Renters' Rights · Security Deposit
Security Deposit Laws in Idaho
The most a landlord can charge, how long they have to return it, and what it costs them to keep your money without cause in Idaho.
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What your landlord can hold, and when it's due back
Enter your rent for the Idaho maximum, plus the return-deadline clock.
Estimate only, based on Idaho's statutory cap. Your lease may set a lower deposit, and local ordinances can be stricter. Not legal advice.
The full rules, with the statute
Every requirement and where it comes from in the code.
Exceptions: Idaho has no statutory cap on the size of a residential security deposit. Idaho Code 6-321 governs how a deposit is held and returned but says nothing about the amount, so the figure is left to the lease.
Penalties & recent changes
What happens if the landlord keeps your deposit wrongfully.
What Idaho renters get wrong
Idaho puts no statutory cap on a residential security deposit, so a landlord may ask for whatever the lease sets, though one to two months of rent is common. The core rule is the return deadline: under Idaho Code 6-321 the deposit must come back within 21 days if the agreement fixes no time, and within 30 days in every case, after you surrender the unit. If the landlord keeps any part of it, they have to send a signed statement itemizing each amount, the reason, and how the money was spent, and they cannot bill you for normal wear and tear. Idaho does not require interest on the deposit, and only a third-party manager, not an ordinary landlord, must hold it in a separate federally insured account. Miss the deadline or skip the itemized statement and the landlord loses the right to keep any of the deposit. If you have to sue, Idaho Code 6-324 lets the winning party recover reasonable attorney fees, so a successful tenant gets the deposit back plus fees and costs.
Common questions
Is there a limit on how much a landlord can charge for a security deposit in Idaho?
No. Idaho has no statutory cap on the amount of a residential security deposit. Idaho Code 6-321 controls how the deposit is held and returned but does not limit the amount, so the figure is whatever your lease sets. In practice most Idaho landlords ask for one to two months of rent.
How long does an Idaho landlord have to return my deposit?
Within 21 days after you surrender the unit if your agreement does not fix a time, and within 30 days in any event. Your agreement can set a longer period than 21 days, but the outside limit is always 30 days.
What happens if my Idaho landlord does not return my deposit or send an itemized statement?
If the landlord misses the deadline or fails to give you a signed statement itemizing the deductions, they lose the right to keep any part of the deposit. You can sue to recover what was wrongfully withheld, and under Idaho Code 6-324 the prevailing party is entitled to reasonable attorney fees, so a tenant who wins can recover the deposit plus fees and court costs.
Does an Idaho landlord have to pay interest or use a separate account?
Idaho does not require a landlord to pay interest on your deposit. There is also no general requirement to hold it in a separate account. The one exception is a third-party manager who holds the deposit, who must keep it in a separate, federally insured account at an Idaho bank or savings and loan.
Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.