Residential Tenancy Deposit Rules Compared: UK, FR, AU, NZ, CA, US (NY/FL)

Last verified: 2026-05-02

The security deposit (UK), dépôt de garantie (France), bond (Australia / New Zealand), or last month’s rent (some Canadian provinces) is the single most heavily regulated element of a residential tenancy in every jurisdiction we cover. Caps, holding rules, and return deadlines vary widely. This guide compares the seven jurisdictions that MmowW Scrib🐮 covers.

Quick Answer (TL;DR)

• UK (England) — 5 weeks’ rent (6 if annual rent ≥ £50,000), under Tenant Fees Act 2019. Must be protected in a government-approved scheme within 30 days of receipt (Housing Act 2004, s.213).
• France — 1 month rent (bail nu) or 2 months (meublé), under Loi 89-462 art. 22 (or art. 25-6 for furnished). Return within 1 or 2 months of exit; +10% per month delay penalty.
• Australia — 4 weeks’ rent in most states (NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA, TAS, NT, ACT vary). Lodged with the state bond authority.
• New Zealand — 4 weeks’ rent (Residential Tenancies Act 1986, s.18), plus optional pet bond of up to 2 weeks’ rent from 1 December 2025 (s.49AA). Lodged with Tenancy Services within 23 working days.
• Canada (Ontario) — No security deposit allowed; only last month’s rent (Residential Tenancies Act 2006, s.105–s.106). Other provinces (BC, AB) allow security deposits up to ½ month or 1 month rent.
• US — New York — 1 month rent maximum (General Obligations Law §7-108(1-a), HSTPA 2019).
• US — Florida — No statutory cap on amount; statute regulates how it is held and returned (F.S. §83.49).

Comparison Table at a Glance

Country-by-Country Deep Dive

United Kingdom (England) — Tenant Fees Act 2019 + Housing Act 2004

The cap (Tenant Fees Act 2019, Schedule 1):

• 5 weeks’ rent if annual rent < £50,000
• 6 weeks’ rent if annual rent ≥ £50,000

Protection requirement (Housing Act 2004, s.213):

The deposit must be protected in one of three government-approved schemes within 30 calendar days of receipt:

Prescribed Information (HA 2004, s.213(5)–(6)) must also be served on the tenant within 30 days. Non-compliance carries a financial penalty of 1× to 3× the deposit (HA 2004, s.214) plus a bar on the landlord using a Section 21 notice (under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 from 1 May 2026, Section 21 is abolished entirely; the deposit-protection penalty regime continues to apply).

Government guidance: https://www.gov.uk/tenancy-deposit-protection

France — Loi 89-462 du 6 juillet 1989

The deposit cap depends on whether the property is furnished or unfurnished:

Return timeline (art. 22 al. 5):

• 1 month if the état des lieux d’entrée and état des lieux de sortie are concordant
• 2 months if there are discrepancies

+10% penalty per month of delay (art. 22 al. 9): For every month (or part of a month) the landlord is late returning the deposit, the tenant is entitled to an automatic +10% of monthly rent as compensation.

No protection scheme. Unlike the UK, France has no government-approved tenancy deposit scheme. The landlord holds the deposit directly and is liable for return under contract and statute.

Source: https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/loda/id/JORFTEXT000000509310/

Australia — State-Based Regimes

Australia is federal in employment but state-based for residential tenancies. Each state has its own Residential Tenancies Act:

Common feature: the bond is lodged with the state authority, not held by the landlord. Disputes are resolved by the relevant state tribunal (NCAT, VCAT, QCAT, etc.).

Source — NSW example: https://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/housing-and-property/renting/starting-a-tenancy/rental-bonds

New Zealand — Residential Tenancies Act 1986 (RTA)

The bond cap (RTA 1986, s.18):

• Maximum 4 weeks’ rent (s.18)
• From 1 December 2025: additional pet bond up to 2 weeks’ rent under new s.49AA (Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2024)

Lodgement (s.19):

• Landlord must lodge the bond with Tenancy Services (MBIE) within 23 working days of receipt
• Failure to lodge: penalty up to NZ$1,000 per breach (s.18A) and tribunal exemplary damages

Reference: https://www.tenancy.govt.nz/rent-bond-and-bills/bond/lodging-a-bond/about-lodging-a-bond/

Pet bond — practical mechanics (from 1 Dec 2025):

If a tenant requests to keep a pet, the landlord may charge an additional pet bond of up to 2 weeks’ rent. The pet bond is also lodged with Tenancy Services. Total bond exposure for a pet-friendly tenancy is therefore 6 weeks’ rent.

Canada — No Federal Rule; Province-by-Province

Canada is provincial for residential tenancies. The most populous regimes:

Ontario detail (RTA 2006, s.105–s.106):

• A landlord cannot collect any deposit other than a “rent deposit” — i.e., last month’s rent.
• The rent deposit must not exceed one month’s rent.
• Interest must be paid annually on the deposit at the rent guideline rate (currently around 2.5% as of 2026).

Quebec is unique. Under Code civil du Québec art. 1904, a landlord cannot demand a security deposit at all. Rent in advance is also prohibited beyond the first month.

