Can a landlord demand three months for a furnished flat?
They cannot — and furniture changes nothing. A residential deposit may not exceed two months' rent. The law creates no higher ceiling for a furnished flat, a newly renovated one, or because the tenant is a foreigner. The payment date and procedure must be stated in the lease. At the end of the tenancy, contractual payment debts may be deducted from the deposit, but the landlord must inform the tenant immediately. The unused balance must ordinarily be returned no later than the day you move out, unless the lease sets another arrangement.
📋 The rules
- The maximum: two months' rent
- Furniture and renovation do not raise the ceiling
- The payment date must be in the lease
- Only contractual debts may be deducted
- Returned normally on the day you move out
🔓 Exceptions
- The lease may set a return date other than the move-out day
- It may allow use of the deposit during the tenancy and require replenishment — the cap still holds
- A payment called something else, but operating as an extra deposit, is not beyond scrutiny
⚠️ Penalties & fines
There is no dedicated fine for an excessive deposit — but the excess can be reclaimed as a civil claim. And only lease-related sums may be withheld. The deposit is not an automatic penalty that a landlord may keep simply because the tenant is leaving. So prepare on the day you move in. The law allows the parties to draw up a delivery-and-acceptance report at both the start and the end of the tenancy — so photograph everything, record the meter readings and sign the report. Without it, a dispute about "damage" becomes one word against another, and the party with no evidence loses.
📎 Official sources
- likumi.lv · Residential Tenancy Law →
- likumi.lv · Repealed Tenancy Law →
- likumi.lv · Administrative Liability Law →
❓ Frequently asked
How large may the deposit be?
No more than two months' rent. The law creates no higher ceiling for a furnished or newly renovated flat, nor because the tenant happens to be a foreign national.
When must the deposit be returned?
The unused balance must ordinarily be returned no later than the day the dwelling is vacated, unless the lease specifies a different return arrangement and date.
What may be deducted?
Only payment debts connected to the lease, and the landlord must inform the tenant immediately of any deduction. The deposit is not an automatic penalty for moving out.
Can the landlord ask me to top it up?
If the lease allows it, they may use the deposit during the tenancy and require replenishment. But the total sum held as a deposit still may not exceed two months' rent.
How do I protect myself from a dispute?
Draw up a delivery-and-acceptance report both when moving in and when moving out. Photograph the flat and record meter readings — without evidence the dispute becomes word against word.
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