What are the laws regarding the abandonment of rental property?
In Montana, it is illegal for a landlord to evict a tenant without proper legal process. However, a landlord may consider a tenant to have abandoned a rental property if certain criteria are met. A tenant may be deemed to have abandoned a rental property if they are unable to be located or have not had contact with the landlord for 30 days or more. The landlord must also have reasonable evidence that the tenant has left or abandoned the rental unit. This evidence could include the tenant’s failure to pay rent, leaving all their possessions in the rental unit, or notifying the landlord that they are vacating the premises. Once the landlord takes possession of the rental property, they must provide the tenant with written notice of the abandonment and a list of any remaining items or property that the tenant might have left behind. The written notice must include instructions for the tenant on how to reclaim their property. The landlord has the right to dispose of any remaining property or possessions after the notice period has passed. The landlord must also return any deposits or prepaid rent to the tenant if the tenant makes a request within 90 days. It is important to remember that it is illegal for a landlord to unlawfully remove a tenant from a rental property without proper legal process. Therefore, it is important for landlords to make sure that they have met the criteria for abandonment before moving forward and attempting to reclaim a rental unit.
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