New Hampshire Security Deposit Interest: What You Are Owed

New Hampshire requires a landlord to pay interest on a residential security deposit — the regular savings rate at the institution holding the deposit under N.H. Rev. Stat. § 540-A:6. Deposits held for one year or longer.

Last updated: September 2026 · Rule verified September 11, 2026

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The short answer: yes. New Hampshire requires deposit interest at the regular savings rate at the institution holding the deposit, under N.H. Rev. Stat. § 540-A:6, verified September 11, 2026.

The three-year request cycle is unusual: interest accrues continuously, but it reaches the tenant on that request schedule rather than arriving automatically each year.

What the New Hampshire Rule Requires

Ratethe regular savings rate at the institution holding the deposit — the interest rate paid on regular savings accounts at the New Hampshire bank, savings and loan association, or credit union in which the deposit is held.
Who it coversDeposits held for one year or longer.
When it is paidA tenant may request the accrued interest every three years, asking 30 days before that year's tenancy expires; the landlord must pay within 15 days of the expiration date.
Deposit return deadline30 days after the tenancy ends.
StatuteN.H. Rev. Stat. § 540-A:6
VerifiedSeptember 11, 2026

Laws change and indexed rates change annually. The figures above reflect the sources as read on September 11, 2026, and each link goes to the official text so the current version can be checked directly.

New Hampshire Security Deposit Interest Calculator

Set to New Hampshire. Switch jurisdictions in the dropdown to compare.

$

The total security deposit held by the landlord

years

How long the deposit has been or will be held

%

Set automatically where the jurisdiction publishes a rate. Where it follows a bank account, enter the rate from the statement.

Most statutes specify simple interest

Interest Earned

Total Due Back

Interest Per Year

Vs. Market Return

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What New Hampshire Deposit Interest Works Out To

New Hampshire does not publish a single rate — it is the regular savings rate at the institution holding the deposit — so there is no fixed table to print. The calculator above takes whatever rate applies to the account and shows what it produces over the holding period. The rate usually appears on the annual statement or the notice naming the bank where the deposit sits.

When the Interest Is Never Paid

Deposit interest is one of the more commonly overlooked obligations in residential tenancy, partly because the amounts are small enough that neither side tracks them and partly because it is often owed annually while the deposit itself only comes up at move-out. A tenant who has never received an interest payment or an annual statement has usually not been told the obligation exists.

What tends to matter is documentation rather than argument. The lease records the deposit amount and the date it was paid. Bank records show when it cleared. The statute supplies the rate and the schedule, and the arithmetic follows from those three things. Where a landlord is required to give an annual statement naming the bank and the interest payable, the absence of that statement is itself part of the record.

How New Hampshire Compares to Nearby States

Deposit interest is one of the sharpest state-line differences in residential tenancy: neighboring states frequently land on opposite sides of it.

StateInterest required?RateSource
MassachusettsYes5% a year, or the lesser amount the bank actually paidM.G.L. ch. 186, § 15B
MaineNo
VermontNo

The full picture across all 51 jurisdictions is on the deposit interest by state index.

Common Questions About New Hampshire Deposit Interest

Does my landlord have to pay interest on my security deposit in New Hampshire?

Yes. New Hampshire requires it under N.H. Rev. Stat. § 540-A:6, verified as of September 11, 2026. Deposits held for one year or longer. The rate is the regular savings rate at the institution holding the deposit. A tenant may request the accrued interest every three years, asking 30 days before that year's tenancy expires; the landlord must pay within 15 days of the expiration date.

How much interest is a security deposit worth in New Hampshire?

New Hampshire does not set a single published percentage — the rate is the regular savings rate at the institution holding the deposit, so the amount depends on the account the deposit is held in. The calculator on this page takes a rate and shows what it produces across a range of deposit sizes and holding periods.

When does a New Hampshire landlord have to pay the interest?

A tenant may request the accrued interest every three years, asking 30 days before that year's tenancy expires; the landlord must pay within 15 days of the expiration date. The deposit itself is subject to a separate deadline: 30 days after the tenancy ends.

What is unusual about the New Hampshire rule?

The three-year request cycle is unusual: interest accrues continuously, but it reaches the tenant on that request schedule rather than arriving automatically each year.

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