North Carolina Landlord-Tenant Laws 2026

Rule	Requirement
Security Deposit Cap	1.5 months’ rent (week-to-week) or 2 months’ rent (month-to-month or longer)
Deposit Return Deadline	30 days
Eviction Notice (Nonpayment)	10 days written notice
Rent Cap	No statewide cap
Entry Notice	No specific statute (reasonable notice recommended)
Late Fee Cap	$15 or 5% of monthly rent (whichever is greater)
Grace Period	5 days
Just Cause Eviction	Not required

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Security Deposit Laws

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Eviction Process & Notice Requirements

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Rent Increase Laws

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Landlord Entry & Access Rules

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Maintenance & Habitability Standards

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Late Fee Limits

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Lease Termination & Renewal

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Fair Housing Protections

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Tenant Screening Rules

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Required Landlord Disclosures

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Rent Control

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Property Registration Requirements

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Charlotte 911,311 Raleigh 482,295 Greensboro 302,296 Durham 296,186 Winston-Salem 252,975 Fayetteville 209,749 Cary 180,010 Wilmington 122,698 High Point 116,926 Concord 110,119 Asheville 95,056 Greenville 90,053 Gastonia 83,942 Jacksonville 72,879 Apex 72,225 Huntersville 64,688 Chapel Hill 62,043 Burlington 60,032 Kannapolis 59,321 Wake Forest 54,337 Rocky Mount 54,245 Mooresville 53,721 Wilson 47,833 Holly Springs 46,271 Hickory 44,415 Fuquay-Varina 43,817 Indian Trail 42,854 Monroe 37,797 Salisbury 36,319 Garner 35,265 Goldsboro 33,469 Cornelius 33,139 New Bern 32,226 Sanford 32,064 Morrisville 31,703 Matthews 30,934 Leland 30,542 Statesville 30,220 Clayton 30,216 Kernersville 28,016 Mint Hill 27,815 Asheboro 27,726 Thomasville 27,435 Waxhaw 23,073 Clemmons 22,159 Shelby 22,010 Carrboro 21,103 Knightdale 20,275 Mebane 20,212 Harrisburg 19,883 Lexington 19,840 Boone 19,811 Kinston 19,411 Lumberton 19,121 Elizabeth City 18,948 Pinehurst 18,449 Mount Holly 18,373 Graham 18,354 Lenoir 18,238 Hope Mills 17,973 Morganton 17,708 Stallings 17,212 Albemarle 16,936 Southern Pines 16,728 Havelock 16,500 Belmont 15,515 Hendersonville 15,466 Eden 15,332 Laurinburg 15,021 Henderson 14,857 Roanoke Rapids 14,669 Reidsville 14,585 Davidson 14,521 Wendell 14,400 Weddington 14,080 Lewisville 14,002 Newton 13,399 Smithfield 12,468 Lincolnton 12,128 Archdale 12,084 Kings Mountain 11,823 Elon 11,520 Spring Lake 11,507 Rolesville 11,297 Pineville 11,153 Summerfield 11,150 Tarboro 10,859 Winterville 10,821 Waynesville 10,667 Mount Airy 10,610 Morehead City 9,863 Hillsborough 9,757 Washington 9,683 Gibsonville 9,496 Aberdeen 9,488 Oak Island 9,480 Zebulon 9,401 Wesley Chapel 9,280 Oxford 8,972 Rockingham 8,890 Conover 8,635 Dunn 8,581 Black Mountain 8,530 Clinton 8,320 Roxboro 8,212 Fletcher 8,158 Butner 8,108 Siler City 8,043 Woodfin 8,012 Brevard 