A Montana lease agreement, also called a rental lease agreement, is a legally binding document between a landlord and a tenant that outlines the terms for renting residential or commercial property. It states the length of the lease, the rent amount, the security deposit, and the obligations and rights of both the landlord and the tenant.
Last Updated: September 2026. This guide is reviewed and updated regularly to reflect current Montana law. If you notice an error or outdated information, please contact us.
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Montana regulates residential leases mainly through the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act of 1977 (Chapter 24) and the security deposit rules in Chapter 25 of the Montana Code Annotated. The sections below cover the security deposit deadlines and the notice periods for ending a Montana lease agreement, and link to a rental agreement you can build online.
A written lease protects both sides by fixing the rent, the deposit, and each party’s duties before move-in, which helps prevent later disputes.
Under Section 70-25-202 of the Mont. Code Ann., a landlord must give the departing tenant a written list of any rent due and any damage or cleaning charges within 30 days after the tenancy ends. That 30-day clock also starts at surrender and acceptance of the unit, whichever happens first.[2]
If the landlord's inspection finds no damage, no cleaning charges, and no unpaid rent, and the tenant can show that no utilities are unpaid, the deposit must be returned within 10 days instead. The landlord must send this list together with payment of the difference, if any, between the deposit and the charges the law allows.[2]
Montana calls this document a rental agreement or a lease. Both names refer to the same paperwork, for a month-to-month tenancy or a week-to-week one.
The refund can be paid by electronic funds transfer, cash, check, or another form of payment, or mailed to the address the tenant provided after moving out. If the tenant does not give a new address, the landlord may mail it to the tenant's last-known address instead. Doing so is not a wrongful withholding, though the landlord still owes the tenant the amount due.[2]
These deposit-return rules do not apply if the lease was ended under the separate eviction provisions of Montana law (Section 70-24-427 or 70-33-427) and the landlord already has a claim pending in court.[2]
Under Section 70-24-441 of the Mont. Code Ann. (Residential Landlord and Tenant Act of 1977), either the landlord or the tenant may end a month-to-month tenancy by giving the other at least 30 days' written notice before the termination date named in the notice. For a week-to-week tenancy, either party may end it with at least 7 days' written notice before the termination date stated in the notice.[1]
Count the notice period accurately with FormsPal’s deadline calculator.
Key facts about the Montana lease agreement form:
| Document Name | Montana Rental Lease Agreement Form |
| Other Names | MT Rental Lease, Montana Residential Lease Agreement |
| Relevant Laws | Montana Code Annotated, Title 70, Chapter 24 |
| Security Deposit Return | Up to 30 days after the tenancy ends (10 days if there is no damage, no cleaning charges, and no unpaid rent)[2] |
| Avg. Time to Fill Out | 18 minutes |
| # of Fillable Fields | 119 |
| Available Formats | Adobe PDF |
A Montana landlord must return the security deposit within 30 days after the tenancy ends, or within 30 days after the tenant surrenders the unit, whichever comes first. If there is no damage, no cleaning charges, and no unpaid rent or utilities, the deadline shortens to 10 days.[2]
Yes. To end a month-to-month tenancy, Montana law requires the landlord or the tenant to give the other written notice at least 30 days before the termination date. A week-to-week tenancy needs at least 7 days of written notice instead.[1]
Montana sets two written notice periods, each ending on the date the notice states.[1]
For a month-to-month or week-to-week tenancy, either party ends it by giving the other written notice, 30 days for a month-to-month tenancy or 7 days for a week-to-week tenancy.[1] A fixed-term lease normally ends on the date written in the agreement, without extra notice, unless the lease itself says otherwise.
Other Rental Lease Agreement Forms by State
General information, not legal or tax advice.
Unless noted otherwise, the sources below are from the Mont. Code Ann..