New York Tenant Rights: Deposit, Deadlines & Penalties (2026)

New York has its own deposit rules, its own deadlines and its own penalties. This page is the starting point.

At a glance

Deposit return deadline: 14 days
Deposit cap: No more than one month’s rent (§ 7-108(1-a)(a), added by the 2019 HSTPA). Buildings with 6+ units must hold the deposit in an interest-bearing account; the landlord may retain a 1% administrative fee (§ 7-103).
Small claims: NYC: Small Claims Part, Civil Court | Outside NYC: County Court small claims division

What this page covers

New York has its own deposit rules, its own deadlines and its own penalties. This page is the starting point — it lists every New York topic we cover and what the statute says for each.

New York topics

New York Security Deposit Return

How long a landlord has to return your deposit, and what you can claim if they miss it

New York Security Deposit Rules

How much a landlord can charge, and which deductions are actually legal

Every statute used on these pages

Statute	Last verified	Source
N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 7-108(1-a)(e)	2026-10-04	official text ↗
N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 7-108(1-a)(g)	2026-10-04	official text ↗
N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 7-109	2026-10-04	official text ↗
N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 7-108(1-a)(f)	2026-10-04	official text ↗
N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 7-108(1-a)(c)	2026-10-04	official text ↗
N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 7-108(1-a)(d)	2026-10-04	official text ↗
N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 7-108(1-a)(a)	2026-10-04	official text ↗
N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 7-103	2026-10-04	official text ↗

Each figure above links to the official text and carries the date it was last checked. Where a summary and the statute disagree, these pages follow the statute.

When you need a lawyer instead of a tool

A self-help letter is the right starting point for a single deposit you can document. Get legal help if:

You have received an eviction notice — the timeline is now court-driven
The dispute involves discrimination, unsafe conditions or retaliation
The amount in dispute exceeds $10,000 (New York City)
Your landlord has filed anything in court already

Local legal aid organisations and tenant unions offer free help for qualifying cases. They are independent of this site — we list them because they are the right place to go, not because they link here.

What this site is not

LeaseClaim is an independent tool. We are not a law firm, we do not give legal advice, and nothing here creates an attorney-client relationship. Rules change — verify against the official text before relying on anything you read.