North Dakota security deposit law: know your rights.
Understand the return, deduction and notice rules in North Dakota. Check which conditions apply to your rental, then choose your next step.
Your deposit rights in North Dakota
- Return timing
- Itemization of amounts applied, the refund due, and written notice must be delivered or mailed to the lessee's last furnished address within 30 days after lease termination and delivery of possession.
- Accounting for deductions
- Any portion not returned must be itemized; the notice states any amount still due either party (§ 47-16-07.1(4)).
- Deposit interest
- Occupancy of 9+ months: the deposit sits in a federally insured interest-bearing account and the interest belongs to the tenant (N.D. Cent. Code § 47-16-07.1(1), (3)).
Registry review: August 2026. Review dates refer to the cited rules, not an attorney review of your case.
Does this rule apply to your rental?
Check the type of tenancy, the lease and any local or housing-program rules before relying on the statewide summary.
N.D. Cent. Code § 47-16-07.1 (condition statement: § 47-16-07.2) ↗What starts the return clock?
Itemization of amounts applied, the refund due, and written notice must be delivered or mailed to the lessee's last furnished address within 30 days after lease termination and delivery of possession.
N.D. Cent. Code § 47-16-07.1 (condition statement: § 47-16-07.2) ↗Check your return timing
Optional estimate from your move-out date. Read the start conditions above before treating that estimate as the return deadline. You can start the free analysis without completing this check.
Check what the landlord deducted
No receipts requirement, but the deposit must sit in a federally insured interest-bearing account for the tenant's benefit, and the signed move-in condition statement (§ 47-16-07.2) is prima facie proof of condition.
Match each charge to the work alleged, the lease provision and the records supporting the amount. Keep refunds and charges you accept separate from those you dispute.
N.D. Cent. Code § 47-16-07.1 (condition statement: § 47-16-07.2) ↗What could you recover?
Treble damages for any security deposit money withheld without reasonable justification (§ 47-16-07.1(4)) - conventionally read as 3x total recovery.
Start with the unpaid amount you dispute. Any additional statutory recovery depends on the conditions in N.D. Cent. Code § 47-16-07.1(4), including applicable notice requirements. A multiplier that already includes the deposit should not be added to that deposit again.
N.D. Cent. Code § 47-16-07.1 (condition statement: § 47-16-07.2) ↗Put the rules to work
See how the rules fit your deposit dispute
Free analysis
Add the refund, charges and records. Review the deductions and possible remedies with an explanation tied to your facts.
Full case package $29-$49
Turn your case into a demand letter, organized exhibits and a next-step plan. Review the analysis before deciding to buy.
Your entered dates and deposit amount carry forward. Additional timing details are saved in case notes. The next step asks for the refund and charges so you can build on this check.
Choose your next step
Small-claims limit: $15,000. Filing: $20 (raised from $10, eff. July 2025). The court guide explains the applicable limits and additional costs.
Questions about North Dakota deposit rights
How long does a North Dakota landlord have to return a security deposit?
Itemization of amounts applied, the refund due, and written notice must be delivered or mailed to the lessee's last furnished address within 30 days after lease termination and delivery of possession.
N.D. Cent. Code § 47-16-07.1 (condition statement: § 47-16-07.2) ↗See the timing rules →What happens if my landlord does not follow the deposit return rules in North Dakota?
Treble damages attach to withholding 'without reasonable justification'; missing the 30-day itemization/refund is the strongest evidence of unjustified withholding. Keep proof of the dates, any refund, and the itemized statement.
N.D. Cent. Code § 47-16-07.1 (condition statement: § 47-16-07.2) ↗Understand the possible recovery →What accounting should I ask for in North Dakota?
Any portion not returned must be itemized; the notice states any amount still due either party (§ 47-16-07.1(4)). No receipts requirement, but the deposit must sit in a federally insured interest-bearing account for the tenant's benefit, and the signed move-in condition statement (§ 47-16-07.2) is prima facie proof of condition.
N.D. Cent. Code § 47-16-07.1 (condition statement: § 47-16-07.2) ↗What should I check about deposit interest in North Dakota?
Occupancy of 9+ months: the deposit sits in a federally insured interest-bearing account and the interest belongs to the tenant (N.D. Cent. Code § 47-16-07.1(1), (3)).
N.D. Cent. Code § 47-16-07.1 (condition statement: § 47-16-07.2) ↗