Montana's residential tenancies run under the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act of 1977, in Title 70 of the Code. It is a full adoption of the uniform model, so the structure is familiar, and the drafting job is mostly about not contradicting it. Montana also has a separate act for mobile home lot rentals, which is a different document entirely and the first thing to establish before choosing a template.
Which act applies
A dwelling let to a residential tenant falls under the 1977 act. A lot rented to the owner of a mobile home falls under Montana's separate mobile home lot rental act, with its own notice periods and its own termination grounds. Using the residential lease for a lot tenancy produces a document whose notice provisions are wrong in the situation where notice matters most.
Deposits and the itemised statement
Montana requires a written itemised statement of deductions and cleaning charges within a statutory period, and the period differs depending on whether the tenant has given a forwarding address. Cleaning charges in particular have to be itemised rather than charged as a round sum, which is why the move-in condition record has to be specific enough to make a comparison possible.
Entry and the twenty-four hour habit
The act requires notice before entry other than in an emergency. Put the period in the lease, and give it to contractors as an instruction rather than a preference. Most entry complaints come from a tradesman attending at short notice, which is nobody's decision in particular and therefore everybody's problem.
Remedies run through the court
The act sets the sequence for non-payment and for other breaches, and Montana, like every state, does not permit self-help removal. A landlord who changes the locks converts a rent problem into a claim against themselves. Keep the statutory sequence written down where the person under pressure will find it.
Questions people ask about montana residential lease agreement
Does the 1977 act cover mobile home lots?
No. Montana has a separate mobile home lot rental act with its own notice and termination rules.
Must cleaning charges be itemised?
Yes. Montana requires a written itemised statement, which means a specific record of condition at both ends of the tenancy.
How much notice before entry?
The act requires notice other than in an emergency. Take the current period from the chapter and write it into the lease.