Landlord kept your deposit in Montana? Find your next step.
No refund, only part of your money back, or charges you disagree with? Start with what you received, then build a response using your records and Montana law.
Analysis free · Full case package $29-$49, one time · mailing optional
The deadline check is optional. See what you get
What do you need help with?
Open the situation that fits. Each route gives you something to check, something to keep, and a next step.
I received nothingNo refund and no list of deductions.
Check the trigger, then the date. Within 30 days after termination or surrender and acceptance the landlord must provide a written itemized list of rent due, damage, and cleaning charges and refund the balance; within 10 days if there are no deductions (§ 70-25-202). The 30-day period runs from termination or surrender and acceptance, whichever occurs first; the qualifying no-deduction branch is 10 days.
Keep: your deposit payment, move-out or key-return record, forwarding-address notice and any earlier written request. These establish the timeline behind your demand.
Analyze my missing refund - free →I received part of my depositSome money came back. Find out what explains the difference.
Reconcile the refund. Compare the original deposit, what was returned and each deduction. Separate charges you accept from charges you dispute.
Check the amount they kept - free →Enter the refund and deductions in the case builder. You do not need a separate worksheet first.
The Montana accounting rule: Written itemized list of any rent due and any damage and cleaning charges within 30 days; failure to provide it forfeits all rights to withhold any portion for damage or cleaning (§ 70-25-203).
Keep: the refund record, deduction list and notice envelope or delivery record. If money is still unexplained, identify that gap in your written request.
I disagree with the deductionsYou have a charge list, whether or not a refund arrived.
Respond to the specific charges. Note each amount, why you dispute it, and which photo, message or record supports your position. Check the notice instructions above before choosing how and when to reply.
Check my deductions - free →The records rule in Montana: The statute requires an itemized written list but no attached receipts or invoices.
No move-in photos? Use an inventory checklist, inspection report, dated repair request, messages or witness accounts to explain the condition.
I already sent a demandThe landlord has not paid, or the dispute is still unresolved.
Compare the refund and written list with the applicable period. Keep any opportunity-to-clean correspondence because cleaning has its own statutory procedure.
See the Montana court route →Keep: your sent demand, delivery record and any reply. Use the court guide to check where to file, which forms to use, and the filing and service costs.
Turn the dispute into a documented demand
- Free: understand your dispute
- Add your refund, charges and records. Get a charge-by-charge analysis of the deposit rules and potential remedies under Mont. Code Ann. § 70-25-202.
- Optional: your case documents, $29-$49
- Your demand letter, damages summary and evidence checklist, ready to review and send with your records. Mailing is optional and costs extra.
One charge, backed by a reason and records
Fictional Montana example. Assumes coverage under the cited law; not a customer outcome.
- The charge
- Repainting ordinary wall scuffs: $900
- Records to attach
- move-in photos and move-out photos
Open PDF ↗In the generated letter
Ordinary wear and tear - not deductible. Repainting after a tenancy is ordinary wear and tear unless the walls were damaged beyond normal use (large holes, unauthorized colors). Dated move-in and move-out photos help distinguish ordinary wear from tenant-caused damage.
Prefer to write it yourself? Use the free Montana letter template.
Before you call the refund late
Within 30 days after termination or surrender and acceptance the landlord must provide a written itemized list of rent due, damage, and cleaning charges and refund the balance; within 10 days if there are no deductions (§ 70-25-202). The 30-day period runs from termination or surrender and acceptance, whichever occurs first; the qualifying no-deduction branch is 10 days.
Mont. Code Ann. §§ 70-25-201 to 70-25-204 ↗Deposit statute reviewed August 2026. Review dates refer to the cited rules.
Check the return timeline
Optional date estimate. Read the start conditions above; a passed date alone does not establish a violation. Your date and deposit amount carry into the free analysis.
Already know the dates? Go straight to the refund and charges.
Continue to my free analysis →Questions before your next step
What should I do first if my landlord kept my deposit in Montana?
Check the statutory deadline. Within 30 days after termination or surrender and acceptance the landlord must provide a written itemized list of rent due, damage, and cleaning charges and refund the balance; within 10 days if there are no deductions (§ 70-25-202). The 30-day period runs from termination or surrender and acceptance, whichever occurs first; the qualifying no-deduction branch is 10 days. Save your move-out records, any refund and the itemized statement. Compare them with the deadline and deduction rules below.
Do I need a lawyer to get my deposit back in Montana?
You can write a demand yourself. If you consider a court claim, small claims court (limit: $7,000) is designed for self-represented tenants - filing fees run about $40 plus county surcharges plus service costs.
What happens if my landlord doesn't return my security deposit in 10 or 30 days in Montana?
Without an itemized list, the landlord forfeits all rights to withhold for damage or cleaning (§ 70-25-203); wrongful withholding creates civil liability for the amount withheld (§ 70-25-204).
What can I ask to recover in a Montana deposit dispute?
No statutory multiplier: the landlord is liable for an amount equal to the sum wrongfully withheld, with attorney fees at the court's discretion to the prevailing party (§ 70-25-204). The real lever is the § 70-25-203 forfeiture. Some websites list a 2x penalty for Montana - the official MCA text has no such provision.
Read the full Montana deposit-law guide for the return, deduction and remedy rules.