Free Montana Lease Agreement Template

Last updated July 17, 2026

Download a free Montana lease agreement template

A Montana residential lease agreement records the deal between a landlord and tenant for a home in Montana. It identifies the parties and premises, sets the rent and term, allocates utilities and maintenance responsibilities, and provides a written place for property rules. The free PDF and Word versions on this page are labeled for Montana and are intended as a practical starting document—not a substitute for checking which statutes, disclosures, or local rules apply to a particular property.

The principal research authority for this page is Montana Code Annotated Titles 28 and 70. Research scope: Montana's official residential-landlord, security-deposit, mold, and contract statutes govern scope, lease terms and rules, deposits and condition records, habitability and access, disclosures, termination and remedies, and execution; mobile-home lots and applicable local codes remain separate property-specific gates. Because residential rules can depend on property type, tenancy length, location, and regulated-housing status, review the completed agreement and any required addenda before signing.

Montana lease topics to review

The current research draft for Montana identifies the following topics as relevant to residential lease preparation. Use them as a checklist, and verify each rule's scope, current text, and exceptions before adding a term to the lease.

• Montana's Residential Landlord and Tenant Act applies to dwelling units in the state but lists substantial transaction and occupancy exclusions, with mobile-home lots governed separately.
• Montana permits ordinary lease terms but prohibits specified waivers and liability clauses, regulates payment fees and email collection, and tightly conditions enforceable house rules.
• Montana regulates deposit deductions and cleaning notice, generally requires a 30-day accounting, and provides a ten-day no-deduction return path with utility proof.
• Montana imposes detailed habitability duties and ordinarily requires at least 24 hours' notice and a valid purpose for landlord entry.
• Montana requires owner-management identity information and condition-specific mold disclosures while separately offering an optional statutory mold statement.
• Montana uses seven- and 30-day periodic notices and a ground-specific breach matrix rather than one universal default period.
• Montana requires covered leases longer than one year to be signed in writing and limits the effect of an unsigned or undelivered long-term agreement accepted by performance.
• Montana's habitability rule incorporates applicable construction-era building and housing codes, so a statewide lease requires a property-specific local overlay and a mobile-home-lot gate.

The final lease should not waive protections that cannot lawfully be waived. If a selected term conflicts with a controlling statute, official form, court order, housing-program rule, or local ordinance, the controlling rule applies even when the parties signed different language.

What to include in a Montana residential lease

• Landlord, tenant, and premises details — use the parties' full legal names, the complete Montana property address, and a clear description of included parking, storage, furnishings, or shared spaces.
• Term and rent — state whether the tenancy is fixed-term or periodic, when it begins, when rent is due, accepted payment methods, and what happens at the end of the stated term.
• Deposits and charges — identify each deposit, prepaid amount, fee, and late-payment term separately so it can be compared with the current Montana rule that applies to the property.
• Utilities, maintenance, and access — allocate day-to-day responsibilities without attempting to transfer a nonwaivable landlord or tenant duty.
• Rules and addenda — document pets, smoking, parking, guests, insurance, association rules, and any federal, state, local, or property-specific disclosure that applies.
• Notices and signatures — provide reliable notice addresses and retain a complete signed copy for every party.

State and local checks before signing

Montana's habitability rule incorporates applicable construction-era building and housing codes, so a statewide lease requires a property-specific local overlay and a mobile-home-lot gate. Confirm the property address and the current local text before signing.

Federal requirements can also apply. For example, most pre-1978 housing requires the federal lead-based-paint disclosure process. Manufactured housing, short-term occupancy, owner-occupied rooms, subsidized housing, and rent-regulated property may follow a different legal path from an ordinary residential lease.

Use the official source linked below to confirm the current statewide text. For a disputed tenancy, an eviction or termination, unusual fees, regulated housing, or a property in a city with additional renter protections, obtain advice about the specific facts before relying on a template.

How to use the free Montana template

1. Download the Montana PDF when you want a printable blank, or the Word file when you want to edit the text electronically.
2. Complete the parties, property, rent, term, deposit, utilities, maintenance, access, and notice fields.
3. Attach the disclosures and property-specific addenda that actually apply.
4. Compare the completed document with the current official source and local requirements.
5. Give every party the same final version to review before anyone signs, then retain the fully executed copy.

The guided builder is available when you prefer questions and a generated preview. Whether you use the free template or the builder, confirm the final agreement against the property and the parties' actual arrangement.