North Carolina landlord-tenant law
Quick facts
| Topic | At a glance |
|---|---|
| Security deposit limit | Two weeks' rent for week-to-week tenancies, 1.5 months' rent for month-to-month, and 2 months' rent for terms longer than month-to-month. |
| Deposit return deadline | Itemized accounting plus balance within 30 days after the tenancy ends and possession is returned. |
| Notice to enter | Not yet verified |
| Rent increase notice | Not yet verified |
| Late fees | Only once rent is 5 or more calendar days late. |
| Eviction notice (nonpayment) | The lease is forfeited if rent isn't paid within 10 days after the landlord demands all past-due rent. |
| Rent control / state preemption | Preempted. |
Details & sources
Security deposit limit
Two weeks' rent for week-to-week tenancies, 1.5 months' rent for month-to-month, and 2 months' rent for terms longer than month-to-month.
Verified Source: N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-51(b) · last checked 2026-10-15
Back to quick facts ↑Deposit return deadline
Itemized accounting plus balance within 30 days after the tenancy ends and possession is returned. If the claim can't be determined by then, send an interim accounting within 30 days and a final accounting within 60 days.
Verified Source: N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-52 · last checked 2026-10-15
Back to quick facts ↑Notice to enter
Not yet verified
Back to quick facts ↑Rent increase notice
Not yet verified
Back to quick facts ↑Late fees
Only once rent is 5 or more calendar days late. Monthly rent: no more than $15 or 5% of monthly rent, whichever is greater. Weekly rent: $4 or 5%, whichever is greater. Only one late fee per late payment.
Verified Source: N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-46(a)-(b) · last checked 2026-10-15
Back to quick facts ↑Eviction notice (nonpayment)
The lease is forfeited if rent isn't paid within 10 days after the landlord demands all past-due rent.
Verified Source: N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-3 · last checked 2026-10-15
Back to quick facts ↑Rent control / state preemption
Preempted. No county or city may enact, maintain, or enforce an ordinance regulating the amount of rent for privately owned residential rental property, with limited exceptions for publicly owned, subsidized, CDBG-assisted, or locally funded properties.
Verified Source: N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-14.1 · last checked 2026-10-15
Back to quick facts ↑Cities in North Carolina with their own rules
- None listed yet
Get law-change alerts
A short email when a state or city rule on this site changes. Free, unsubscribe anytime.