North Carolina deposit law, in plain English.

What your landlord has to do with your deposit after you move out. Each rule links to the official text.

• 30 days.

  After your tenancy ends and you hand back the place, your landlord has 30 days to send an itemized list of damage with the rest of your deposit. If they truly can't tell the full cost yet, they owe you an interim accounting by day 30 and a final one by day 60.

  G.S. 42-52

• Off limits.

  Normal wear and tear. And they can't keep more than their actual damages.

  G.S. 42-52

• A short list.

  A deposit can only cover things like unpaid rent and certain utility costs, damage, re-renting costs after a broken lease, and court costs.

  G.S. 42-51(a)

• Willful games cost them the deposit.

  If a landlord willfully ignores these rules, they lose the right to keep any of it, and a court may award lawyer's fees.

  G.S. 42-55

Checked against the official text on October 19, 2026. General information, not legal advice. Cities can add their own rules.