7,847 Kill Devil Hills 7,778 Oak Ridge 7,776 King 7,561 Marion 7,493 St. James 7,443 Forest City 7,387 Mills River 7,337 Angier 7,283 Trinity 7,155 Unionville 7,087 Selma 7,012 Carolina Beach 6,826 Marvin 6,813 Boiling Spring Lakes 6,658 Cherryville 6,278 Dallas 6,156 Mocksville 6,147 Stokesdale 6,016 Walkertown 5,950 Hamlet 5,928 Locust 5,854 Nashville 5,737 Bessemer City 5,625 Cramerton 5,496 Archer Lodge 5,365 Whispering Pines 5,320 Carolina Shores 5,307 Long View 5,207 Shallotte 5,171 Holly Ridge 5,170 Ayden 5,092 Pleasant Garden 5,057 Williamston 5,051 Creedmoor 5,026 Sawmills 5,025 Midway 4,948 Wadesboro 4,935 Midland 4,930 Granite Falls 4,914 Pittsboro 4,839 Beaufort 4,804 Surf City 4,781 Erwin 4,739 Valdese 4,699 Weaverville 4,693 Lillington 4,692 Whiteville 4,677 Randleman 4,674 Ranlo 4,664 Ahoskie 4,651 Boiling Springs 4,637 China Grove 4,572 Farmville 4,546 Raeford 4,544 Sunset Beach 4,544 Newport 4,494 Edenton 4,485 Canton 4,418 Benson 4,401 Southport 4,377 Wingate 4,342 North Wilkesboro 4,338 Franklin 4,328 Spindale 4,284 Mount Olive 4,261 Swansboro 4,137 Trent Woods 4,106 Elkin 4,088 Stanley 4,065 Troutman 3,980 Emerald Isle 3,966 Maiden 3,845 Landis 3,803 Lowell 3,794 Hudson 3,767 Jamestown 3,721 Kitty Hawk 3,713 Gamewell 3,704 Fairview 3,699 Rutherfordton 3,685 Eastover 3,684 Tabor City 3,670 Wilkesboro 3,661 Flat Rock 3,563 Rural Hall 3,513 Lake Park 3,504 Wallace 3,472 Red Oak 3,425 Burgaw 3,415 Mineral Springs 3,379 Spencer 3,354 Green Level 3,293 Louisburg 3,269 Elizabethtown 3,265 Windsor 3,250 Bermuda Run 3,239 Plymouth 3,204 Wallburg 3,188 Nags Head 3,142 Red Springs 3,142 Southern Shores 3,138 Granite Quarry 3,068 Yadkinville 3,018 Troy 2,952 Carthage 2,951 River Bend 2,921 La Grange 2,868 Pembroke 2,832 Wilson's Mills 2,820 Warsaw 2,735 Franklinton 2,718 Wentworth 2,715 Liberty 2,704 Cajah's Mountain 2,698 Tobaccoville 2,696 Sylva 2,668 Marshville 2,660 Swepsonville 2,535 Four Oaks 2,530 Grifton 2,507 Norwood 2,462 Mayodan 2,452 Calabash 2,433 Belville 2,427 Wrightsville Beach 2,420 Richlands 2,415 Murfreesboro 2,371 Rockwell 2,370 Haw River 2,348 Jonesville 2,326 Laurel Park 2,299 Youngsville 2,291 Pine Level 2,277 Taylorsville 2,273 Cape Carteret 2,270 Polkton 2,268 Coats 2,261 Mars Hill 2,222 Oakboro 2,218 Fairmont 2,203 Spruce Pine 2,191 Kure Beach 2,156 Madison 2,156 Maxton 2,114 St. Pauls 2,056 Yanceyville 2,002 Hertford 1,980 Sparta 1,894 Badin 1,864 Biscoe 1,852 Cedar Point 1,814 Enfield 1,798 Ramseur 1,785 Drexel 1,759 Mount Pleasant 1,748 Sharpsburg 1,747 Maggie Valley 1,744 Andrews 1,737 Navassa 1,737 Claremont 1,729 Hemby Bridge 1,711 Hildebran 1,678 Stanfield 1,659 Murphy 1,657 Kenly 1,642 Jefferson 1,635 Bladenboro 1,634 Burnsville 1,623 Manteo 1,610 East Spencer 1,607 Tryon 1,606 Scotland Neck 1,598 Walnut Cove 1,598 Denton 1,556 Chadbourn 1,544 Connelly Springs 1,538 Pinebluff 1,536 Glen Alpine 1,525 Bryson City 1,510 Snow Hill 1,470 Dobson 1,463 Princeton 1,461 Biltmore Forest 1,435 Pilot Mountain 1,431 Pine Knoll Shores 1,426 Atlantic Beach 1,407 Belhaven 1,406 Bethel 1,399 Lake Lure 1,387 Clyde 1,383 Weldon 1,383 Rose Hill 1,381 Foxfire 1,376 Blowing Rock 1,353 Broadway 1,345 Stoneville 1,335 West Jefferson 1,334 Spring Hope 1,333 Stedman 1,296 Princeville 1,281 Lake Waccamaw 1,255 Robbins 1,254 Franklinville 1,240 