Montana legislation · 2025 Regular Session
Montana HB311: Require the refund of rental application fees
Status: Signed into law, May 5, 2025
What the bill says
An act requiring the refund of residential rental application fees; allowing certain costs to be deducted; providing for a civil action if an application fee is wrongfully withheld; and providing an applicability date.
From the engrossed text:
AN ACT REQUIRING THE REFUND OF RESIDENTIAL RENTAL APPLICATION FEES; ALLOWING CERTAIN COSTS TO BE DEDUCTED; PROVIDING FOR A CIVIL ACTION IF AN APPLICATION FEE IS WRONGFULLY WITHHELD; AND PROVIDING AN APPLICABILITY DATE. Section 1. Application fees -- refund -- deduction of costs. (1) A property manager of four or more dwelling units that requires an application fee prior to the rental of a dwelling unit shall refund the application fee within a reasonable period of time if the applicant does not become a party to a signed rental agreement for the dwelling unit or if the applicant does not become a party to a rental agreement that has the same effect as if it had been signed pursuant to 70-24-204. However, the property manager may deduct costs from the refund as provided in subsection (2). (2) If the application fee includes costs pertaining to specific services, the applicant must be given written notice of the portions of the total application fee allocated to each cost at the time the application fee is collected. If the applicant does not become a party to a rental agreement as provided in subsection (1), the property manager may retain only the costs specified in the written notice for services actually performed and shall refund the balance as provided in subsection (1). The property …
Sponsors
- Kortum, Kelly (D, 64) · primary sponsor
Latest actions
- : Chapter Number Assigned
- : (H) Signed by Governor
- : (H) Transmitted to Governor
- : (S) Signed by President
- : (H) Signed by Speaker
- : (H) Returned from Enrolling
- : (H) Sent to Enrolling
- : (H) 3rd Reading Senate Amendments
- : (H) Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- : (H) 2nd Reading Senate Amendments
Votes
- Do Concur (April 15, 2025): 68 yea, 29 nay, passed
- Do Concur (April 14, 2025): 74 yea, 22 nay, passed
- Do Concur (April 8, 2025): 34 yea, 14 nay, passed
- Do Pass As Amended (April 5, 2025): 34 yea, 12 nay, passed
- AMD-HB0311.002.001 Trebas D/PASS (April 5, 2025): 26 yea, 19 nay, passed
- Rerefer to Senate Local Government-Trebas (March 20, 2025): 21 yea, 29 nay, failed
Subjects: Courts, Housing, Landlord and Tenant
Common questions
- What is HB311?
- HB311 is a bill in the Montana Legislature (2025 Regular Session): Require the refund of rental application fees.
- What does HB311 do?
- In its own words: An act requiring the refund of residential rental application fees; allowing certain costs to be deducted; providing for a civil action if an application fee is wrongfully withheld; and providing an applicability date.
- What is the status of HB311?
- Signed into law as of May 5, 2025. Latest action: Chapter Number Assigned (May 5, 2025).
- Who sponsored HB311?
- Kortum, Kelly (D, 64).
- Where is the official record for HB311?
- On the Montana Legislature website: https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC1666
Source: official Montana record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.