10 of the 10 rules below carry a statute citation that was read at the official source (most recently October 2026), with the controlling text quoted. The rest are conservative reference values from Aptoria's compliance data and are labeled unverified.
Security deposit size: Deposit may not exceed 2 weeks' rent for week-to-week tenancies, 1.5 months' rent for month-to-month tenancies, and 2 months' rent for terms longer than month-to-month. A separate reasonable, nonrefundable pet fee is allowed (G.S. 42-53). Deposits must be held in a trust account or bonded. (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-51(b), confirmed 2026-10). Returning the deposit: Within 30 days after the tenancy ends and possession is delivered, itemize any damages in writing and return the balance. If the claim cannot be determined within 30 days, provide an INTERIM accounting within 30 days and a FINAL accounting within 60 days. No withholding for ordinary wear and tear. (N.C.G.S. § 42-52, confirmed 2026-07).
How North Carolina treats the landlord's core obligations
Late fees: Late fee chargeable only if rent is 5 or more calendar days late (first day = day after due date). Monthly rent: max greater of $15 or 5% of monthly rent; weekly rent: max greater of $4 or 5% of weekly rent. One late fee per late payment; cannot be deducted from a later rent payment to create a new default. (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-46(a), confirmed 2026-10). Application fees: No statewide cap on rental application or screening fees; § 42-46 regulates only late fees and eviction-related administrative fees charged to tenants and does not address applicant fees. (N.C.G.S. § 42-46 (no application-fee cap in Chapter 42), confirmed 2026-10).
Nonpayment notice: Where rent is due on a fixed day, the lease is forfeited if the tenant fails to pay within 10 days after a demand for all past-due rent; the landlord may then file summary ejectment (G.S. 42-26). Lease clauses may provide a different reentry procedure. (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-3, confirmed 2026-10). Rent increases: No statewide rent-increase notice statute. A landlord changes the rent on a month-to-month tenancy by terminating it with the 7-day notice to quit under § 42-14 (one month for year-to-year, two days for week-to-week) and offering a new tenancy; a fixed-term lease cannot be changed mid-term. (N.C.G.S. § 42-14 (no specific increase-notice statute in Chapter 42), confirmed 2026-10). Ending a month-to-month tenancy: Month-to-month tenancy may be terminated by a notice to quit given at least 7 days before the end of the current rental period (year-to-year: one month; week-to-week: 2 days). Different periods apply to manufactured-home lots (60 days). (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-14, confirmed 2026-10). Entry: No statewide statute sets a landlord entry-notice period; Chapter 42 Article 5 (Residential Rental Agreements) contains no access provision, so entry is governed by the lease and the tenant’s right to quiet enjoyment. (N.C.G.S. ch. 42, art. 5 (no entry-notice provision), confirmed 2026-10).
North Carolina has no statewide rent regulation on file, so any cap on increases would come from a local ordinance. Source-of-income protection is not on file statewide, although cities and counties can add it. Card surcharges on rent: allowed within card-network limits. Managing property for others for compensation generally requires a state license: State real estate broker license required for property management for others — confirm with state commission.
Security deposits
What North Carolina allows a landlord to collect up front, how it must be held, and the deadline and paperwork for returning it.
Security deposit limit
Source-confirmed 2026-10
Deposit may not exceed 2 weeks' rent for week-to-week tenancies, 1.5 months' rent for month-to-month tenancies, and 2 months' rent for terms longer than month-to-month. A separate reasonable, nonrefundable pet fee is allowed (G.S. 42-53). Deposits must be held in a trust account or bonded.
“The security deposit shall not exceed an amount equal to two weeks' rent if a tenancy is week to week, one and one-half months' rent if a tenancy is month to month, and two months' rent for terms greater than month to month.”
Excerpt from the cited source as read on the date shown.
month-to-month is capped at 1.5.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “2× monthly rent”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
The maximum a landlord may collect up front as security against unpaid rent or damage, usually expressed as a multiple of one month's rent. Separate pet, key or cleaning deposits often count toward the same limit.
