North Carolina General Statutes 42-51. Permitted uses of the deposit
(a) Security deposits for residential dwelling units shall be permitted only for the following:
(1) The tenant’s possible nonpayment of rent and costs for water or sewer services provided pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 62-110(g) and electric service pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 62-110(h).
Terms Used In North Carolina General Statutes 42-51
- Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
- following: when used by way of reference to any section of a statute, shall be construed to mean the section next preceding or next following that in which such reference is made; unless when some other section is expressly designated in such reference. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
- Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
- month: shall be construed to mean a calendar month, unless otherwise expressed; and the word "year" a calendar year, unless otherwise expressed; and the word "year" alone shall be equivalent to the expression "year of our Lord. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
- property: shall include all property, both real and personal. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
(2) Damage to the premises, including damage to or destruction of smoke alarms or carbon monoxide alarms.
(3) Damages as the result of the nonfulfillment of the rental period, except where the tenant terminated the rental agreement under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-45, N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-45.1, or because the tenant was forced to leave the property because of the landlord’s violation of Article 2A of Chapter 42 of the N.C. Gen. Stat. or was constructively evicted by the landlord’s violation of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-42(a).
(4) Any unpaid bills that become a lien against the demised property due to the tenant’s occupancy.
(5) The costs of re-renting the premises after breach by the tenant, including any reasonable fees or commissions paid by the landlord to a licensed real estate broker to re-rent the premises.
(6) The costs of removal and storage of the tenant’s property after a summary ejectment proceeding.
(7) Court costs.
(8) Any fee permitted by N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-46
(b) The security deposit shall not exceed an amount equal to two weeks’ rent if a tenancy is week to week, one and one-half months’ rent if a tenancy is month to month, and two months’ rent for terms greater than month to month. These deposits must be fully accounted for by the landlord as set forth in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-52 (1977, c. 914, s. 1; 1983, c. 672, s. 3; 2001-502, s. 5; 2004-143, s. 6; 2011-252, s. 3; 2012-17, s. 4; 2012-194, s. 59(a), (b).)