Rental deposit: three months at most, in an account in the tenant's name
Updated on October 24, 2026
Article 257e of the Code of Obligations caps the security given by the tenant of a dwelling at three months' rent. The landlord must deposit it with a bank, in an account in the tenant's name, and may take it only with the tenant's consent or at the end of proceedings. The cap applies to residential leases. It does not by itself decide damage at the end of the lease: the landlord must still prove the claim.
End of the lease
The account stays blocked until the parties agree or an authority decides. An inventory at the start and at the end helps prove defects. Article 257e does not itself create a presumption of damage.