Idaho security deposit law: know your rights.
Understand the return, deduction and notice rules in Idaho. Check which conditions apply to your rental, then choose your next step.
Your deposit rights in Idaho
- Return timing
- Refund due within 21 days after surrender if no time is fixed by agreement; the parties may agree on a different period, but never longer than 30 days after surrender (§ 6-321).
- Accounting for deductions
- Any partial refund must come with a signed statement itemizing the amounts retained, their purpose, and a detailed list of expenditures made from the deposit; no retention for normal wear and tear (§ 6-321).
- Deposit interest
- The state deposit statute does not require interest. Check any additional lease or local rule.
Registry review: August 2026. Review dates refer to the cited rules, not an attorney review of your case.
Does this rule apply to your rental?
Check the type of tenancy, the lease and any local or housing-program rules before relying on the statewide summary.
Idaho Code §§ 6-321, 6-320, 6-317, 6-324 ↗What starts the return clock?
Refund due within 21 days after surrender if no time is fixed by agreement; the parties may agree on a different period, but never longer than 30 days after surrender (§ 6-321).
Idaho requires it: before suing you must serve a 3-day written notice listing the failure and demanding a cure (§ 6-320(d)).
Idaho Code §§ 6-321, 6-320, 6-317, 6-324 ↗Check your return timing
Optional estimate from your move-out date. Read the start conditions above before treating that estimate as the return deadline. You can start the free analysis without completing this check.
Check what the landlord deducted
No express receipts requirement, but the required 'detailed list of expenditures made from the deposit' is an accounting of actual spending, not estimates.
Match each charge to the work alleged, the lease provision and the records supporting the amount. Keep refunds and charges you accept separate from those you dispute.
Idaho Code §§ 6-321, 6-320, 6-317, 6-324 ↗What could you recover?
Discretionary treble damages: judgment 'may be entered for three times the amount at which the actual damages are assessed' (§ 6-317, via a § 6-320 action). Before suing, the tenant must serve a 3-day written notice listing the failure with a demand for cure (§ 6-320(d)). Attorney fees go to the prevailing party (§ 6-324), but not in cases where treble damages are awarded.
Start with the unpaid amount you dispute. Any additional statutory recovery depends on the conditions in Idaho Code § 6-317, including applicable notice requirements. A multiplier that already includes the deposit should not be added to that deposit again.
Idaho Code §§ 6-321, 6-320, 6-317, 6-324 ↗Put the rules to work
See how the rules fit your deposit dispute
Free analysis
Add the refund, charges and records. Review the deductions and possible remedies with an explanation tied to your facts.
Full case package $29-$49
Turn your case into a demand letter, organized exhibits and a next-step plan. Review the analysis before deciding to buy.
Your entered dates and deposit amount carry forward. Additional timing details are saved in case notes. The next step asks for the refund and charges so you can build on this check.
Choose your next step
Small-claims limit: $5,000. Filing: ~$69 (secondary sources; confirm current fee). The court guide explains the applicable limits and additional costs.
Questions about Idaho deposit rights
How long does a Idaho landlord have to return a security deposit?
Refund due within 21 days after surrender if no time is fixed by agreement; the parties may agree on a different period, but never longer than 30 days after surrender (§ 6-321).
Idaho Code §§ 6-321, 6-320, 6-317, 6-324 ↗See the timing rules →What happens if my landlord does not follow the deposit return rules in Idaho?
No automatic forfeiture; the tenant sues under § 6-320 for failure to return the deposit, and the court may treble actual damages under § 6-317. Keep proof of the dates, any refund, and the itemized statement.
Idaho Code §§ 6-321, 6-320, 6-317, 6-324 ↗Understand the possible recovery →What accounting should I ask for in Idaho?
Any partial refund must come with a signed statement itemizing the amounts retained, their purpose, and a detailed list of expenditures made from the deposit; no retention for normal wear and tear (§ 6-321). No express receipts requirement, but the required 'detailed list of expenditures made from the deposit' is an accounting of actual spending, not estimates.
Idaho Code §§ 6-321, 6-320, 6-317, 6-324 ↗