Housing

introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 17, 2025

LC 1921: Require the refund of certain residential lease application fees

This bill requires landlords and property managers in Montana to refund application fees within 20 days if a prospective tenant does not sign a lease agreement. Landlords may only retain fees to cover actual out-of-pocket costs like credit checks, which must be capped at $25 per service and provided to applicants within seven days. The law also mandates that landlords accept valid credit or background checks from the past six months and provides tenants with written itemization of how application fees are allocated. Applicants who believe fees were wrongfully withheld can sue for damages and potentially recover attorney fees, while the burden of proving services were rendered falls on the landlord.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill protects tenant rights by requiring refund of application fees and limiting landlord charges, reducing financial barriers to housing access.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Landlords Renters Tenant Rights

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 22, 2025

LC 1715: Provide property tax rebate on principal residence based on taxes paid

This Montana bill creates a one-time property tax rebate of up to $400 for homeowners who paid property taxes on their principal residence in 2024. The rebate is limited to the actual amount of taxes paid and applies to single-family homes, apartments, and manufactured homes where the taxpayer lived for at least seven months during the year. Eligible homeowners must submit claims between August 15 and October 1, 2025, by mail or online, and the rebate is not subject to Montana income tax. The bill also establishes penalties for false claims and allows appeals if a rebate application is denied.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill provides property tax relief to homeowners, reducing their tax burden and offering financial assistance to residents.90% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill provides property tax rebate for homeowners, reducing housing costs and supporting affordable housing access75% confidence

Sub-Topics Income Tax Property Tax Property Taxes

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Jan 10, 2025

LC 2570: Require homeowners' associations to distribute annual budget and financial reports

This bill requires homeowners' associations in Montana to distribute annual budget and financial reports to all property owners, ensuring transparency about how association funds are managed. The legislation mandates that associations send these reports by mail and email within 30 days after the end of each fiscal year, detailing estimated revenues and expenses for the upcoming year along with actual financial results from the previous year. Additionally, the bill limits fee increases to once per year and caps them at 15% of the prior year's charges, requiring written approval from a majority of property owners for increases within that limit and two-thirds approval for larger hikes. These provisions aim to give homeowners clearer insight into their association's finances and more control over fee adjustments.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill enhances HOA transparency and financial accountability, protecting property owners' rights and preventing misuse of funds in housing communities.85% confidence

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Jan 17, 2025

LC 1908: Allow interest earned on workforce housing appropriations to be retained

This bill allows Montana to keep any interest or income earned on $12 million in workforce housing funds instead of returning it to the general fund. The money is designated for building or buying housing for state employees who work at facilities housing inmates or behavioral health patients in smaller counties. Key provisions include using funds to lower construction costs, provide matching loans, discount housing prices for eligible workers, or purchase housing that will be privately owned within ten years. The change applies retroactively to interest earned since June 14, 2023, and takes effect immediately upon passage.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allows retention of interest on workforce housing funds, increasing available resources for essential housing programs without returning money to general fund, promoting fiscal efficiency.85% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill allows retention of interest on workforce housing funds to expand affordable housing for state employees, directly funding housing development and increasing housing availability.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill provides workforce housing for state employees, addressing housing needs of workers in specific facilities, which supports worker benefits and employment conditions.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Affordable Housing Housing Finance

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 13, 2025

LC 1029: Provide a 5 year prepaid property tax exemption during subdivision development

This bill creates a temporary property tax exemption for real property undergoing subdivision development in Montana. To qualify, developers must submit an approved exemption application and prepay five years of property taxes before January 1 of the tax year. The exemption lasts up to five years regardless of ownership changes or land splits, but ends when a habitable dwelling is built on a lot or when 95% of the subdivision is complete. The Montana Department of Revenue will manage the program through new rules and amend existing tax assessment procedures to handle these exemptions.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill provides temporary property tax exemption for subdivision development, reducing tax burden on developers and promoting housing development through fiscal incentives.85% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill provides tax incentives to encourage subdivision development, which can increase housing supply and support housing development.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax Tax Incentives Property Development Property Taxes

