Montana security deposit deadline & deductions
You have 30 days — within 30 days (10 days if there are no deductions)
- Deadline
- 30 days
- Itemized statement
- Required by statute
- Receipts
- No threshold verified
- Statute
- Mont. Code Ann. § 70-25-202
30 days sits mid-range: 6 of the 26 states verified here are shorter, 6 are longer.
Same deadline as Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan and 7 more.
Itemized statement due within 30 days of move-out — 10 days if there are no deductions.
When the Montana clock runs out
The deadline runs from the end of the tenancy, not from when you get round to inspecting. On Montana's 30-day rule, these are the dates you would be working to:
| Tenant moves out | Statement and refund due by |
|---|---|
| January 31, 2026 | March 2, 2026 |
| April 15, 2026 | May 15, 2026 |
| July 31, 2026 | August 30, 2026 |
| November 30, 2026 | December 30, 2026 |
Does Montana require an itemized statement?
Yes — Montana requires an itemized written statement of any deductions rather than a lump sum, under Mont. Code Ann. § 70-25-202. Each charge needs to stand on its own: what was damaged, and what it cost to put right.
What you can actually charge for
Montana statute sets the deadline and the paperwork; it does not publish a table of what a worn carpet is worth. The defensible method — charging only the useful life the tenant used up early, and excluding normal wear — is the same in every state, and is explained on the calculator, which builds the itemized statement and puts the Montana deadline on it.
Next: Montana deposit return letter · move-in report · every state’s deadline
Montana rule last checked 2026-07-23 against Mont. Code Ann. § 70-25-202. General information, not legal advice — confirm the current statute before sending a deduction statement.
Everything else we’ve researched about Montana
Same state, the problems either side of this one. Each carries its own statute and the date we last checked it.
- Montana deposit return law & letterThe landlord's deadline to return a deposit, and the itemized letter.
- Montana deposit demand letterFor the tenant: whether the landlord is late, and by how many days.
- Montana move-in condition reportThe walkthrough record that decides deposit arguments later.
- Montana emergency plan rulesDrill frequency, filings, prescribed forms and retention, cited.