A Montana rental application is a document that helps you gather essential information and ask the necessary questions while considering potential tenants for your property. Thoroughly screening applicants is crucial to finding reliable and trustworthy tenants for your rental property.
Laws
- Application Fee –Non-refundable
- Fee Limits – No limits
- Security Deposit – No limit on the amount that landlords can demand (no statute).
State Laws
Application Fees
The Montana Landlord and Tenant Act has no limit on a landlord’s fee. However, landlords should charge a reasonable amount, approximately equal to the cost of processing the rental application [1] .
Security Deposits – landlords are allowed to charge a security deposit. The state law does not set a maximum security deposit that a landlord can require of a tenant, but the average amount is typically one to two months’ rent [1] .
Pet Deposits – These are subject to the same rules and regulations as security deposits and must be refundable unless deductions are taken.
Other Resources
- Fair Housing Laws prohibit housing discrimination based on sex, marital status, race, creed, religion, color, age, familial status, physical or mental disability, or national origin.
- Sex Offender Registry – While landlords aren’t required to check for sex offenders, they must protect residents from risks. If they consider sex offenders a potential risk, they may reject current offenders. Nevertheless, it’s essential to note that sex offenders have housing rights, and being listed in the sex offender registry cannot be a basis for denying them housing.
While you should collect the necessary information on your rental application, you must ensure you do not discriminate against any potential applicants. The US Department of Justice recently announced they settled a lawsuit with Montana developers because they did not ensure their properties were accessible to people with disabilities.
Sample
Below is a Montana rental application form in PDF & Word format:
