Current rule after the 2025 amendment.
Deposits, additional fees and utilities are excluded.
Separate security-deposit rule.
Uses the later statutory trigger described in § 47-8-18.
New Mexico charge guides
Security Deposit
New Mexico deposit limits, annual-deposit interest, 30-day itemization, normal wear and remedies.
Open guide →Short-Term Deposit Limit
New Mexico limits the security deposit to one month’s rent when the rental agreement lasts less than one year.
Open guide →Deposit Interest
For an annual New Mexico rental agreement, a deposit above one month’s rent triggers an annual interest requirement.
Open guide →30-Day Rule
New Mexico requires itemized deposit deductions and the remaining balance within a 30-day statutory framework.
Open guide →Normal Wear
New Mexico law says a security deposit may not be retained to cover normal wear and tear.
Open guide →Damage Itemization
New Mexico requires an itemized written list when an owner retains part of a security deposit for qualifying reasons.
Open guide →Deposit Remedies
New Mexico law provides consequences for missing the required deposit statement and a separate $250 civil penalty for bad-faith retention.
Open guide →Rent Late Fees
New Mexico residential rent late-fee rules after the 2025 amendment: rental-agreement requirement, 5% ceiling, rent-only calculation base and notice deadline.
Open guide →Start with the correct New Mexico layer
For a late fee, preserve the rental-agreement clause, separate rent from utilities and other fees, and check the notice timeline. For a security-deposit problem, use the lease duration, termination/departure dates and itemized accounting instead. The two frameworks should not be blended together.
Official sources
Official final enacted text amending NMSA 1978 § 47-8-15. The amendment reduced the residential late-fee ceiling to 5% of rent and excludes deposits, additional fees and utilities from the late-fee calculation base.
New Mexico LegislatureSB 267 — Housing Application Fees (2025) ↗Official bill-status page confirming SB 267 passed both chambers, was signed by the governor on April 8, 2025 and became Chapter 122.
New Mexico CourtsLandlord-Tenant — Uniform Owner-Resident Relations Act ↗Current official New Mexico court guidance identifying the Uniform Owner-Resident Relations Act and landlord-tenant procedures.
New Mexico Regulation and Licensing DepartmentNew Mexico Real Estate License Law & Rules — Owner-Resident Relations ↗Official state publication reproducing NMSA 1978 § 47-8-18, including deposit limits, normal-wear rule, 30-day accounting and remedies.