Idaho security deposit rules.
The Idaho rules for residential security deposits in plain English: how much can be charged, how fast it comes back, whether interest is owed, and what catches operators out.
Last reviewed · Statute: Idaho Code § 6-321 · Not legal advice
How much can be charged
No statutory limit on the deposit amount.
When it has to come back
The lease default is 21 days, extendable to 30 days by written agreement, with an itemised list of deductions.
Interest
No interest is required.
Where the money has to sit
No segregation requirement for owner-managed units. Deposits held by a third-party property manager must sit in a separate account at a federally insured institution.
What catches operators out
- Idaho gives the tenant the right to demand the deposit be returned within 21 days of vacancy.
- No statutory damages for bad-faith retention — tenant is limited to actual damages.
What this looks like with Standby in Idaho.
When a resident takes a Standby certificate there is no cash deposit to hold, so the cap, the return deadline and the interest rules above have nothing to attach to. You are covered up to the full deposit and draw on it when you need to.
When a resident pays cash instead, Standby handles that deposit under your lease and Idaho law, so your team is not tracking return deadlines by hand.
This page summarises the most common single-family and multifamily residential rule in Idaho. Furnished units, senior leases, mobile-home tenancies and short-term rentals can differ, and city ordinances may override the state default. Check the statute before relying on a figure for a specific lease.