Rental deposit in Croatia: how much, how it works and when it is returned
Checked: 13 October 2026
How much deposit you may ask for, what to put in the agreement, when you may keep it and how to return it without a dispute. Plus the rules being prepared in the new law.
A deposit (jamčevina, also called polog or depozit) protects the landlord against unpaid rent, unpaid utility bills and damage to the flat. The current law barely mentions it, so everything depends on what the agreement says.
What the law says
The current Zakon o najmu stanova (Residential Lease Act, ZNS) does not regulate deposits. There is no statutory maximum and no deadline for returning it. The Zakon o obveznim odnosima (Civil Obligations Act) does not regulate it either. The deposit is therefore purely contractual: whatever you agreed applies.
The draft of a new law that the Government presented in July 2026 provides for a deposit of one month's rent. As of this guide's review the law has not been passed. Follow the guide to the lease agreement; we will update it when the law is passed.
What to put in the agreement
Since the law sets nothing, the agreement needs to be clear about:
- the amount of the deposit and when it is paid,
- what it may be kept for: unpaid rent, unpaid utility bills, damage beyond normal wear and tear, cleaning or replacing keys,
- the deadline for returning it after the tenant moves out (e.g. 15 or 30 days from the handover),
- how it is returned (to the tenant's bank account),
- that the deposit cannot be used as the last month's rent without agreement.
When you may keep it
The tenant must return the flat in the condition in which they received it, allowing for normal wear and tear (ZNS Art. 17), and is liable for damage caused by them or members of their household (Art. 15).
Normal wear and tear, such as faded walls, minor marks on the floor or worn seals, is not a reason to keep the deposit. Broken tiles, holes in the wall, damaged furniture or unpaid bills are.
The key evidence is the primopredajni zapisnik (handover record) with photos at move-in and move-out. Without it, it is hard to prove that the damage happened during the lease. Read the guide to the handover record.
How to return the deposit without a dispute
- Make a record at move-out, covering the same rooms and with the same photos as at move-in.
- Read the meters and wait for the final utility bills.
- Set out in writing what you are keeping and why, with bills or photos.
- Return the rest within the agreed deadline.
Tax and the deposit
The Porezna uprava (Tax Administration) has not published an opinion on deposits in long-term letting. A deposit is returned, so it is usually not treated as rent until it is kept (e.g. for unpaid rent). If you keep part of it for unpaid rent, that amount is rent. In unclear cases, ask the Tax Administration.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
How much deposit can a landlord ask for?
The current law sets no amount or rules for deposits, so it is freely agreed. The draft of a new Residential Lease Act (Zakon o najmu stanova) provides for a deposit of one month's rent, but it has not been passed yet.
How soon must the deposit be returned?
The law sets no deadline. Whatever the agreement says applies, so it is a good idea to state a deadline in the agreement, for example 15 or 30 days from the handover of the flat.
Is tax payable on the deposit?
The Tax Administration has not published an opinion on this. A deposit is returned, so it is usually not treated as rent until it is kept, for example for unpaid rent or damage. In unclear cases, ask the Tax Administration or a tax adviser.
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Rentabl keeps the lease, rent, bills and deposit of every flat in one place and shows what each flat really earns. Free for your first flat.
This guide is general information, not tax or legal advice. Croatian rules change; check the sources listed in the text before you decide.
More guides
- Income tax on renting out a flat in Croatia in 2026 How much tax you pay on renting out a flat, how it is calculated, when to report the lease to the Tax Administration and how to pay — with a worked example.
- Property tax and long-term letting in Croatia Who pays property tax from 2025, how much it is per m², and how to avoid it if you let your flat long-term for at least 10 months a year.
- Residential lease agreement in Croatia: what it must contain and how to register it The mandatory elements of a residential lease agreement, registering it with the Tax Administration, notarial certification, notice periods and rent increases.
- Utility bills, building reserve fund and municipal utility fee in Croatia: who pays when you let a flat What the tenant pays and what stays with the owner — utility bills, the building reserve fund, the municipal utility fee — and how to write it into the lease agreement.