North Carolina Lease Template, LeaseKit vs LegalZoom (NCGS 42-46 Late Fee Cap 2026)
North Carolina has a statutory late fee cap: $15 or 5% of rent, whichever is greater (NCGS 42-46), with 5-day grace. Most generic out-of-state templates have $50 flat fees, which exceed the cap and are unenforceable. LeaseKit at $29 one-time has the cap pre-calculated; LegalZoom, Rocket Lawyer, eForms typically have higher fees that violate NCGS 42-46.
## NCGS Chapter 42 + late fee cap
A North Carolina lease in 2026 needs:
- NCGS 42-46: $15 or 5% late fee cap (whichever is greater) with 5-day grace, $25 NSF cap.
- NCGS 42-51: deposit cap by tenancy length (1.5 month month-to-month, 2 months longer terms).
- NCGS 42-50: trust account or surety bond required for deposits.
- NCGS 42-52: 30/60-day deposit return.
- NCGS 42-3: 10-day pay-or-quit notice.
- NCGS 42-42: statutory implied warranty of habitability.
Price: $29 one-time.
Statute citations: $15/5% late fee pre-calculated based on rent, trust account disclosure, deposit cap by tenancy length.
Generate North Carolina lease at leasekit.io.
## LegalZoom, Rocket Lawyer, eForms, LawDepot
Common gap: late fees $25-100 (above NCGS 42-46 cap). No trust account language. Missing tenancy-length-specific deposit cap.
North Carolina with NCGS 42-46 late fee cap: LeaseKit at $29. The Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act (NCGS 75-1.1) treble damages exposure for systematic over-charging makes generic templates risky beyond the $29 difference.
NC General Statutes are at ncleg.gov. Compare any template against NCGS 42-46 (cap) and 42-50 (trust account).