Deposit return deadline
Source-confirmed 2026-07
Within 30 days after the tenancy ends and possession is delivered, itemize any damages in writing and return the balance. If the claim cannot be determined within 30 days, provide an INTERIM accounting within 30 days and a FINAL accounting within 60 days. No withholding for ordinary wear and tear.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “30 days after move-out”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
The window after the tenant vacates in which the landlord must refund the deposit or deliver an itemized statement of deductions. Missing the deadline is the most common way a landlord forfeits the right to keep any part of the deposit.
Separate pet deposit
Source-confirmed 2026-10
A landlord may charge a reasonable, NONREFUNDABLE pet fee for pets kept on the premises, in addition to the security deposit (which is itself capped by G.S. 42-51(b): 2 weeks' rent for week-to-week, 1.5 months for month-to-month, 2 months for longer terms). The statute does not cap the pet fee beyond 'reasonable'.
“Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, the landlord may charge a reasonable, nonrefundable fee for pets kept by the tenant on the premises.”
Excerpt from the cited source as read on the date shown.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “Permitted”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
Whether a refundable pet deposit can be collected on top of the security deposit. Even where it is permitted, the combined amount usually has to stay inside the overall deposit limit.
In practice
• Hold the deposit the way the statute requires (separate or escrow account where applicable) and record the account in the file.
• Document move-in condition with a dated, photographed inventory the tenant can sign; it is the only evidence that supports a later deduction.
• Send the itemized statement and any refund by a trackable method, and keep the receipts or estimates behind every deduction.
Rent, late fees and application fees
The fees a North Carolina lease can charge, the statutory ceilings that override the lease, and whether rent increases are regulated statewide.
Late fees
Source-confirmed 2026-10
Late fee chargeable only if rent is 5 or more calendar days late (first day = day after due date). Monthly rent: max greater of $15 or 5% of monthly rent; weekly rent: max greater of $4 or 5% of weekly rent. One late fee per late payment; cannot be deducted from a later rent payment to create a new default.
“to be chargeable only if any rental payment is five calendar days or more late ... not to exceed fifteen dollars ($15.00) or five percent (5%) of the monthly rent, whichever is greater.”
Excerpt from the cited source as read on the date shown.
42-46 also caps complaint-filing (greater of $15 or 5%), court-appearance (10%), and second-trial (12%) fees — only one per complaint.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “Capped at 5% of monthly rent or $15; 5 days grace”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
Any statutory ceiling on the fee for late rent and any mandatory grace period before it can be charged. Where there is no statutory cap, courts still strike fees they find punitive rather than a reasonable estimate of the landlord's cost.
Application fee limit
Source-confirmed 2026-10
No statewide cap on rental application or screening fees; § 42-46 regulates only late fees and eviction-related administrative fees charged to tenants and does not address applicant fees.
Absence finding. § 66-143 regulates rental-referral agencies, not landlords.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “No statewide cap”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
A cap on what an applicant can be charged to apply, sometimes limited to the actual cost of screening and sometimes prohibited outright. Fee receipts and refund rules usually travel with the cap.
Statewide rent regulation
Source-confirmed 2026-10
(b) Statewide preemption: no county or city may enact, maintain, or enforce any ordinance regulating the amount of rent charged for privately owned residential or commercial rental property (exceptions for government-owned property, subsidized-property agreements, CDBG-assisted property, and owners receiving local funding/incentives). No statewide rent cap and no statutory rent-increase notice period.
“No county or city as defined by G.S. 160A-1 may enact, maintain, or enforce any ordinance or resolution which regulates the amount of rent to be charged for privately owned, single-family or multiple unit residential or commercial rental property.”
Excerpt from the cited source as read on the date shown.
Last amended 2024 (S.L. 2024-47, s. 7), which added subsection (b) barring local source-of-income ordinances.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “No statewide rent regulation (check local ordinances)”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
Whether a statewide law caps annual rent increases or whether rent control exists for covered units. Local ordinances can add limits even where the state has none.
In practice
• State the late fee, the grace period and the application fee in the lease in dollars or a clear percentage; a fee that is not in the lease is rarely enforceable.
