Sources checked:
Quick answer. Idaho: no deposit cap in the law read; deposit returned within 21 days; one-month notice to end month-to-month; 3-day notice for unpaid rent; $15,000 small claims limit. 17 of 23 items are confirmed on official pages; 6 are marked not confirmed, with the page to check.
Key numbers
- Deposit limit
- No cap in the law read
- Deposit back within
- 21 days
- Month-to-month notice (landlord)
- 1 month
- Unpaid rent notice
- 3 days
- Entry notice
- See the rule
- Writ to lockout
- 3 days (from judgment)
- Small claims limit
- $15,000
Security deposit (5 of 6 confirmed)
Law read: Idaho Code 6-321.
Need the other side served? Process serving with an affidavit of service.
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ConfirmedDeposit limit
No maximum: the Attorney General's 2026 manual says Idaho does not restrict the amount of rent or deposits landlords can charge.
Sources: Idaho Courts self-help: Idaho's Security Deposit Law (H-3, revised 1/13); Idaho Attorney General: Landlord and Tenant Manual (July 2026), checked November 2026
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ConfirmedReturn deadline
Within 21 days after the lease ends or, if the lease says so, within 30 days after the tenant leaves.
If the lease allows: 30 days after the tenant leaves
Sources: Idaho Courts self-help: Idaho's Security Deposit Law (H-3, revised 1/13); Idaho Attorney General: Landlord and Tenant Manual (July 2026), checked November 2026
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ConfirmedItemized list of deductions
A written statement of the amounts deducted, why, and how the deductions were spent.
Sources: Idaho Courts self-help: Idaho's Security Deposit Law (H-3, revised 1/13); Idaho Attorney General: Landlord and Tenant Manual (July 2026), checked November 2026
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Not confirmedInterest on the deposit
Not confirmed — check Idaho Courts self-help: Idaho's Security Deposit Law (H-3, revised 1/13). Not stated in the Attorney General's 2026 manual or the court sheet. Check Idaho Code 6-321.
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ConfirmedWhere the deposit is held
No separate account rule for ordinary residential deposits in the Attorney General's 2026 manual; it says the lease should name the financial institution where the landlord will hold the deposit.
Sources: Idaho Courts self-help: Idaho's Security Deposit Law (H-3, revised 1/13); Idaho Attorney General: Landlord and Tenant Manual (July 2026), checked November 2026
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ConfirmedPenalty the law states
If the tenant sues in small claims and wins, the judge may award three times the security deposit, plus court costs and attorney fees (Attorney General's manual, 2026).
Sources: Idaho Courts self-help: Idaho's Security Deposit Law (H-3, revised 1/13); Idaho Attorney General: Landlord and Tenant Manual (July 2026), checked November 2026
The court self-help sheet was revised in January 2013. Confirm against current Idaho Code 6-321.
More: Security deposit rules by state · Deposit return deadline calculator
Notice periods (6 of 6 confirmed)
What the official text says about each notice. Cities and counties can add their own notice, just-cause or rent rules. Check local rules too.
| Notice | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Ending month-to-month (landlord) | At least a month's advance written notice by either side, unless the landlord agrees otherwise. | Source: Idaho Attorney General: Landlord and Tenant Manual (2026), checked November 2026 |
| Ending month-to-month (tenant) | At least a month's advance written notice by either side, unless the landlord agrees otherwise. | Source: Idaho Attorney General: Landlord and Tenant Manual (2026), checked November 2026 |
| Rent increase notice | Written notice at least 30 days before the increase takes effect. | Source: Idaho Attorney General: Landlord and Tenant Manual (2026), checked November 2026 |
| Unpaid rent notice | A notice giving three days to pay the rent due, stating the amount owed. | Source: Idaho Attorney General: Landlord and Tenant Manual (2026), checked November 2026 (Idaho Code Title 6, Chapter 3) |
| Entry notice | If the lease is silent, the landlord should first say why entry is needed, and the two agree on a reasonable time and manner. No set hours. | Source: Idaho Attorney General: Landlord and Tenant Manual (2026), checked November 2026 |
| Late fee limits | Fees, including late fees, must be reasonable and no more than the lease states. | Source: Idaho Attorney General: Landlord and Tenant Manual (2026), checked November 2026 |
More: Notice periods by state · Notice date calculator
Eviction case, in order (5 of 10 confirmed)
- Notice before filing The written notice comes first; its length is in the notice table above.
Unpaid rent: A notice giving three days to pay the rent due, stating the amount owed.
- Filing the case Where the case goes and what it costs to start.
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ConfirmedCourt
Filed in the district court for the county (the court's forms carry the district court caption).
In the District Court of the Sixth Judicial District, in and for the County of Bannock
Source: Idaho Court Assistance Office: CAO UD Instruction 1, Expedited Eviction, checked November 2026
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Not confirmedFiling fee
Not confirmed — check Idaho Legislature: Idaho Code Title 6, Chapter 3 (Forcible Entry and Unlawful Detainer). Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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- The tenant's answer or appearance
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Not confirmedTime to answer or appear
Not confirmed — check Idaho Legislature: Idaho Code Title 6, Chapter 3 (Forcible Entry and Unlawful Detainer). Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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- Hearing or trial
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ConfirmedHearing after filing
In a nonpayment case the court sets trial within 12 days of filing, and the tenant must be served at least 5 days before trial.
the court shall schedule a trial within twelve (12) days from the filing of the complaint
Source: Idaho Legislature: Idaho Code Title 6, Chapter 3 (Forcible Entry and Unlawful Detainer), checked November 2026
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- Judgment and the writ The order that lets the officer act.
