Idaho Eviction Laws
Idaho rules on eviction for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-22.
Short answer: 3 days' written notice demanding payment of the amount due or possession. The notice must state the amount due and the tenant's post-judgment removal period (72 hours for residential tenants). Idaho Code § 6-303(2)
The rules in Idaho
| Notice for unpaid rent | 3 days' written notice demanding payment of the amount due or possession. The notice must state the amount due and the tenant's post-judgment removal period (72 hours for residential tenants). Notice may be served within one year after rent is due. Source: Idaho Code § 6-303(2) |
|---|---|
| Notice for lease violations | 3 days' written notice requiring performance or possession; tenant may cure within the 3 days. No cure notice is needed if the breached covenant cannot later be performed. Assigning/subletting or committing waste contrary to the lease terminates it (3-day notice to quit). Controlled-substance activity: 3-day notice with no right to cure. No-cure rule for drug activity per AG manual (July 2026). Source: Idaho Code § 6-303(3)-(5) |
| Lockouts & utility shutoffs | Self-help eviction is unlawful: a landlord may not shut off utilities, change locks, confiscate the tenant's property, or do anything other than file a lawful eviction. A party who recovers damages for forcible or unlawful entry or detainer may be awarded up to three times actual damages. Treble damages: https://legislature.idaho.gov/statutesrules/idstat/Title6/T6CH3/SECT6-317/. A landlord may shut off a utility for a reasonable time for repairs (AG manual). |
How an eviction case works in Idaho
Eviction cases are heard in: Idaho District Court (magistrate division) in the county where the property is located.
- Serve written notice: 3-day notice to pay or quit (nonpayment), 3-day notice to cure or quit (lease violation), or at least one month's notice to end a tenancy at will
- File a verified unlawful detainer complaint
- Nonpayment/drug cases (land 5 acres or less): court sets trial within 12 days of filing; summons, complaint and trial notice served at least 5 days before trial
- Other cases: tenant has 21 days to answer (AG manual)
- Judgment for possession; the tenant may be granted only a 2-day continuance unless security is posted
- Residential tenant has 72 hours after judgment to remove belongings; sheriff restores possession under a writ of restitution
Landlords: how to evict a tenant in Idaho — steps, costs, timeline and forms.
Eviction court and fees by county
Free calculators
- Notice Deadline Calculator — Enter the date a notice was delivered and see the date it runs out under your state's law.
Templates
Related questions
- Can a landlord evict you without going to court, change the locks or shut off utilities?
- How long does an eviction take?
- How much notice does a landlord have to give before an eviction?
Idaho vs. neighboring states
| State | Notice for unpaid rent | Notice for lease violations | Lockouts & utility shutoffs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho | 3 days' written notice demanding payment of the amount due or possession. The notice must state the amount due and the tenant's post-judgment removal period (72 hours for residential tenants). Notice may be served within one year after rent is due. Idaho Code § 6-303(2) | 3 days' written notice requiring performance or possession; tenant may cure within the 3 days. No cure notice is needed if the breached covenant cannot later be performed. Assigning/subletting or committing waste contrary to the lease terminates it (3-day notice to quit). Controlled-substance activity: 3-day notice with no right to cure. Idaho Code § 6-303(3)-(5) | Self-help eviction is unlawful: a landlord may not shut off utilities, change locks, confiscate the tenant's property, or do anything other than file a lawful eviction. A party who recovers damages for forcible or unlawful entry or detainer may be awarded up to three times actual damages. Idaho AG Manual 'Unlawful Evictions'; Idaho Code § 6-317 |
| Montana | 3 days' written notice of nonpayment and intent to terminate; agreement terminates if rent is not paid within 3 days. Mont. Code Ann. § 70-24-422(2) | General noncompliance: 14 days' written notice (agreement ends unless remedied). 3 days for unauthorized pet, unauthorized persons residing in the unit, verbal abuse of the landlord, destroying/damaging the premises, or creating a reasonable potential for damage or harm to others. Repeat of substantially the same act within 6 months: at least 5 days. Mont. Code Ann. § 70-24-422(1), (3), (4) | Self-help eviction prohibited: landlord may not recover possession except by court action (or after abandonment/surrender), and may not purposefully cut heat, water, hot water, electricity, gas, or other essential services. Tenant may recover possession or terminate, and recover up to 3 months' periodic rent or treble damages, whichever is greater. Mont. Code Ann. §§ 70-24-428, 70-24-411 |
| Nevada | Written notice to pay rent or surrender by the close of business on the 7th judicial day after service (summary eviction). For rent reserved weekly or less where the tenancy has lasted 45 days or less: by noon on the 4th full day after service. NRS 40.253(1) | 5 days' notice to perform the lease condition (cure) or surrender; if not cured within 5 days the tenant is guilty of unlawful detainer. If the violation cannot be cured, no cure notice is required. NRS 40.2516(1); NRS 40.251(1)(b)(2); NRS 40.254 | Prohibited. If a landlord unlawfully removes or excludes the tenant, or willfully interrupts (or causes/permits interruption of) any essential item or service, the tenant may recover immediate possession, actual damages, and/or an amount up to $2,500 fixed by the court. NRS 118A.390 |
