Montana security deposit law: know your rights.
Understand the return, deduction and notice rules in Montana. Check which conditions apply to your rental, then choose your next step.
Your deposit rights in Montana
- Return timing
- 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.
- Accounting for deductions
- 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).
- 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.
Mont. Code Ann. §§ 70-25-201 to 70-25-204 ↗What starts the return clock?
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 ↗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
The statute requires an itemized written list but no attached receipts or invoices.
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.
Mont. Code Ann. §§ 70-25-201 to 70-25-204 ↗What could you recover?
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.
Start with the unpaid amount you dispute. Any additional statutory recovery depends on the conditions in Mont. Code Ann. § 70-25-204(1), including applicable notice requirements.
Mont. Code Ann. §§ 70-25-201 to 70-25-204 ↗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: $7,000. Filing: ~$40 + service (county surcharges vary). The court guide explains the applicable limits and additional costs.
Questions about Montana deposit rights
How long does a Montana landlord have to return a security deposit?
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 ↗See the timing rules →What happens if my landlord does not follow the deposit return rules 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). Keep proof of the dates, any refund, and the itemized statement.
Mont. Code Ann. §§ 70-25-201 to 70-25-204 ↗Understand the possible recovery →What accounting should I ask for in Montana?
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). The statute requires an itemized written list but no attached receipts or invoices.
Mont. Code Ann. §§ 70-25-201 to 70-25-204 ↗