Deposits Explained: How Much Can a Landlord Ask For?
Short answer: A deposit (depositum) can be at most 3 months' rent, excluding on-account payments for heating and water (section 59(1) of the Danish Rent Act). It secures your obligations when you move out, and the rest is repaid afterwards. It earns no interest, and if the landlord demands too much, you can reclaim the excess.
The deposit is probably the single amount that causes the most disagreements between tenants and landlords – often because neither side knows the rules precisely. Here are the rules that matter.
How Much Can the Landlord Ask For?
| Item | Cap |
|---|---|
| Deposit | 3 months' rent (section 59(1)) |
| Prepaid rent | 3 months' rent – and no more than the rent for your notice period (section 59(3)) |
| Adjustment when rent rises | Same number of months, paid in equal monthly instalments (section 60) |
If the rent is 9,000 kr. and you pay 700 kr. on account for heating, the highest lawful deposit is 27,000 kr. – not 29,100 kr. If the landlord asks for more, the excess has been demanded unlawfully, and you can claim it back, whatever the lease says.
What Does the Deposit Cover?
The deposit is security for the claims the landlord may have against you when you move out: refurbishment you're liable for, unpaid rent, and, for example, an extra payment on a heating statement. You can't "live off" the deposit by not paying rent during your notice period – that's what prepaid rent can be used for. See the difference in Prepaid Rent vs. Deposit.
If the Rent Goes Up – or Down
If the rent rises, the landlord can require the deposit and prepaid rent to be adjusted so they still equal the same number of months. The increase is paid in equal monthly instalments over as many months as the amount represented (section 60 of the Rent Act). If the rent rises from 9,000 to 9,300 kr., a 3-month deposit can therefore rise by 900 kr., paid as 300 kr. a month for 3 months. If the rent falls, the landlord must pay back a corresponding amount.
Interest and Safekeeping
According to the explanatory notes to the law (lovens forarbejder), you can't demand interest on the deposit, and the landlord doesn't have to keep it in a separate account. If you're subletting from another tenant, you can choose to provide a bank guarantee or pay the amount into a separate escrow account instead of a deposit (section 59(2)).
If the Deposit Is Too High
Raise it with the landlord first – in writing. If you can't agree, huslejenævnet (the local rent tribunal) decides disputes about deposits and prepaid rent (section 63 of the Rent Act). Bringing a case costs 367 kr. (2026, adjusted annually). In properties with cost-based rent (omkostningsbestemt husleje), it's also a criminal offence for the landlord to demand more than the law allows (section 62).
How This Works on LejLet.nu
When a landlord creates or edits a listing on LejLet.nu, the deposit and prepaid rent can each be set no higher than 3 times the monthly rent – on-account payments don't count. This is checked both in the form and as a hard rule in the database. The system doesn't, however, check the lower limit on prepaid rent when the notice period is shorter than 3 months, for example for rooms in the landlord's own home.