
N.J.S.A. 46:8-21.1 ↗Deposit statute reviewed August 2026. Review dates refer to the cited rules.
Check the return timeline
Optional date estimate. Read the start conditions above; a passed date alone does not establish a violation. Your date and deposit amount carry into the free analysis.
Already know the dates? Go straight to the refund and charges.
Continue to my free analysis →Questions before your next step
What should I do first if my landlord kept my deposit in New Jersey?
Check the statutory deadline. 30 days after termination of the tenancy (5 business days if the tenant is displaced by fire, flood, condemnation, or evacuation). Save your move-out records, any refund and the itemized statement. Compare them with the deadline and deduction rules below.
Do I need a lawyer to get my deposit back in New Jersey?
You can write a demand yourself. If you consider a court claim, small claims court (limit: $5,000) is designed for self-represented tenants - filing fees run $35 for small claims, $50-$75 above $5,000 plus $10 for service by mail per defendant.
What happens if my landlord doesn't return my security deposit in 30 days in New Jersey?
If the deposit and itemized statement don't arrive within 30 days, the tenant may sue, and on a finding for the tenant the court must award double the amount wrongfully withheld plus full costs.
Am I owed interest on my deposit in New Jersey?
In at least some cases, yes. Deposit must be banked or invested and the earnings paid or credited to the tenant annually and at return (N.J. Stat. § 46:8-19).
What can I ask to recover in a New Jersey deposit dispute?
The court shall award double the amount wrongfully withheld, plus full costs of the action and, in the court's discretion, reasonable attorney's fees (N.J.S.A. 46:8-21.1). The doubling is mandatory, not discretionary.
Which courthouse is yours
The deposit rules are the same in every New Jersey town, but the courthouse is not: cases are filed by county, where the landlord lives or does business, not where you live. Each county page has that courthouse's window and hours, the municipal clerk who holds the landlord's registration, and the legal aid office that covers it.
Read the full New Jersey deposit-law guide for the return, deduction and remedy rules.