안녕하세요. 뉴져지에 사는 유학생입니다.
개인 콘도를 렌트했고 작년 9월6일부터 올해 6월 5일까지 계약이 되어있습니다. Security Deposit 관련해서 질문하나 드릴께요. 밑에 링크는 뉴져지 Security Deposit 관련 법을 제가 찾은것입니다.
5월5일까지 마지막 렌트비를 내야하는데 Security Deposit으로 내는 방법을 알아보고 있거든요. 렌트는 950불이고 Deposit은 1425불이었습니다. 계약서에는 Deposit으로 렌트를 낼수 없다고 나오지만 뉴저지 법에는 만약 집주인이 세입자에게 어디 은행에 예금하였고, 얼마의 이자를 받는지를 알려주지 않는다면, 세입자는 Deposit으로 렌트를 낼수 있다고 되어 있는것 같은데요. 저는 집주인에게 아무 정보를 받지 못했거든요. 이 경우 제가 원한다면 집주인에게 서면으로 편지를 보낸뒤 렌트를 내지 않아도 되는건가요? 제가 밑의 뉴저지법을 잘못 이해한건가요? 답변 부탁드립니다.

Your right to use the security deposit as rent
The law also says that if the landlord does not put the security money in a proper bank account, or does not give a proper written notice to the tenant every time the law says he or she has to, then the tenant can give a written notice to the landlord telling the landlord to use the whole deposit (plus seven percent interest per year) to pay the tenant’s rent. (But be sure to read the next paragraph, which talks about a special situation.) This notice should be sent to the landlord by certified mail, return receipt requested, and you should keep a copy. The money can be used to pay future rent or any back rent the tenant owes. Once a tenant legally tells the landlord to use the security deposit as rent, the landlord can’t ask the tenant for another deposit as long as the tenant lives in the apartment or house. Cite: N.J.S.A. 46:8-19(c); Delmat v. Kahn, 147 N.J. Super. 293 (App. Div. 1977).

Note: There are two exceptions to the rights described in the paragraph above.

If a landlord does not obey the law that says he or she must pay the interest on the security deposit every year (or if the landlord does not use the interest to pay part of the tenant’s rent), or


If the landlord does not give a notice about the deposit to the tenant every year,
the tenant can use the deposit to pay past or future rent due. But before the tenant can do this, the tenant must give or send the landlord a letter giving the landlord 30 days to pay the interest or give the annual notice. (This notice should also be sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, and you should keep a copy.) Cite: N.J.S.A. 46:8-19(c).

There are two other important points about the notice of security deposit:

If you have a written lease, read it carefully. Landlords will often put the name and address of the bank where your security is deposited, along with the other information required by law, right in the lease. This is sufficient notice under the law.


Even if the landlord sends you the notice within 30 days, the landlord still violates the law if the notice is not true. If you receive the notice, call the bank to find out if the money has been deposited. If the money was not deposited, you can tell the landlord in writing to use the security deposit to pay your rent just the same as if the landlord had not sent you a notice at all. Cite: Princeton Hill Associates v. Lynch, 241 N.J. Super. 363 (App. Div. 1990).