New Hampshire's RSA 540-A pairs a strict cap with receipt and condition-notice rules at the front end — and a doubling remedy at the back. (Note: certain small owner-occupied and single-rental situations are exempt; most standard rentals are covered.)
How much can a landlord charge?
The greater of one month's rent or $100. At collection, the landlord owes a written receipt stating where the deposit is held (unless paid by check, which is its own receipt) — and must notify the tenant of the right to report existing conditions: the tenant has five days to provide a written list of any pre-existing damage or conditions. That list is the statutory baseline.
Interest and holding
Deposits held a year or longer earn interest, payable at return (the tenant can request payout every three years). The money must be held safely apart from the landlord's own.
The 30-day return
Within 30 days of tenancy ending, the landlord returns the deposit with interest, minus lawful deductions — each itemized in writing with supporting detail, limited to unpaid rent and damage beyond reasonable wear and tear (with shared-facility arrangements on modified timelines).
The penalty
A landlord who violates the return requirements is liable for double the amount due. New Hampshire's district courts process these efficiently; the five-day condition list from move-in is frequently the deciding document.
Why New Hampshire deposit disputes are documentation disputes
The statute asks the tenant for day-one documentation — a five-day window to record what was already wrong — because the legislature knows that list decides the wear-and-tear fight a year later. A written list backed by sealed images is a different weapon than a list alone.
SealMove seals it. Every photo and video is cryptographically locked the instant it's captured, independently timestamped, and archived tamper-evident with Face ID. File your five-day list with sealed evidence behind it; at move-out the walkthrough lines up room-by-room against that baseline — and either party can send the other a report to review and acknowledge, no app required.