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Not confirmedJudgment to writ
Not confirmed — check Idaho Legislature: Idaho Code Title 6, Chapter 3 (Forcible Entry and Unlawful Detainer). Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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- Lockout Carried out by an officer, not by either side.
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ConfirmedWrit to lockout
A residential tenant has 72 hours to remove belongings; the sheriff acts after that and at least three days after the court's finding.
After the time required for a tenant to remove his belongings under this subsection and three (3) days after the finding of the court
Source: Idaho Legislature: Idaho Code Title 6, Chapter 3 (Forcible Entry and Unlawful Detainer), checked November 2026
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ConfirmedWho carries out the lockout
The sheriff restores possession by removing the tenant.
the sheriff shall restore possession of the premises to the plaintiff by causing immediate removal of the tenant
Source: Idaho Legislature: Idaho Code Title 6, Chapter 3 (Forcible Entry and Unlawful Detainer), checked November 2026
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- Along the way Paying to stop the case, counsel and diversion programs.
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Not confirmedPaying to stop the case
Not confirmed — check Idaho Legislature: Idaho Code Title 6, Chapter 3 (Forcible Entry and Unlawful Detainer). Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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ConfirmedRight to counsel (statewide)
No statewide right to counsel for tenants in eviction cases (as of November 2026, per the National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel): its tracker of enacted laws lists no statewide law here.
An eviction right to counsel is created by an enacted law that, at a minimum:
Source: National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel (secondary source): National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel: Enacted Eviction Right to Counsel and Eviction Defense Programs (last modified November 2026), checked November 2026
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Not confirmedDiversion or mediation (statewide)
Not confirmed — check Idaho Legislature: Idaho Code Title 6, Chapter 3 (Forcible Entry and Unlawful Detainer). Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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Answer deadlines differ by case type and the official pages don't agree (the renters' guide says 20 days, the Attorney General's manual 21 days for lease-violation cases), so none is used here. Before filing, a nonpayment notice gives three days to pay.
Example: a case filed Monday, March 1, 2027
The earliest date of each stage the confirmed rules allow, from our eviction timeline estimator. Earliest under the statute; courts' calendars often take longer.
| Stage | Earliest date |
|---|---|
| Case filed | Monday, March 1, 2027 |
| Hearing or trial | Saturday, March 6, 2027 |
| Judgment | Saturday, March 6, 2027 |
| Earliest lockout | Tuesday, March 9, 2027 |
Help the official pages name: Idaho Court Assistance Office and Self-Help Center forms and Idaho Legal Aid Services, for renters who can't afford a lawyer.
More: Idaho eviction process · Eviction timeline estimator
Deposit disputes: small claims
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ConfirmedSmall claims limit (for a deposit dispute)
$15,000: the most a small claims case can ask for.
A person or a business can sue for up to $15,000 (Idaho court plaintiff instructions, revised July 1, 2026).
Filing fee to start a case: $69.
Sources: Idaho Courts: Small Claims Court Plaintiff Guide (CAO SC Instr 1-1a, rev. 07/01/2026); Idaho Courts: Small Claims Instructions (CAO SC Instr 1-1, rev. 07/01/2026), checked November 2026
More: Idaho small claims court
Still to confirm
- Interest on the deposit: check Idaho Courts self-help: Idaho's Security Deposit Law (H-3, revised 1/13)
- Filing fee: check Idaho Legislature: Idaho Code Title 6, Chapter 3 (Forcible Entry and Unlawful Detainer)
- Time to answer or appear: check Idaho Legislature: Idaho Code Title 6, Chapter 3 (Forcible Entry and Unlawful Detainer)
- Judgment to writ: check Idaho Legislature: Idaho Code Title 6, Chapter 3 (Forcible Entry and Unlawful Detainer)
- Paying to stop the case: check Idaho Legislature: Idaho Code Title 6, Chapter 3 (Forcible Entry and Unlawful Detainer)
- Diversion or mediation (statewide): check Idaho Legislature: Idaho Code Title 6, Chapter 3 (Forcible Entry and Unlawful Detainer)
General information, not legal advice. We are not lawyers, and MCC Solutions is not a law firm. The same rules apply whichever side of the lease you are on; this page describes them and doesn't take a side. Rules change, cities and counties can add their own, a lease can add terms, and the official source has the final word.
Common questions
How much can a security deposit be in Idaho?
No maximum: the Attorney General's 2026 manual says Idaho does not restrict the amount of rent or deposits landlords can charge.
How long does a Idaho landlord have to return a deposit?
Within 21 days after the lease ends or, if the lease says so, within 30 days after the tenant leaves. What goes with it: A written statement of the amounts deducted, why, and how the deductions were spent.
How much notice ends a month-to-month tenancy in Idaho?
From the landlord: At least a month's advance written notice by either side, unless the landlord agrees otherwise. From the tenant: At least a month's advance written notice by either side, unless the landlord agrees otherwise.
What notice comes before an unpaid-rent case in Idaho?
A notice giving three days to pay the rent due, stating the amount owed.
How much notice before a landlord enters a rental in Idaho?
If the lease is silent, the landlord should first say why entry is needed, and the two agree on a reasonable time and manner. No set hours.
How long does an eviction case take in Idaho?
Hearing after filing: 5 to 12 days. Writ to lockout: 3 days (from judgment). These are the stated rules; the court's calendar often takes longer.
Can a Idaho deposit dispute go to small claims court?
The small claims limit in our data: $15,000: the most a small claims case can ask for. The court's own page explains what kinds of cases it hears.
Related: Landlord rules by state · Kits for landlords