Demand letters in Montana.

Security deposit demand letters in Montana

If your former landlord is holding your deposit, Montana law is on your side. A landlord must return your security deposit within 30 days (10 days if there are no deductions), along with an itemized statement of any deductions. Bad-faith retention can expose the landlord to the wrongfully withheld amount plus a penalty and attorney’s fees.

Statutes of limitation in Montana

A demand letter doesn't pause the clock — you must file suit within these windows:

Small claims court in Montana

The relevant court is Small Claims Court (Justice Court). Limit: $7,000. Filing fee information: Check the filing court’s current fee schedule; service charges may be additional. A dollar limit alone does not establish eligibility; check the court’s claim, venue and service requirements.

Small-claims limit source checked: 2026-09-29. This date does not apply to the other laws on this page.

How Montana compares

The same dispute is worth pursuing in one state and barely worth the paperwork in another. Here is where Montana actually sits.

• Small Claims Court (Justice Court) in Montana: $7,000. Filing fee information: Check the filing court’s current fee schedule; service charges may be additional. Limits are not directly comparable across states because court, plaintiff and claim-specific rules differ.

• Montana sits on the national norm — 30 days (10 days if there are no deductions) for a landlord to return the deposit, 15th tightest of the 51 and level with the 30-day median. Diarise the date you moved out and count from there. Montana attaches no statutory multiplier, so your leverage is the filing threat and the Mont. Code § 70-25-201 to § 70-25-206 citation rather than a penalty number.

• Montana is comparatively forgiving on timing: 8 years on a written contract, 2 years longer than the 6-year median for written contracts and 10th longest of the 51. That is breathing room, not licence — evidence and memories decay long before the 8 years do, and oral agreements run out at 5.

For a $1,500 deposit, document the amount withheld and any deductions. Confirm the available remedies under the governing statute before demanding penalties. Filing fee information: Check the filing court’s current fee schedule; service charges may be additional.