How to Use security deposit in a Sentence

security deposit

noun
  • How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit?
    Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 20 Jan. 2026
  • Can a landlord deduct from your security deposit for normal wear and tear?
    Angela Rodriguez, Sacramento Bee, 30 May 2024
  • Tenants are not allowed to use their security deposit as their last month’s rent.
    Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 20 Jan. 2026
  • You will no longer be required to pay rent and your landlord must return your security deposit.
    Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2025
  • How many months’ rent security deposit can a landlord require?
    Phillip Molnar, Oc Register, 7 July 2025
  • The landlord then has a few weeks to review the state of the apartment and return your security deposit.
    Kate McGregor, House Beautiful, 22 June 2023
  • First month’s rent, last month’s rent and a security deposit are thousands of dollars upfront.
    Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2025
  • If the apartment has been damaged badly, then the landlord can keep some of the security deposit.
    Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2025
  • The new law prevents most landlords from charging renters two to three times the amount of monthly rent as a security deposit.
    Sarah Linn, Sacramento Bee, 1 July 2024
  • The visa bond program functions, in essence, like a security deposit that’s layered on top of the standard visa process.
    Bailey Berg, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Many dealers require lessors to put down a security deposit after signing the lease.
    Jim Slavik, Car and Driver, 21 June 2023
  • The law permits landlords to collect only the first month’s rent and a security deposit equal to one month’s rent at the start of the lease.
    Jill Terreri Ramos, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2024
  • There are credit cards that do not require a security deposit to open, these are known as unsecured credit cards.
    Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2024
  • Few people leave prison with enough savings to pay the security deposit, and two months of rent are often due upfront for an apartment.
    Jaden Edison, Hartford Courant, 25 Mar. 2024
  • Most renters don’t paint the walls of their apartment for fear that a landlord would say that goes against their lease agreement and withhold the security deposit.
    Christianna Silva, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Aug. 2024
  • Using these has the impact of a larger home reno without risking your security deposit.
    Anne Loreto Cruz, Bon Appétit, 8 Feb. 2024
  • Under a new California law, renters can no longer be asked for a security deposit lthat’s more than one month’s rent.
    Angela Rodriguez, Sacramento Bee, 24 June 2024
  • Landlords run these reports and use them to determine whether to rent to the applicant and how much to charge for the security deposit.
    Indianapolis Star, The Indianapolis Star, 7 June 2023
  • There’s also a security deposit and an annual fee that ranges from $6 to $31 per square foot.
    Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 3 Aug. 2024
  • The mark would be offered a share of the proceeds, and asked to put up good faith money as a security deposit for taking possession of the ring.
    Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 17 Aug. 2024
  • Most tenants seem to just expect the landlord to keep the security deposit, honestly.
    Stephanie Kuzydym, The Courier-Journal, 26 Aug. 2025
  • You aren’t required to make an upfront security deposit with an unsecured credit card.
    Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2024
  • The days of needing to save two to three months’ worth of rent for a security deposit are largely over in California.
    Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2024
  • Scammers will often ask for payments like an application fee, a security deposit, the first month’s rent or a mix of such charges.
    Ana Teresa Solá, CNBC, 23 Jan. 2025
  • Landlords are also not allowed to charge some renters more for their security deposit than others without reason.
    Theara Coleman, The Week, 6 Feb. 2023
  • Off-campus apartments may also require a security deposit and first month’s rent upfront.
    Nerdwallet, Boston Herald, 29 Oct. 2024
  • Failure to abide by this condition could mean losing your security deposit, or even being evicted.
    Ashlyn Needham, The Spruce, 23 June 2026
  • Giving notice of a full calendar month is both courteous and a way to protect your security deposit.
    Jill Terreri Ramos, New York Times, 17 May 2025
  • The final bill would increase the fee to $43 and allow landlords to pull from a renters’ security deposit to cover the cost.
    Sam Janesch, Baltimore Sun, 8 Apr. 2024
  • When a security deposit is being held for a primary residence, a tenant cannot deduct this income.
    Jill Terreri Ramos, New York Times, 1 June 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'security deposit.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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