Security deposit law in Montana

No statutory limit. The return rule is 10 or 30 days. The controlling text is Mont. Code § 70-25-101 to 206.

Shared move-in, deduction, and refund workflow: the national state-law hub.

Montana's return deadline

10 or 30 days.

If you make no deductions, you must return the deposit within 10 days of move-out. If you deduct for damage or cleaning, you have 30 days to deliver the deposit and a written itemized list. The shorter clock rewards a clean move-out.

The itemized statement rule

A written itemized list of deductions and their cost is required when you withhold, and a separate cleaning charge requires written notice of the cleaning needed. Document the condition to support each line.

Account and interest rules

Montana sets no separate-account or interest requirement. Hold the deposit apart from operating cash regardless.

Exposure for wrongful withholding

Up to 3x for bad-faith retention.

A landlord who withholds in bad faith or fails to provide the itemized list can be liable for up to three times the amount wrongfully withheld. Bad faith and a missing list are the paths to that exposure, so the written accounting is essential.

Montana has no statutory deposit maximum

No statutory limit.

Compare Montana with neighboring states

• Idaho: no statutory limit; return rule: 21 days.
• Wyoming: no statutory limit; return rule: 30 days.
• South Dakota: one month's rent; return rule: 14 days.
• North Dakota: one month's rent; return rule: 30 days.