• Never charge above the statutory cap even when the lease says more; the excess is unenforceable and can expose the landlord to penalties.
• Keep fee calculations in the ledger so a tenant, a court or an auditor can reproduce them from the rent roll.
Notices, rent increases and termination
How much written notice North Carolina requires before a rent increase, before ending a month-to-month tenancy, and before filing for nonpayment.
Rent-increase notice
Source-confirmed 2026-10
No statewide rent-increase notice statute. A landlord changes the rent on a month-to-month tenancy by terminating it with the 7-day notice to quit under § 42-14 (one month for year-to-year, two days for week-to-week) and offering a new tenancy; a fixed-term lease cannot be changed mid-term.
Absence confirmed by reading Chapter 42 Articles 1 and 5; NC has no rent control (§ 42-14.1). Manufactured-home spaces require 60 days.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “30 days”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
The written notice a landlord must give before a rent increase takes effect on a periodic (month-to-month) tenancy. Fixed-term leases generally cannot be changed mid-term.
Month-to-month termination notice
Source-confirmed 2026-10
Month-to-month tenancy may be terminated by a notice to quit given at least 7 days before the end of the current rental period (year-to-year: one month; week-to-week: 2 days). Different periods apply to manufactured-home lots (60 days).
“a tenancy from month to month by a like notice of seven days”
Excerpt from the cited source as read on the date shown.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “7 days”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
The notice a landlord must give to end a periodic tenancy without cause. Some jurisdictions require longer notice for long-term tenants or require a stated cause.
Pay-or-quit notice
Source-confirmed 2026-10
Where rent is due on a fixed day, the lease is forfeited if the tenant fails to pay within 10 days after a demand for all past-due rent; the landlord may then file summary ejectment (G.S. 42-26). Lease clauses may provide a different reentry procedure.
“there shall be implied a forfeiture of the term upon failure to pay the rent within 10 days after a demand is made”
Excerpt from the cited source as read on the date shown.
Demand may be oral under 42-3; written is best practice.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “10 days”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
The notice a tenant must receive for nonpayment before the landlord can file for possession, and the time the tenant has to pay in full and cure. This is the step most often done wrong in an eviction.
In practice
• Serve notices in the form and by the method the statute names, and keep proof of service with the dated notice.
• Count notice periods the way the statute counts them (calendar days, business days, or "before the next rent due date") and build in a margin.
• Treat a notice to a possibly rent-regulated or subsidized unit as a legal check, because longer periods and extra content requirements usually apply.
Landlord entry
When a North Carolina landlord may enter an occupied unit and how much notice the tenant must receive.
Non-emergency entry notice
Source-confirmed 2026-10
No statewide statute sets a landlord entry-notice period; Chapter 42 Article 5 (Residential Rental Agreements) contains no access provision, so entry is governed by the lease and the tenant’s right to quiet enjoyment.
Absence finding: no notice period exists to cite. Leases commonly specify 24 hours; the engine’s 0 reflects the statute, not a safe practice.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “Reasonable notice”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
The advance notice required before a landlord enters an occupied unit for repairs, inspections or showings. Emergencies are the usual exception.
In practice
• Give written notice with the date, a reasonable time window and the purpose, and log the entry afterwards.
• Emergencies are the only common exception; document what made the entry urgent.
• A pattern of unannounced entries is a common basis for tenant complaints and counterclaims.
Payments, fair housing and licensing
Operational rules that sit outside the landlord-tenant act but decide how rent can be collected, who can be screened out, and who may manage for others.
Card surcharges on rent
Allowed within card-network limits
Returned-payment (NSF) fee
No statewide statutory cap on file
Source-of-income protection
No statewide protection on file
Local ordinances can extend protection beyond the statewide rule.
Property-management licensing
License generally required to manage for others
State real estate broker license required for property management for others — confirm with state commission.
Compliance posture values are reference data compiled from public statutes and are not source-confirmed line by line. Confirm with the state agency before relying on them.
North Carolina next to its neighbors
Own units on both sides of a state line? These are the reference values for every bordering jurisdiction. Open a state to see which values carry a citation.
