{"data":{"id":"us-nc/n.c.-gen.-stat.-42-51","jurisdiction":"us-nc","citation":"N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-51","heading":"Permitted uses of the deposit.","body":"(a)\tSecurity deposits for residential dwelling units shall be permitted only for the following:\n(1)\tThe tenant's possible nonpayment of rent and costs for water or sewer services provided pursuant to G.S. 62-110(g) and electric service pursuant to G.S. 62-110(h).\n(2)\tDamage to the premises, including damage to or destruction of smoke alarms or carbon monoxide alarms.\n(3)\tDamages as the result of the nonfulfillment of the rental period, except where the tenant terminated the rental agreement under G.S. 42-45, G.S. 42-45.1, or because the tenant was forced to leave the property because of the landlord's violation of Article 2A of Chapter 42 of the General Statutes or was constructively evicted by the landlord's violation of G.S. 42-42(a).\n(4)\tAny unpaid bills that become a lien against the demised property due to the tenant's occupancy.\n(5)\tThe costs of re-renting the premises after breach by the tenant, including any reasonable fees or commissions paid by the landlord to a licensed real estate broker to re-rent the premises.\n(6)\tThe costs of removal and storage of the tenant's property after a summary ejectment proceeding.\n(7)\tCourt costs.\n(8)\tAny fee permitted by G.S. 42-46.\n(b)\tThe security deposit shall not exceed an amount equal to two weeks' rent if a tenancy is week to week, one and one-half months' rent if a tenancy is month to month, and two months' rent for terms greater than month to month. These deposits must be fully accounted for by the landlord as set forth in G.S. 42-52. (1977, c. 914, s. 1; 1983, c. 672, s. 3; 2001-502, s. 5; 2004-143, s. 6; 2011-252, s. 3; 2012-17, s. 4; 2012-194, s. 59(a), (b).)","path":["Chapter 42. Landlord and Tenant.","Article 6. Tenant Security Deposit Act."],"source_url":"https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_42/GS_42-51.html","current_through":"S.L. 2026-30","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-27T18:02:32Z","sha256":"4be5235c5e30711dcaefc5cfc8731a5fb5e6c169b2d9d5502e17e0bce28cead8","source_id":"us-nc","stale":false,"prev":"us-nc/n.c.-gen.-stat.-42-50","next":"us-nc/n.c.-gen.-stat.-42-52"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}