New Jersey Security Deposit Return Law & Letter
In New Jersey, the deposit and an itemized statement are generally due within 30 days of move-out (N.J.S.A. 46:8-21.1). Build the letter below — deductions listed line by line and the refund math done.
New Jersey prescribes how it is sent: Registered or certified mail, where deductions are made.
N.J.S.A. 46:8-21.1 — the deadline to return the deposit and send the itemized statement
New Jersey provides for the deposit’s return within 30 days of move-out (N.J.S.A. 46:8-21.1). 30 days sits mid-range: 6 of the 26 states verified here are shorter, 6 are longer.
| Tenancy ends | Letter must be sent by |
|---|---|
| January 31, 2026 | March 2, 2026 |
| April 15, 2026 | May 15, 2026 |
| July 31, 2026 | August 30, 2026 |
| November 30, 2026 | December 30, 2026 |
What the New Jersey letter has to contain
- Every deduction on its own line. New Jersey requires an itemized statement rather than a lump sum (N.J.S.A. 46:8-21.1).
- The arithmetic, shown. Deposit held, each deduction, and the balance refunded or still owed — so nothing has to be taken on trust.
- Where the refund went. The forwarding address you sent it to, and how.
How New Jersey requires it to be sent
Registered or certified mail, where deductions are made.
New Jersey does not merely require the itemized list to exist within 30 days — where the landlord makes deductions, the DCA's published guidance states the itemization must be SENT by registered or certified mail. An emailed statement, however well timestamped, is not the prescribed method. Send it the way the state names and keep the receipt.
N.J.S.A. 46:8-21.1 · last verified July 2026
Proving you sent it in time
Use the method above — it is the one New Jersey names, and a timestamp proving you used a different one is evidence against you rather than for you. Keep the mailing receipt with the letter. Email gives you a timestamp for nothing; certified mail gives you a receipt. Either beats posting it second class and hoping. Whatever you use, keep the copy you sent — a New Jersey deadline you met but cannot evidence is not much better than one you missed.
Working out what you can defensibly deduct is a separate job from writing the letter — that lives on the New Jersey deduction page, which prorates each item by its remaining useful life.
Other states: New York · Ohio · Oregon · All states
New Jersey rule last checked 2026-07-23 against N.J.S.A. 46:8-21.1. General information, not legal advice — verify the current statute before you rely on it.
Everything else we’ve researched about New Jersey
Same state, the problems either side of this one. Each carries its own statute and the date we last checked it.