Montana Tenants
A professional demand letter citing Montana's security deposit statute (Mont. Code § 70-25-202), the return deadline, and the forfeiture rule when a landlord misses it. Ready in minutes.
Deadline
10 / 30 days
to return your deposit after move-out
Penalty
Forfeiture
of the right to withhold, under § 70-25-203
Statute
§ 70-25-202
Montana Code Annotated
Under Mont. Code § 70-25-202, your landlord must return your deposit within 10 days if there are no deductions, or within 30 days with a written, itemized statement if any deductions are claimed.
If the landlord misses the deadline or withholds improperly, Montana law provides:
So a landlord who misses Montana’s deadline loses the right to keep any of a $1,500 deposit — the entire amount comes back. Most landlords return it quickly once they realize their right to withhold is gone.
Cleaning charges: Before deducting for cleaning, a Montana landlord must give written notice and a 24-hour opportunity for you to cure. Montana sets no deposit cap and requires no interest.
Every letter follows the structure courts expect — your facts, the statute, a specific demand, and a deadline. Here's the skeleton; the generator fills the brackets from your answers and computes Montana's deadlines under § 70-25-202.
[Date]
[Your name]
[Your forwarding address]
[Landlord's name and address]
RE: Security Deposit — Formal Demand for Return of $[Amount]
I am the former tenant of [rental property address]. You accepted a security deposit of $[Amount], and my tenancy ended on [move-out date]. My forwarding address for return of the deposit is stated above, which I am providing to you in writing.
Under § 70-25-202, you were required to [return the deposit or provide an itemized statement] within [the statutory period]. That period has passed, and you have done neither. [The specific consequence Montana law attaches, cited by section.]
I demand return of $[Amount] no later than [deadline]. If I do not receive it, I am prepared to pursue all remedies available under [statute], including filing suit in the appropriate court.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
It depends on the circumstances: 10 days no damages, no cleaning required, and no unpaid rent or utilities; 30 days any deductions are claimed (itemized list + balance required). The deadline is 10 days if nothing is owed and no cleaning is required, or 30 days when the landlord claims any deductions. Your letter applies the correct one.
A landlord who misses the deadline or skips the required itemized list forfeits all rights to withhold any portion of the deposit under § 70-25-203, and is liable under § 70-25-204 for the full amount wrongfully withheld or deducted. Montana’s statute has no damages multiplier — sources claiming a 2× penalty are wrong.
Mont. Code Ann. § 70-25-202 and Mont. Code Ann. § 70-25-204. We verify these against the statute text itself; the date we last checked is shown on this page.
Sources & verification
The Montana rules on this page were verified against the statute text itself:
Last verified against primary sources on .
How we verify this →Laws change. If you spot something out of date, tell us at support@gettenantshield.com and we'll correct it.
Properly formatted, addressed to your landlord by name, citing the exact Montana statutes that apply to your situation.
Mont. Code § 70-25-202, § 70-25-204, and any others triggered by your circumstances — not generic legalese.
The letter computes the exact dollar amount you're entitled to demand based on your deposit and the deductions at issue.
Download instantly, print, sign, and send via USPS Certified Mail with Return Receipt.
Most Montana landlords return the deposit within days of receiving a properly drafted demand letter.
Generate my letter — $39