Landlord & tenant · New Jersey
the short answer
Your landlord has 30 days after the tenancy ends to return the deposit with an itemized list. Money kept wrongly is worth double, plus court costs and reasonable attorney's fees. Keep the envelope the list arrived in — how it was sent matters here.
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governing statute
N.J.S.A. 46:8-21.1
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deadline
30 days
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Across the country. 23 of the 47 states written up answer this the same way as New Jersey. The shortest is 14 days, as in Alaska; the longest is 60 days, as in Alabama. Compare every state →
penalty
Double the amount wrongfully withheld, together with court costs and reasonable attorney's fees.
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which court
Small Claims section of the Special Civil Part
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small claims limit
$5,000
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exceptions: The Special Civil Part's other docket takes claims up to $20,000. A claim for the return of a security deposit may be filed in either one.
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also
The itemized list must come by registered or certified mail. If you broke the lease and left early, the 30 days do not start until the unit is re-rented or the lease expires, whichever comes first.
source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.
your situation
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