Deposit when renting a home in Norway

A deposit (depositum) is money that may be required by the landlord as security for the tenant's obligations under the rental agreement.

The amount of the deposit must be agreed when the rental agreement is entered into. The deposit cannot be more than six months' rent.

The deposit must be placed in a separate deposit account in a financial institution. The account must be in the tenant's name, and neither the tenant nor the landlord should be able to withdraw the money independently.

The landlord cannot require the tenant to pay the deposit directly to the landlord's personal bank account.

The tenant is normally responsible for the costs of opening the deposit account.

The deposit is security for claims arising from the tenancy, such as unpaid rent or costs for damage that the tenant is responsible for. The deposit is not an additional fee that the landlord can simply keep.

The deposit agreement should be made at the same time as the rental agreement. A landlord cannot later require a deposit if this was not agreed when the tenancy agreement was entered into.

When the tenancy ends, the deposit should be returned to the tenant unless there are legitimate claims against it.

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