Can a landlord require a deposit in Norway?
Yes — a landlord may require a deposit, but no more than six months' rent, and the rules are strict. Under the Tenancy Act the deposit may be at most six months' rent — deposit and any guarantee together also cannot exceed six months. The money must sit on a separate blocked deposit account in the tenant's own name. The landlord may never hold it in cash or on their own account, the landlord pays the fee to open the account, and the interest accrues to the tenant. Rent can rise once a year, and only by the consumer price index. Only after 2.5 years can the landlord seek adjustment to market rent, with six months' written notice. The Act cannot be waived to the tenant's disadvantage, and disputes go cheaply to the Tenancy Dispute Committee.
📋 The rules
- Deposit max six months' rent
- It must sit on a blocked deposit account in your name
- The landlord pays the fee to open the account
- Rent rise once a year, only by CPI
- Adjustment to market rent only after 2.5 years, 6 months' notice
🔓 Exceptions
- Renting a room in the landlord's own home can have a shorter minimum term (1 year)
- A student welfare joint account has a lower cap of three months
- Short-term or interim lettings can have a shorter term
⚠️ Penalties & fines
A deposit that is not held on a proper blocked account — in cash, or on the landlord's own account — is illegal. The tenant can then demand the money back at any time and is generally entitled to delay interest from the day it was paid, which can add up to a substantial sum over a long tenancy. The landlord also cannot pass the fee for the deposit account on to the tenant, and the interest on the account belongs to the tenant. The Tenancy Act cannot be waived to the tenant's disadvantage, so a contract saying otherwise simply does not apply.
📎 Official sources
❓ Frequently asked
How much deposit can the landlord require?
Max six months' rent. The deposit and any guarantee together also cannot exceed six months' rent, so the landlord cannot demand a full deposit and then a guarantee on top of it.
Where must the deposit sit?
On a separate blocked deposit account in your own name. The landlord may never hold it in cash or on their own account, and a contract saying otherwise does not apply — the Act cannot be waived to the tenant's disadvantage.
Who pays for the deposit account?
The landlord pays the fee to open the account, and it cannot be passed on to you. The interest that accrues on the account belongs to the tenant, not the landlord, and a contract saying otherwise does not apply — the Act cannot be waived to the tenant's disadvantage.
How much can the rent be raised?
Once a year, and only in line with the consumer price index. Adjustment to market rent is a different thing: it can be sought only after two and a half years, and then with six months' written notice.
What do I do if the deposit is not held correctly?
You can demand the money back at any time, and you are generally entitled to delay interest from the day you paid it. If the landlord disagrees, the case goes to the Tenancy Dispute Committee, which handles such disputes cheaply.
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