Managing a rental in Montana means knowing two sets of rules: who’s allowed to manage property for others, and what landlords and tenants owe each other under the Montana Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. This guide covers both.
This is general information, not legal advice. For a specific situation, talk to a Montana attorney.
Property manager licensing in Montana
Since 2023, Montana’s property manager law (MCA Title 37, chapter 56) has generally required a license to manage rental property for others (MCA 37-56-103).
Requirements for a property manager license include being at least 18, having a high school education or equivalent, completing 30 hours of approved pre-licensing education within 24 months before applying, and passing the exam within 12 months before applying. The application fee is $50. Licensees complete 12 hours of continuing education a year and renew between September 1 and October 31.
Who’s exempt (MCA 37-56-104) includes owners managing their own property, their spouses and certain relatives, and people leasing four or fewer residential units, among others. Licensed real estate brokers can manage property, and salespersons can manage under a supervising broker.
Before you hire a manager, check the license with the Montana Board of Realty Regulation.
Landlord duties
- Keep the home fit and habitable: working heat, plumbing, electrical and other essential services, and common areas in safe condition.
- Make repairs within a reasonable time after written notice.
- Give at least 24 hours’ notice before entering, at reasonable times, except in emergencies (MCA 70-24-312).
- Handle security deposits within Montana’s deadlines.
- Follow fair housing law at every step.
Tenant duties
- Pay rent on time.
- Keep the home clean and safe, and dispose of waste properly.
- Don’t damage the property, and report problems promptly.
- Follow the lease, including rules on pets, occupants and noise.
- Allow reasonable access with proper notice.
Security deposits
Montana doesn’t cap deposits or require interest. Return the deposit within 10 days if nothing is owed, or send an itemized list and the balance within 30 days of the end of the tenancy (MCA 70-25-202). A tenant may ask for a pre-move-out inspection and then has a chance to fix the problems found (MCA 70-25-201). A landlord who doesn’t follow the deposit rules can lose the right to withhold any of it (MCA 70-25-204).
Notices
| Situation | Notice (MCA 70-24-422) |
|---|---|
| Nonpayment of rent | 3 days, in writing |
| Unauthorized pet or unauthorized occupants | 3 days |
| Most other lease violations | 14 days |
| Substantially the same violation within 6 months | 5 days |
If a tenant doesn’t comply or leave, the landlord must go through the court. Self-help evictions, such as changing the locks or shutting off utilities, aren’t allowed.
Fair housing
The federal Fair Housing Act protects race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status and disability. The Montana Human Rights Act (MCA 49-2-305) adds marital status, creed and age. In Bozeman, the city’s nondiscrimination ordinance also protects sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. Write your screening criteria down and apply them the same way to everyone. See our Montana tenant screening guide.
From license to listing: the leasing steps
- Market rent analysis
- Make-ready work and photography
- A fair-housing-compliant listing and showings
- Applications and screening against written criteria
- A lease written for Montana law and a move-in condition report
- Rent collection, maintenance and inspections
- Renewal or move-out, with deposit accounting
How Mountain Village Property Management works
We manage long-term rentals across the Gallatin Valley and Livingston. Every plan includes tenant screening, an attorney-prepared / reviewed lease and move-in coordination, and we follow Montana’s landlord-tenant act and fair housing law at every step.
What our plans cost
Mountain Village Property Management offers three plans. Every fee is in writing in your agreement before you sign.
| Essentials | Signature | Summit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly management | 4.9% of rent + $69/mo | 6.9% of rent + $69/mo | 8.9% of rent + $69/mo |
| Leasing fee | 50% of one month’s rent | 50% of one month’s rent | 50% of one month’s rent |
| Lease renewal | 25% of one month’s rent | 25% of one month’s rent | 25% of one month’s rent |
| Set-up fee | $299 one-time | None | None |
| Maintenance coordination | $99 per work order | Included | Included |
| 24/7 emergency line for residents | $29/mo add-on | Included | Included |
Our management percentage pauses while a home is vacant; the $69 monthly admin fee continues. Third-party costs may include a coordination markup of up to 7.5% (3% on recurring bills), as set out in the agreement. Compare every plan detail and add-on price.
Talk to a local Bozeman team
We manage long-term rentals in Bozeman, Belgrade, Livingston, Gallatin Gateway, Manhattan and Three Forks from our office on W Babcock St in Bozeman. We’re rated 5.0 on Google (16 reviews). Request a free rental analysis and we’ll walk you through what your home could rent for and which plan fits.