Source — Ontario: https://tribunalsontario.ca/ltb/

United States — New York and Florida (Two Examples of 50)

New York (post-HSTPA 2019):

Under General Obligations Law §7-108(1-a) (effective 14 June 2019, Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act):

• Maximum 1 month’s rent for any residential lease in New York State
• Must be held in a New York-state bank account
• Itemized written statement required within 14 days of move-out
• Penalty: forfeiture of right to retain any portion of the deposit

Source — NY GOL §7-108: https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/GOB/7-108

Florida (no cap, regulated holding):

Under F.S. §83.49, Florida imposes no dollar cap on the security deposit. Instead, it regulates how the deposit is held:

Return timeline (F.S. §83.49(3)):

• 15 days if no claim against deposit
• 30 days to send notice of intent to claim, then tenant has 15 days to dispute
• After dispute: 30 days to deliver undisputed portion

Common myth. It is widely believed that Florida caps deposits at one or two months’ rent. This is incorrect. Florida statute regulates how the deposit is held, not its size. (Source: F.S. § 83.49.)

Source — F.S. §83.49: https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2024/0083.49

Decision Framework for Landlords and Tenants

For landlords seeking to maximise upfront security:

1. Florida (no cap) ≫ France meublé (2 months) ≫ everywhere else (≈ 1 month / 4 weeks)

For tenants seeking maximum statutory protection:

1. UK (mandatory protection scheme + financial penalties) ≫ NZ/AU (mandatory state lodgement) ≫ NY (1 month + 14-day return) ≫ Ontario (no security deposit allowed) ≫ France (statute + 10% penalty) ≫ Florida (private contract, weakest)

For pets:

• New Zealand (from 1 Dec 2025) — 2 weeks’ rent additional pet bond, statutorily authorised
• BC — pet damage deposit up to ½ month
• Ontario — pet deposit prohibited
• Florida — at landlord’s contract discretion

Common Pitfalls — Gyoseishoshi View

1. Confusing “bond” with “rent in advance”. In Australia and New Zealand, the bond is paid in addition to rent in advance (typically 2 weeks). In Quebec, rent in advance beyond month one is prohibited. In Ontario, “last month’s rent” replaces a security deposit entirely.

2. Forgetting the protection deadline. UK landlords have 30 days to protect (HA 2004, s.213) and serve Prescribed Information. Missing the deadline triggers a financial penalty of 1×–3× the deposit. NZ landlords have 23 working days to lodge with Tenancy Services. Both deadlines run from receipt, not from move-in.

3. Florida’s three-option holding rule. Many out-of-state landlords assume they can hold a Florida deposit in any account. F.S. §83.49(1) requires a Florida banking institution for the segregated account. A New York or Georgia bank account does not satisfy the statute.

4. France: confusing bail nu (1 month) with bail meublé (2 months). The meublé category requires a furniture inventory under Décret n°2015-981. Charging 2 months’ deposit for an unfurnished property is a statutory breach of art. 22 and the surplus is recoverable.

5. Ontario: no separate “pet damage deposit”. RTA 2006 does not authorise a pet deposit. A landlord who collects one is collecting an unlawful deposit and must return it on demand.

6. Australia: state matters more than the country name. A landlord with properties in NSW and Victoria must comply with two separate state regimes, two separate bond authorities, and two separate tribunal procedures.

Conclusion

There is no single “best” deposit regime — landlords prefer Florida; tenants prefer the UK or NZ. What matters legally is which jurisdiction’s statute governs your lease, and that turns on where the property is, not where the landlord or tenant is from.

For MmowW Scrib🐮 users preparing tenancy paperwork, the deposit clause must be drafted to the local statute. A generic “first and last month’s rent” template lifted from a US source will fail in the UK, France, New Zealand, or Ontario.

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Disclaimer

Legal information, not legal advice. MmowW Scrib🐮 is operated by a licensed Gyoseishoshi (行政書士) office in Japan. We are not solicitors, barristers, attorneys, avocats, or licensed legal practitioners in any jurisdiction.

Sources

1. UK — Tenant Fees Act 2019: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2019/4/contents
2. UK — Housing Act 2004 Part 6: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/34/part/6
3. UK — Tenancy deposit protection: https://www.gov.uk/tenancy-deposit-protection
4. France — Loi n°89-462: https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/loda/id/JORFTEXT000000509310/
5. France — Service-Public.fr — dépôt de garantie: https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F31269
6. Australia (NSW) — Rental bonds: https://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/housing-and-property/renting/starting-a-tenancy/rental-bonds
7. Australia (VIC) — RTBA: https://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/housing/renting/bonds-and-condition-reports
8. New Zealand — Residential Tenancies Act 1986: https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/DLM94278.html
9. New Zealand — Bond lodgement: https://www.tenancy.govt.nz/rent-bond-and-bills/bond/lodging-a-bond/about-lodging-a-bond/
10. Canada (ON) — Residential Tenancies Act 2006: https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/06r17
11. Canada (BC) — Residential Tenancy Act: https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/02078_01
12. US (NY) — General Obligations Law §7-108: https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/GOB/7-108
13. US (FL) — F.S. §83.49: https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2024/0083.49
14. US (FL) — Florida statutes search: http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/