Federal and state disclosures Aptoria's lease workflow surfaces for North Carolina. This is a working checklist from public sources, not a complete legal inventory for a specific property.
• Lead-based paint hazards (pre-1978 housing) — EPA Pamphlet "Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home"
Official sources
Primary sources a North Carolina landlord should bookmark. Each link was fetched and read during the October 2026 review; the binding text is always the current official version.
How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in North Carolina?
Deposit may not exceed 2 weeks' rent for week-to-week tenancies, 1.5 months' rent for month-to-month tenancies, and 2 months' rent for terms longer than month-to-month. A separate reasonable, nonrefundable pet fee is allowed (G.S. 42-53). Deposits must be held in a trust account or bonded. (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-51(b), confirmed 2026-10).
How long does a North Carolina landlord have to return the security deposit?
Within 30 days after the tenancy ends and possession is delivered, itemize any damages in writing and return the balance. If the claim cannot be determined within 30 days, provide an INTERIM accounting within 30 days and a FINAL accounting within 60 days. No withholding for ordinary wear and tear. (N.C.G.S. § 42-52, confirmed 2026-07).
What is the maximum late fee in North Carolina?
Late fee chargeable only if rent is 5 or more calendar days late (first day = day after due date). Monthly rent: max greater of $15 or 5% of monthly rent; weekly rent: max greater of $4 or 5% of weekly rent. One late fee per late payment; cannot be deducted from a later rent payment to create a new default. (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-46(a), confirmed 2026-10).
How many days does a North Carolina pay-or-quit notice give the tenant?
Where rent is due on a fixed day, the lease is forfeited if the tenant fails to pay within 10 days after a demand for all past-due rent; the landlord may then file summary ejectment (G.S. 42-26). Lease clauses may provide a different reentry procedure. (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-3, confirmed 2026-10).
How much notice must a North Carolina landlord give before entering?
No statewide statute sets a landlord entry-notice period; Chapter 42 Article 5 (Residential Rental Agreements) contains no access provision, so entry is governed by the lease and the tenant’s right to quiet enjoyment. (N.C.G.S. ch. 42, art. 5 (no entry-notice provision), confirmed 2026-10).
How much notice is required to raise rent in North Carolina?
No statewide rent-increase notice statute. A landlord changes the rent on a month-to-month tenancy by terminating it with the 7-day notice to quit under § 42-14 (one month for year-to-year, two days for week-to-week) and offering a new tenancy; a fixed-term lease cannot be changed mid-term. (N.C.G.S. § 42-14 (no specific increase-notice statute in Chapter 42), confirmed 2026-10).
How much notice is required to end a month-to-month tenancy in North Carolina?
Month-to-month tenancy may be terminated by a notice to quit given at least 7 days before the end of the current rental period (year-to-year: one month; week-to-week: 2 days). Different periods apply to manufactured-home lots (60 days). (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-14, confirmed 2026-10).
Does North Carolina have statewide rent control?
No statewide rent regulation is on file for North Carolina. Local ordinances can still limit increases, so check the city or county where the unit sits before setting a renewal rent.
Is source of income a protected class in North Carolina?
No statewide source-of-income protection is on file for North Carolina, but cities and counties can adopt it. Check local law before refusing a voucher or benefit income, and apply any screening criteria consistently.
Can a North Carolina landlord add a surcharge for paying rent by card?
Allowed within card-network limits. Where a surcharge is allowed, it must still follow card-network rules and be disclosed before payment.
How this page was verified
Every rule is shown in one of two states. “Source-confirmed” means an editor opened the official statute page named next to the rule on the date shown, read the controlling text, and recorded the excerpt you see; the excerpt is quoted verbatim so you can check it. “Reference value” means Aptoria's compliance engine applies a conservative number for this rule, but nobody has yet tied it to a specific statute section on this page, so it must be checked before you rely on it.
This page meets Aptoria's evidence floor for publication (10 source-confirmed rules and 4 fetched official sources). Statutes change; local ordinances can be stricter; the facts of a tenancy change the result.