| Oregon | Week-to-week: at least 72 hours' written notice, served no sooner than the 5th day of the rental period. Other tenancies: either at least 10 days' notice served no sooner than the 8th day of the rental period, or at least 13 days' notice served no sooner than the 5th day. Notice must state the amount due and the deadline to pay. ORS 90.394 | At least 30 days' written notice. If the violation is curable, the notice must say so and give at least 14 days to cure. Repeat of substantially the same violation within 6 months: at least 10 days' notice, no cure right. Week-to-week: 7 days / 4-day cure / 4 days for repeats. ORS 90.392 | If the landlord unlawfully removes/excludes the tenant or willfully interrupts utilities or essential services, the tenant may obtain an injunction to regain possession, or terminate and recover the greater of 2 months' periodic rent or twice actual damages; deposits and prepaid rent must be returned. ORS 90.375 |
| Utah | 3 business days' written notice to pay rent and other amounts due or surrender the premises. Utah Code 78B-6-802(1)(c) | 3 calendar days' written notice to perform the lease condition or surrender (cure allowed). 3 calendar days' notice to quit (no cure) for unauthorized assignment/subletting, waste, unlawful business, nuisance, or a criminal act on the premises. Utah Code 78B-6-802(1)(d)-(h) | Unlawful for an owner to willfully exclude a tenant from the premises in any manner except by judicial process (abandoned premises excepted). Utah Courts guidance: without a court order a landlord cannot change the locks, turn off utilities, or take the tenant's belongings. Utah Code 78B-6-814 |
| Washington | 14-day notice to pay rent or vacate, in the statutory form. RCW 59.12.030(3); RCW 59.18.057 | 10-day notice to comply or vacate. RCW 59.12.030(4); RCW 59.18.650(2)(b) | Landlord may not remove or exclude a tenant except under a court order; tenant may recover possession or terminate, plus actual damages, costs and attorney's fees. Intentionally terminating a tenant's utility services is unlawful: actual damages plus up to $100 for each day or part of a day without service, plus costs and fees. RCW 59.18.290; RCW 59.18.300 |
| Wyoming | 3-day notice to quit. FED is allowed after rent is 3 days past due, and the written notice to leave must be served at least 3 days before the action is filed. W.S. 1-21-1002(a)(i), 1-21-1003 | 3-day notice to quit, with no statutory right to cure. FED is available against renters who violate the duties in W.S. 1-21-1204 or the prohibitions in 1-21-1205 (damage, interfering with others' peaceful enjoyment, unreasonably denying access). W.S. 1-21-1002(a)(vi), 1-21-1003, 1-21-1204, 1-21-1205 | No statute — Wyoming has no law that expressly bans landlord lockouts or utility shutoffs. The statutes provide a court process instead: a landlord who wants a tenant out files a forcible entry and detainer (FED) case, and after judgment an officer executes the writ of restitution; only then may the sheriff remove the renter's belongings and prevent reentry. W.S. 1-21-1001 to 1-21-1017, 1-21-1211(a) (Title 1, Ch. 21, Arts. 10 and 12 checked) |
City rules that may add to state law
More Idaho rental law
- Idaho Security Deposit Law
- Idaho Notice to Vacate Rules
- Landlord Entry Rules in Idaho
- Idaho Repairs & Tenant Remedies
- Idaho Rent Increase & Late Fee Laws
- Squatters' Rights in Idaho
- Idaho Rental Fee Rules
- Idaho Section 8, Records & Right to Counsel
- Idaho Mold, Pests, Heat & AC Rules
- Idaho Privacy, Guests & Animal Rules
- Idaho Landlord Selling the House
- Idaho Lockouts, Utility Shutoffs & Retaliation
- Idaho Subletting, Lease Endings & Tenant Death
- All Idaho landlord-tenant rules
- Free legal help in Idaho
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Idaho Eviction Laws FAQ
How much notice does a landlord have to give before evicting for unpaid rent in Idaho?
3 days' written notice demanding payment of the amount due or possession. The notice must state the amount due and the tenant's post-judgment removal period (72 hours for residential tenants). Notice may be served within one year after rent is due. (Idaho Code § 6-303(2))
How much notice is required to evict for a lease violation in Idaho?
3 days' written notice requiring performance or possession; tenant may cure within the 3 days. No cure notice is needed if the breached covenant cannot later be performed. Assigning/subletting or committing waste contrary to the lease terminates it (3-day notice to quit). Controlled-substance activity: 3-day notice with no right to cure. (Idaho Code § 6-303(3)-(5))
Can a landlord change the locks or shut off utilities in Idaho?
Self-help eviction is unlawful: a landlord may not shut off utilities, change locks, confiscate the tenant's property, or do anything other than file a lawful eviction. A party who recovers damages for forcible or unlawful entry or detainer may be awarded up to three times actual damages. (Idaho AG Manual 'Unlawful Evictions'; Idaho Code § 6-317)
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.