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 17, 2025

LC 1527: Remove boarding and rooming houses from lodging requirements

This bill removes boarding and rooming houses from Montana's hotel and motel public health and safety requirements by amending state code definitions. The legislation clarifies what constitutes a retail food establishment and updates definitions for cottage food operations, mobile food establishments, and other food-related terms to ensure regulatory clarity. Directly affected parties include owners and operators of boarding and rooming houses who will no longer be subject to the lodging-specific health and safety inspections previously applied to hotels and motels. The bill focuses on revising existing legal definitions rather than creating new regulations or changing enforcement procedures.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill removes boarding/rooming houses from lodging requirements, reducing regulatory burden on affordable housing providers and potentially increasing housing availability.75% confidence

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 4, 2025

LC 1655: Revise municipal zoning to allow for triplex and fourplex housing

This bill requires cities with at least 5,000 residents to allow duplex, triplex, and fourplex housing on lots where single-family homes are permitted, ensuring these multi-unit options face no stricter zoning rules than single-family homes. It also mandates that urban municipalities with municipal water and sewer systems allow multiple-unit dwellings and mixed-use developments in commercial zones, while limiting off-street parking requirements to one space per unit. Additionally, the legislation encourages cities to adopt various housing strategies such as reducing minimum lot sizes, eliminating certain impact fees, and relaxing design requirements to promote more diverse housing options.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill expands housing options by allowing multi-unit dwellings in single-family zones and reducing parking requirements, directly increasing affordable housing supply.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Land Use Property Development Zoning Tags Local Government

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 19, 2025

LC 2531: Establish the uniform common interest ownership act

This bill establishes the Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act in Montana to create a standardized legal framework for condominiums, cooperatives, and planned communities. It directly affects property owners, developers, and homeowners associations by defining how common areas are managed, how expenses are shared, and how units can be sold or modified. The legislation outlines rules for organizing unit owners associations, maintaining financial records, protecting buyers, and handling property transfers or conversions. It also repeals older Montana laws related to common interest ownership and amends several existing statutes to align with these new provisions.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill establishes standardized legal framework for housing types (condos, co-ops, planned communities), protecting property rights and clarifying ownership rules for residents and developers.75% confidence

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Mar 17, 2025

LC 2529: Create Montana emergency solutions grant for rapid re-housing

This bill creates a Montana Emergency Solutions Grant to provide state funding for rapid rehousing programs aimed at individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The legislation appropriates $1 million for fiscal year 2025 and $1 million for fiscal year 2026 to the Department of Public Health and Human Services, which must distribute these funds according to existing federal emergency solutions grant guidelines. Eligible recipients can receive rental assistance at up to 150% of fair market rent, but only for program participants with annual incomes below 80% of the area median income. The funds must be fully distributed by the end of each fiscal year, and the bill takes effect on July 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill appropriates $2M for emergency housing programs, directly funding essential public services and expanding state budget allocation for homelessness prevention.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill appropriates $2M for emergency solutions grants to fund rapid re-housing programs, directly addressing homelessness and housing assistance.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Homelessness Renters

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 24, 2025

LC 2874: Revise university system laws to remove barriers to freshmen living off campus

This bill requires Montana university system schools to allow freshmen to live off campus with an immediate family member if that residence is within a one-hour drive of the campus. It defines immediate family members as parents, legal guardians, grandparents, aunts, uncles, or adult siblings, and mandates that schools approve or deny housing requests within two business days. Students must submit a form confirming their living situation, and schools cannot deny requests if the student meets the distance and family requirements. The law takes effect on July 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill expands educational access by allowing freshmen to live off-campus with family, reducing housing barriers and increasing university system accessibility.85% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill facilitates off-campus housing for freshmen by removing barriers, allowing students to live with family members, which supports affordable housing options and reduces housing costs for students.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education

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