Robersonville 1,218 Rutherford College 1,217 Elm City 1,214 Boonville 1,201 Fremont 1,199 Pinetops 1,193 Mount Gilead 1,178 Roseboro 1,155 Beulaville 1,138 Banner Elk 1,130 Dortches 1,113 Highlands 1,110 Walnut Creek 1,098 Columbus 1,097 Brunswick 1,070 North Topsail Beach 1,069 Lucama 1,046 Alamance 1,028 Bayboro 1,026 Vass 1,018 Stem 1,015 Northwest 1,005 Rhodhiss 985 Ocean Isle Beach 980 Cooleemee 975 Gaston 974 Holden Beach 939 Middlesex 939 McAdenville 920 Montreat 919 Norlina 915 Oriental 897 Rowland 889 Cleveland 879 Vanceboro 877 Belwood 875 Garysburg 865 Magnolia 855 Rich Square 855 Ellerbe 843 White Lake 842 Maysville 841 Faith 838 Star 822 Warrenton 822 Candor 819 Old Fort 818 Grover 813 Marshall 807 Faison 798 Red Cross 798 Peletier 791 Kenansville 763 Stantonsburg 757 Alliance 751 Chocowinity 749 Duck 744 Rosman 744 Ellenboro 739 Fair Bluff 737 Newland 721 Conway 720 Catawba 719 Pikeville 719 Aulander 717 Grantsboro 712 Bogue 708 Black Creek 690 Sedalia 685 Dobbins Heights 684 Taylortown 676 Kingstown 666 Beech Mountain 658 Wade 647 Saluda 643 East Bend 637 Whitakers 637 Fallston 636 New London 631 High Shoals 614 Wagram 609 Richfield 604 Winton 604 Misenheimer 603 Clarkton 602 Columbia 602 Garland 601 Whitsett 593 Patterson Springs 584 Greenevers 580 Newton Grove 578 Bailey 577 Harmony 577 Lawndale 577 Winfall 569 Robbinsville 563 Ossipee 557 Elk Park 549 Littleton 543 Minnesott Beach 539 Hot Springs 538 Varnamtown 538 Woodland 530 Polkville 523 Seaboard 516 Micro 508 Parkton 501 Topsail Beach 497 Hayesville 478 Roper 476 Teachey 472 Salemburg 456 Bakersville 455 Pink Hill 455 Aurora 451 Gibson 445 Ansonville 443 Ronda 441 Brookford 431 St. Helena 430 Sandyfield 430 Arapahoe 427 Lattimore 423 East Arcadia 414 Hookerton 414 Jackson 413 Hoffman 412 Jamesville 410 Lewiston Woodville 407 Macclesfield 406 Staley 406 Simpson 401 Grimesland 399 Caswell Beach 396 Bolton 391 Fountain 391 Lilesville 391 Cove City 387 Webster 387 Peachland 386 Washington Park 382 Falcon 381 Sugar Mountain 377 Bostic 361 Bunn 361 Bridgeton 357 Bethania 355 Ruth 355 Dover 352 Saratoga 350 Stovall 344 Sims 338 Atkinson 336 Calypso 329 Morven 327 Seven Devils 315 Waco 315 Forest Hills 313 Casar 305 Mooresboro 300 Sandy Creek 300 Cedar Rock 298 Hamilton 295 Bald Head Island 281 Momeyer 280 Rennert 280 Pollocksville 271 Castalia 270 Dublin 262 Oak City 262 Cofield 261 Hobgood 261 Gatesville 260 Cameron 258 Vandemere 251 Goldston 250 Parmele 246 Bath 242 Trenton 241 Seagrove 240 East Laurinburg 232 Indian Beach 228 Bolivia 227 Stonewall 216 Eureka 215 Dillsboro 214 Turkey 214 Watha 210 Colerain 206 Earl 206 Creswell 202 Kelford 202 Conetoe 199 Walstonburg 195 Danbury 186 Severn 182 Powellsville 179 Askewville 177 Roxobel 174 Autryville 171 Love Valley 165 Boardman 163 Pantego 163 Halifax 161 Harrells 159 Godwin 156 Milton 154 Everetts 149 Mesic 148 Crossnore 146 Chimney Rock Village 140 Linden 138 Cerro Gordo 137 Lansing 128 Kittrell 127 Proctorville 120 Marietta 107 Macon 104 Middleburg 103 Norman 98 Grandfather Village 95 McDonald 92 Tar Heel 90 McFarlan 89 Bear Grass 84 Lumber Bridge 82 Harrellsville 79 Speed 65 Raynham 63 Como 62 Orrum 59 Lasker 58 Seven Springs 57 Falkland 49 Hassell 47 Lake Santeetlah 41 Leggett 37 Fontana Dam 11

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