Boise Landlord-Tenant Rules
Boise adds local rules on top of Idaho landlord-tenant law. Here is what is different, with the city code or agency page behind each rule.
| Source of income / local fair housing | Landlords in Boise may not deny tenancy based on a lawful, verifiable source of income, such as self-employment, child support, Social Security disability, retirement benefits, pensions, or government or private assistance. Exceptions: landlords who own and self-manage two or fewer units; employers who provide housing for employees; and income that would require the landlord to join an optional federal housing assistance program, such as Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8). Landlords may still use other screening criteria. A separate Boise ordinance bars landlords from treating tenants differently based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Section 8 vouchers are not covered because of state law (see State preemption below). Complaints go to the City Clerk at cccr@cityofboise.org or 208-972-8150 (option 4) within 6 months. The city says it first seeks voluntary compliance, and continued violations can be an infraction or misdemeanor. |
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| Retaliation | Boise landlords may not retaliate against tenants for raising possible building, safety or health code violations, asking for repairs, joining a resident association, or hiring a lawyer. Retaliation includes ending or refusing to renew a tenancy, raising rent, cutting services, or harassment. State law has no general residential anti-retaliation statute (see the Idaho state page), so this protection is local. |
| Required notices/registration | Landlords must give new tenants the city's Notice of Landlord and Tenant Responsibilities, covering city and state law. Landlords may give a link to the city's online copy, or a printed copy if the tenant asks. The notice is available in English, Spanish, French, Swahili, Arabic, Ukrainian and Kinyarwanda. No Boise rental registration or licensing requirement was found. Source: Boise Ord. 35-23 |
| Application fees | Landlords must give applicants written screening criteria, including the application fee. Fees must be reasonable, and the landlord must explain how the fee was used and give a receipt and copies of screening paperwork. Landlords may advertise, take applications and screen applicants only for units available within a reasonable time. One older city notice mentioned a $30 cap; the current city pages say only that fees must be reasonable. |
| Security deposits (demolition/renovation) | When a landlord ends or does not renew a tenancy because of planned demolition or substantial remodeling, the tenant is presumed entitled to the full security deposit back, whatever the unit's condition, except in extreme cases. The city describes this as a rebuttable presumption. Source: Boise Ord. 35-23 |
| Habitability/code enforcement & complaint line | Under the Uniform Housing Code as applied in Boise, a landlord has three business days to fix a repair that addresses a code violation. Tenants should first ask the landlord in writing. If the repair is not made in a reasonable time, file a Substandard Housing Inspection Request with the city. The city inspects fire safety, doors and windows, electrical, plumbing, heating (68 F in winter), structural defects, and common-area stairs and exits. It does not investigate mold, air conditioning, asbestos, lead paint, radon, pet stains or odors, or general maintenance. Report by email to cccr@cityofboise.org or call 208-972-8150, option 4. Idaho law does not let tenants withhold rent when repairs are not made. |
| Eviction mediation | The Ada County court mediation program, which started with small claims, now also covers eviction cases for nonpayment of rent. Before trial the judge asks the parties to try mediation, held at the courthouse on the hearing day and usually taking 1 to 2 hours. Reaching an agreement is not required. A signed agreement becomes a court order. Mediation Services Coordinator: 208-287-7683. The city's resource page also lists Jesse Tree for court mediation, financial help and emergency rental assistance during eviction. Source: Official source |
| State preemption | Idaho bars cities and counties from adopting or enforcing any ordinance that would require property owners to join an optional federal housing assistance program, or that would regulate the rent, fees or deposits charged for private residential property. Because of this, Boise cannot cap rents and its source-of-income rule does not cover Section 8 vouchers. Section 55-306 was added in 2025 (ch. 65). The city's FAQ refers to the voucher exclusion as following 2024 legislative action, so earlier law may have had the same effect. Source: Idaho Code Sec. 55-306 |
Eviction cases in Boise are heard in: Ada County courts (Fourth Judicial District), Ada County Courthouse, 200 W. Front St., Boise
Right to a lawyer in eviction cases
No. Official source
Local agencies
- City of Boise Code Compliance / City Clerk — Takes complaints under Boise's renter protections and substandard housing inspection requests. cccr@cityofboise.org, 208-972-8150 (option 4).
- Ada County Court Assistance Office — Eviction answer forms, deposit demand and repair request forms, and records-shielding stipulations. 208-287-7080.
- Ada County Courts Mediation Program — On-site mediation in nonpayment eviction cases. 208-287-7683.
- Idaho Legal Aid, Jesse Tree and other groups (city resource list) — The city lists Idaho Legal Aid, the Idaho Volunteer Lawyers Program and the University of Idaho Housing Clinic for legal help, and Jesse Tree for eviction mediation and emergency rental assistance.
Frequently asked questions
What landlord-tenant rules does Boise add on top of Idaho law?
Source of income / local fair housing: Landlords in Boise may not deny tenancy based on a lawful, verifiable source of income, such as self-employment, child support, Social Security disability, retirement benefits, pensions, or government or private assistance. Exceptions: landlords who own and self-manage two or fewer units; employers who provide housing for employees; and income that would require the landlord to join an optional federal housing assistance program, such as Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8). Landlords may still use other screening criteria. A separate Boise ordinance bars landlords from treating tenants differently based on sexual orientation or gender identity.; Retaliation: Boise landlords may not retaliate against tenants for raising possible building, safety or health code violations, asking for repairs, joining a resident association, or hiring a lawyer. Retaliation includes ending or refusing to renew a tenancy, raising rent, cutting services, or harassment.; Required notices/registration: Landlords must give new tenants the city's Notice of Landlord and Tenant Responsibilities, covering city and state law. Landlords may give a link to the city's online copy, or a printed copy if the tenant asks. The notice is available in English, Spanish, French, Swahili, Arabic, Ukrainian and Kinyarwanda.; Application fees: Landlords must give applicants written screening criteria, including the application fee. Fees must be reasonable, and the landlord must explain how the fee was used and give a receipt and copies of screening paperwork. Landlords may advertise, take applications and screen applicants only for units available within a reasonable time.
← All Idaho landlord-tenant rules
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.