Some US states and cities require your landlord to pay interest on the money they hold as your security deposit. Most do not. This tool tells you which rule applies where you live, and estimates the interest you are owed once you know your rate.
TL;DR: Pick your state to see whether deposit interest is required and how it works. Where a rate applies, enter your deposit, the months it was held, and the rate to estimate the interest. Many states require no interest at all.
Pick your state to see the rule. Where interest applies, enter your numbers to estimate what you are owed.
A simple-interest estimate for guidance, not a legal figure. Some states apply the rate only to part of the deposit or after a minimum holding period, so read your state's rule and guide. See all state deposit rules →
Where deposit interest is required, and where it is not
Deposit interest is the exception, not the rule, in the United States. Most states let the landlord keep whatever the money earns while they hold it. A minority require interest, and the conditions vary a lot: some only in larger buildings, some only after a holding period, some at a fixed rate and some at whatever the account actually earns.
- A fixed statutory rate. Ohio is the clearest example, at 5 percent a year on the part of the deposit above a small threshold, for tenancies of six months or more.
- The account’s actual rate. New Jersey and Pennsylvania tie the interest to what the deposit genuinely earns in its account, paid to you annually or at move-out.
- Larger buildings only. Illinois (25 or more units) and New York (6 or more units) require interest, but only above those building sizes.
- City rules on top. Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, and others require interest even where the state is silent, so always check your city.
How the estimate works
Where a rate applies, the calculator uses simple interest: your deposit, times the annual rate, times the months held divided by twelve. It is a guide, not a legal calculation. Several states narrow it, for instance Ohio applies the rate only to the portion of the deposit above $50 or one month’s rent, so treat the number as a starting point and confirm against your state’s rule.
Getting the interest paid
If your state or city owes you interest, it is usually paid together with the deposit when you move out, or credited to you each year in some places. If the landlord does not pay it, add it to your written demand for the deposit, and include it in a small-claims filing if it comes to that. Your full state guide has the return deadline and the penalty for withholding.
This tool is general information, not legal advice; rules change and cities differ, so confirm against your state guide or a local attorney. Last reviewed July 2026.
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