Montana Security Deposit Statute Guide
This page translates Montana's security deposit statutes into the renter questions that usually matter: what was owed, what was listed, what was withheld, and whether the landlord followed the cleaning and condition-statement rules.
The statutes to know
The Montana package is grounded in Montana Code Annotated Sections 70-25-201 through 70-25-206. Those sections cover deductions, cleaning notice, the written list and refund, forfeiture of damage and cleaning deductions, wrongful withholding, and the move-in condition statement.
Timing language in plain English
The main deadline is 30 days after termination of the tenancy or 30 days after surrender and acceptance of the premises, whichever occurs first. By that deadline, the landlord should provide the written list and any refund balance.
The 10-day branch applies only when the cleaner path is present: no damages, no cleaning required, no unpaid rent, and the tenant can demonstrate that no utilities are unpaid.
List, cleaning, and forfeiture
The written list matters. If the landlord fails to provide the required written list of damage and cleaning charges, Montana can forfeit the landlord's right to withhold deposit money for those damage or cleaning charges.
Cleaning charges also have a notice-and-cure structure when the statute requires it: written notice of what cleaning is needed, then 24 hours for the tenant to complete it.
Condition statement
If the landlord required a security deposit, Montana requires a separate written statement of the premises' condition at the start of the tenancy. Missing that statement can make later damage or cleaning recovery much harder for the landlord.
Sources used for this guide
Source reviewed: April 2026.
Related Montana pages
Four Montana-specific documents organized around the statute, timing, written list, cleaning notice, and final demand.
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