Idaho's default security deposit deadline is 21 days after the lease ends. The lease can set a shorter or longer period, but the period may not be longer than 30 days.
What the landlord must send
The landlord should return the whole deposit or provide a partial refund with a written statement listing the amounts deducted and how the deductions were spent.
Start with the 21-day default
Some summaries call Idaho a 30-day state, but that misses the default rule. Start with 21 days unless the lease actually sets a different period.
Watch the demand step
If the deadline passes, send a written demand in a provable way and track 3 business days after the landlord receives it.
Official Idaho self-help materials describe certified mail return receipt or personal delivery with a witness as ways to create proof of delivery.
Official sources
- Idaho Attorney General - Landlord and Tenant Manual
- Idaho Court Self-Help - Idaho's Security Deposit Law
- Idaho Code Sections 6-320, 6-321, and 6-324
Source reviewed: April 2026.
Idaho's deadline is only one part. The system keeps the lease deadline, itemization, demand delivery, and final demand together.
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