Security deposit return deadline in Montana
A Montana landlord has 10 days after you move out to return a security deposit, or 30 days if they deduct for damage or cleaning.
- Deadline
- 10 days (30 if deductions)
- What the landlord must send
- With deductions, the landlord must give a written list of rent, damage and cleaning charges within 30 days, with any refund.
- If the landlord gets it wrong
- Failing to give the list forfeits the right to deduct for damage and cleaning; a landlord who wrongfully withholds is liable for the amount wrongfully withheld, and the court may award attorney fees.
The 10-day deadline applies when there is no damage, cleaning, unpaid rent or unpaid utilities.
The law
Mont. Code §§ 70-25-202, 70-25-203, 70-25-204. Read the statute.
Checked against the statute in October 2026. Laws change, so confirm the current rule before you rely on it.
What to do next
If the deadline has passed, or the landlord kept money without a proper list, put your request in writing. Ask for the deposit back by a specific date, and keep a copy. The free first letter in the Deposit Demand Letters kit does this for Montana, and the deadline calculator works out your exact date from your move-out day.
Other states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- Washington, D.C.
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
General information about Montana law, not legal advice, and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Deposit Demand Letters is a self-help template kit from Kits For That.