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Landlord Retaliation Laws in Montana

Montana bars landlords from raising rent, cutting services or bringing eviction actions after a tenant complains of code violations or joins a tenant union, with a 6-month presumption.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Montana at a glance

Retaliation banned by statute
Yes
Presumption period
6 months
No presumption if the complaint came after notice of a rent increase or service cut.
Protected tenant actions
Code complaints, written complaints to landlord, tenant unions
Complaints to a building or housing code agency, written complaints to the landlord of a violation under 70-24-303, and organizing or joining a tenant union.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Montana

Does Montana law prohibit landlord retaliation against tenants?

Yes. Retaliation banned by statute in Montana: yes.

How long after a tenant complaint is retaliation presumed in Montana?

Presumption period in Montana: 6 months. No presumption if the complaint came after notice of a rent increase or service cut.

Which tenant actions are protected from retaliation in Montana?

Protected tenant actions in Montana: Code complaints, written complaints to landlord, tenant unions. Complaints to a building or housing code agency, written complaints to the landlord of a violation under 70-24-303, and organizing or joining a tenant union.

Where do the Montana landlord retaliation laws come from?

The rules above come from Mont. Code Ann. 70-24-431. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

Good to know

A landlord may still sue for possession if the tenant is in default in rent or caused the code violation.

What this means in practice

Keep a written record of every complaint, repair request and report to a government agency, with dates. A presumption period usually runs from the date of the protected action, so proof of that date can matter.

Retaliation protection does not usually excuse unpaid rent or lease violations. Statutes commonly allow a landlord to raise rent, end a tenancy or evict for a good-faith reason, such as nonpayment, damage to the unit or a rent increase applied to all tenants.

If a rent increase, service cut or eviction notice follows a complaint, read the statute for your state and any local ordinance. Cities and counties may add protections, and a local legal aid office or tenant union can explain how they apply.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.