Tools · Security Deposit
Montana Security Deposit Demand Letter
A written request for the return of your deposit, with the Montana statute (Mont. Code Ann. §§70-25-101 to 70-25-206), the 10 days if no deductions, 30 days with an itemized list deadline, and the penalty the law provides already filled in. Add your dates and amount, then copy or print it.
Montana deposit demand letter generator
This is a general template for a common situation, not legal advice and not a substitute for a lawyer's review of your case. Blanks you leave empty print as lines you can fill in by hand.
Re: Return of the security deposit for ________________
Dear ________________,
I was a tenant at ________________ and moved out on ________________. My security deposit of $________________ has not been returned.
Under Mont. Code Ann. §§70-25-101 to 70-25-206, a landlord must return the deposit, or provide an itemized statement of any deductions, within 10 days if no deductions, 30 days with an itemized list after the tenancy terminates or the tenant surrenders and the landlord accepts the premises, whichever occurs first.
Where a deposit is wrongfully withheld, the statute provides: A landlord who wrongfully withholds a deposit is liable to the tenant for the amount found to have been wrongfully withheld or deducted, and the court may award attorney fees to the prevailing party. The landlord carries the burden of proving any claimed damage. Separately, a landlord who misses the itemized-list deadline forfeits all rights to keep the deposit for damage or cleaning charges (Mont. Code Ann. 70-25-204, 70-25-203).
I request the return of my deposit of $________________, or the itemized statement the statute requires, as provided by Mont. Code Ann. §§70-25-101 to 70-25-206. Please send it to me at the mailing address below.
Sincerely,
________________
________________
The citation, deadline, and penalty above come from Mont. Code Ann. §§70-25-101 to 70-25-206. Full rule and exceptions: Montana security deposit reference. If the deposit is not returned, money disputes this size are what small claims court handles: see the Montana limit.
Why a written demand, and what this letter does
A dated, written request is usually the first step a court or a legal-aid office will ask about, and in some states it is what starts or preserves the penalty. This letter states the facts: your tenancy, your move-out date, the deadline Montana law sets, and what the statute provides when a deposit is wrongfully withheld. It asks for what the law already requires, and it leaves any decision about going further entirely to you.
The template is informational only and not legal advice. If your situation has wrinkles (deductions you dispute, a lease that shifted the deadline, a local ordinance), check the Montana security deposit reference or talk to a lawyer or local legal aid before sending.
Deposit demand letters for other states
Same template, each with its own citation, deadline, and penalty.