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

You're asked to provide a security deposit or first month's rent before touring or signing a lease. — Karma Sabbah, CBS News, 12 Nov. 2026

Secured cards require a security deposit — typically a few hundred dollars — to open, which acts as your line of credit. — Ryley Amond, CNBC, 6 Nov. 2026

Selfish, hapless Ethan gets too distracted by internet scrolling to fix a hole in the wall and loses their security deposit, much to Sam’s ire. — Alison Herman, Variety, 6 Nov. 2026

Several people have been conned into sending money via CHIME and CashApp for a security deposit and the first month of rent, police said. — Clifford Ward, Chicago Tribune, 6 Nov. 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