Montana Security Deposit Demand Letter
A free Montana security deposit demand letter that follows Montana law. Fill in the boxes, check the rules below, then print or copy it. Keep a copy and proof of how you sent it.
What Montana law says
| Deposit return deadline | 30 days after the tenancy ends (or after surrender and acceptance of the premises, whichever is first) when the landlord makes deductions; 10 days when there are no damages, no cleaning needed, no unpaid rent, and the tenant shows utilities are paid. |
|---|---|
| Itemized deductions | Landlord must give the departing tenant a written list of rent due and damage/cleaning charges, with any refund, within 30 days. Failure to provide the list forfeits all rights to withhold any part of the deposit for damage or cleaning. Cleaning deductions require prior written notice listing the cleaning needed; the tenant then has 24 hours to do it. |
| Penalty for withholding | Landlord who wrongfully withholds is liable for the amount wrongfully withheld or deducted; court may award attorney fees to the prevailing party. No multiplier. Source: Mont. Code Ann. § 70-25-204 |
| Wear and tear / move-out charges | No standalone definition of 'normal wear and tear.' Deductible 'damage' is tangible loss, injury, or deterioration caused by willful or accidental acts or omissions of the tenant or the tenant's family, licensees, or invitees. 'Cleaning expenses' are actual and necessary cleaning costs not attributable to normal wear. Cleaning charges may not be imposed for normal cyclical maintenance the landlord noted at move-in, and require prior written notice giving the tenant 24 hours to do the cleaning. |
Fill in your letter
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To: [landlord or manager name], [landlord address]
From: [your name], former tenant at [rental address]
I moved out and returned the keys on [move-out date]. I paid a security deposit of $[deposit amount]. I gave you my forwarding address in writing on [date you gave your address].
Under Mont. Code Ann. § 70-25-202(1)(a)-(b), a landlord must return the deposit, or send an itemized list of lawful deductions, by the deadline set in that law. I have not received [the deposit / an itemized list].
Please send $[amount owed] to [forwarding address] within [number] days of this letter.
If I do not receive it, I plan to file a claim in small claims court and ask for any additional amount allowed by Mont. Code Ann. § 70-25-204.
Date: [today's date]
Tenant: [your name]
Signature: ____________________
How to send it: use a method you can prove — certified mail with return receipt, or email/text if your lease allows notices that way. Write down the date.
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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.