security deposit

noun

: an amount of money that a renter pays when beginning to rent property (such as an apartment) and that can be used to pay for any damage that the renter causes to the property

Examples of security deposit in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For some, secured cards — where consumers put down a security deposit that functions like a credit limit on a regular credit card — could be a useful option to build a credit history without the same eligibility requirements as unsecured credit cards, Chen says. —Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 28 Mar. 2026

But a staggering series of misfortunes – an arsonist destroyed her rental house; the private equity firm that owned the house still demanded two months’ rent and kept her security deposit; she was diagnosed with ovarian and breast cancer – forced her into tenuous housing situations. —John Blake, CNN Money, 22 Mar. 2026

Thorough effort during this stage protects the security deposit and reduces the chance of last-minute disputes. —Daniel Fusch, AZCentral.com, 18 Mar. 2026

This is primarily because secured credit cards are backed by collateral — that initial security deposit — which the issuer can seize if payments are not made. —Becca Stanek, TheWeek, 25 Feb. 2026

Rhymes for security deposit

• closet
• posit
• composite
• nanocomposite
• oviposit

Legal Definition

security deposit

noun

: money provided by a tenant to a landlord to secure performance of a rental agreement or compensate for possible loss or damage