North Dakota Security Deposit Interest: What You Are Owed

North Dakota requires a landlord to pay interest on a residential security deposit — whatever the required interest-bearing account earns under N.D.C.C. § 47-16-07.1. Occupancy of nine months or longer. No interest is owed where the period of occupancy was less than nine months.

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

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The short answer: yes. North Dakota requires deposit interest at whatever the required interest-bearing account earns, under N.D.C.C. § 47-16-07.1, verified September 11, 2026.

North Dakota mandates the interest-bearing account itself rather than a rate, so what the tenant receives depends entirely on which account the landlord chose.

What the North Dakota Rule Requires

Ratewhatever the required interest-bearing account earns — the deposit must be held in a federally insured interest-bearing savings or checking account for the benefit of the tenant, and the interest accruing on it is paid to the tenant.
Who it coversOccupancy of nine months or longer. No interest is owed where the period of occupancy was less than nine months.
When it is paidOn termination of the lease, together with the deposit.
Deposit return deadline30 days after the lease ends and the tenant delivers possession.
StatuteN.D.C.C. § 47-16-07.1
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.

North Dakota Security Deposit Interest Calculator

Set to North Dakota. 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 North Dakota Deposit Interest Works Out To

North Dakota does not publish a single rate — it is whatever the required interest-bearing account earns — 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 North Dakota 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
MinnesotaYes1% a year, simple and noncompoundedMinn. Stat. § 504B.178
South DakotaNo
MontanaNo

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

Common Questions About North Dakota Deposit Interest

Does my landlord have to pay interest on my security deposit in North Dakota?

Yes. North Dakota requires it under N.D.C.C. § 47-16-07.1, verified as of September 11, 2026. Occupancy of nine months or longer. No interest is owed where the period of occupancy was less than nine months. The rate is whatever the required interest-bearing account earns. On termination of the lease, together with the deposit.

How much interest is a security deposit worth in North Dakota?

North Dakota does not set a single published percentage — the rate is whatever the required interest-bearing account earns, 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 North Dakota landlord have to pay the interest?

On termination of the lease, together with the deposit. The deposit itself is subject to a separate deadline: 30 days after the lease ends and the tenant delivers possession.

What is unusual about the North Dakota rule?

North Dakota mandates the interest-bearing account itself rather than a rate, so what the tenant receives depends entirely on which account the landlord chose.

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