# Montana HB 444: Generally revise tenant landlord laws Montana HB 444, Generally revise tenant landlord laws, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by Paul Tuss (Democrat); status signed, last action 2025-05-16 (Chapter Number Assigned); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB444-2025 - As of: 2026-10-12 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Montana HB 444 - State: Montana - Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) - Title: Generally revise tenant landlord laws - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-02-10 - Last action: 2025-05-16, Chapter Number Assigned - Sponsor: Paul Tuss (Democrat) - Cosponsors: 2 - Subjects: Landlord and Tenant - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 7 (511 yes, 34 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 2 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Faster, electronic deposit returns for renters: mixed, low. Within 30 days after your lease ends or you surrender the place, the landlord must send a written, itemized list of any rent due, damages, and cleaning charges and return any remaining deposit. If there are no damages or cleaning and no unpaid rent, and you show there are no unpaid utilities, the l… - Tighter rules on renters' deposit deductions: mixed, low. The law sets what landlords can take from a security deposit: damage you caused; unpaid rent or late fees; utilities; lease penalties; other money you owe; and actual cleaning costs with a reasonable labor charge. The landlord may inspect the unit in the last week before move-out. They cannot charg… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Paul Tuss (Democrat), House - Cosponsor: Daniel Zolnikov (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Mike Cuffe (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-17 | House | Do Concur | pass | 93 | 6 | | | 2025-04-16 | House | Do Concur | pass | 99 | 1 | | | 2025-04-12 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 50 | 0 | | | 2025-04-09 | Senate | Do Pass As Amended | pass | 45 | 5 | | | 2025-04-09 | Senate | AMD-HB0444.002.001 Usher D/PASS | pass | 28 | 22 | | | 2025-03-01 | House | Do Pass | pass | 97 | 0 | | | 2025-02-28 | House | Do Pass | pass | 99 | 0 | | ## Actions (25) - 2025-05-16: Chapter Number Assigned (House) - 2025-05-12: Signed by Governor (House) - 2025-05-05: Transmitted to Governor (House) - 2025-05-02: Signed by President (Senate) - 2025-05-01: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2025-04-23: Returned from Enrolling (House) - 2025-04-18: Sent to Enrolling (House) - 2025-04-17: 3rd Reading Senate Amendments (House) - 2025-04-16: 2nd Reading Senate Amendments (House) - 2025-04-12: Returned to House with Amendments (Senate) - 2025-04-12: 3rd Reading (Senate) - 2025-04-09: 2nd Reading (Senate) - 2025-04-09: 2nd Reading Motion to Amend (Senate) - 2025-03-25: Committee Report (Senate) - 2025-03-24: Committee Executive Action (Senate) - 2025-03-04: Referred to Committee (Senate) - 2025-03-03: 1st Reading (Senate) - 2025-03-01: 3rd Reading (House) - 2025-02-28: 2nd Reading (House) - 2025-02-24: Committee Report (House) - 2025-02-24: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-02-12: Hearing (House) - 2025-02-11: 1st Reading (House) - 2025-02-11: Referred to Committee (House) - 2025-02-10: Introduced (House) ## Bill text - Enrolled, 2025-04-22: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=32e6f331-7ecf-4789-a784-7c8ae342c457) - As Amended (Version 3), 2025-04-09: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=5ae8986a-569e-4ab7-9b93-34d785da8d14) - As Amended (Version 2), 2025-02-24: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=2ed4ec01-ea59-4920-8643-080f2266cf1f) - Introduced, 2025-02-10: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=c7ce81e9-6f73-4d79-ab59-d9bb57cc1304) ## Related bills - SB 437: Revise definition of sex in Montana law (signed) - HB 831: Increase elderly homeowner and renter income tax credit (vetoed) - HB 628: Revise early literacy targeted intervention laws (vetoed) - SB 410: Provide for Montana genomic security act (vetoed) - SB 422: Generally revise laws relating to insurance coverage relating to cancer (vetoed) - SB 424: Revising the disabled veteran property tax assistance program (vetoed) ## Sources - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=32e6f331-7ecf-4789-a784-7c8ae342c457) - [As Amended (Version 3) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=5ae8986a-569e-4ab7-9b93-34d785da8d14) - [As Amended (Version 2) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=2ed4ec01-ea59-4920-8643-080f2266cf1f) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=c7ce81e9-6f73-4d79-ab59-d9bb57cc1304) ## Related - [SB 437: Revise definition of sex in Montana law](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB437-2025) - [HB 831: Increase elderly homeowner and renter income tax credit](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB831-2025) - [HB 628: Revise early literacy targeted intervention laws](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB628-2025) - [SB 410: Provide for Montana genomic security act](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB410-2025) - [SB 422: Generally revise laws relating to insurance coverage relating to cancer](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB422-2025) - [SB 424: Revising the disabled veteran property tax assistance program](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB424-2025) - [Montana bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/montana/bills) - [Montana state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/montana) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB444-2025 (as of 2026-10-12).