Billings MT rent increase 2026 Billings, Montana has no rent control of any kind in 2026. No Montana city has ever enacted residential rent control. Montana Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (MRLTA), MCA §§70-24-101–442: no statutory deposit cap (MCA §70-25-101 — landlord may collect any amount); 30-day return deadline with itemized statement (MCA §70-25-201); actual damages for wrongful withholding (MCA §70-25-206); 3-day pay-or-quit with mandatory cure right (MCA §70-24-422); 30-day month-to-month termination notice (MCA §70-24-441); Thirteenth Judicial District Court (Yellowstone County), 217 N. 27th St., Billings, MT 59101. Billings Clinic (2800 10th Ave N): Montana’s LARGEST INDEPENDENT HEALTH SYSTEM; ~3,500–4,000 employees; Yellowstone County’s largest employer; Level II Trauma; NCORP cancer program; 8-state patient base. ExxonMobil Billings Refinery (Laurel, MT): ONE OF THE LARGEST INLAND REFINERIES IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES; ~500–700 direct employees plus 500–1,000 contractors. 1st Interstate BancSystem (NASDAQ: FIBK; 401 N. 31st St.): Montana’s LARGEST BANK by assets ($35B+); Fortune 1000; 300+ branches MT/WY/SD/ND/ID/WA/CO. “The Magic City” — ONLY Montana city at the junction of I-90 and I-94; regional hub for 500-mile radius.

Montana rent control status: why no Billings ordinance can cap rents

Montana is one of the most landlord-friendly states in the Mountain West and Northern Plains: no rent control at any level of government, no statewide preemption statute (never needed because no Montana municipality has ever attempted to enact rent control), no deposit cap, and a 3-day pay-or-quit notice period with a mandatory cure right. No Montana city or county — not Billings, not Missoula, not Great Falls, not Bozeman, not Butte, not Helena, not Kalispell, not Havre — has ever enacted a residential rent control ordinance.

Montana’s landlord-tenant environment reflects the state’s strong tradition of property rights and limited government regulation. Unlike Oregon (which passed statewide rent control in 2019, ORS SB 611 — a 7% + CPI annual cap), California (AB 1482 — 5% + CPI cap for covered units), and Washington state (which has seen local just-cause eviction ordinances), Montana has never seen legislative momentum for rent regulation at the state or local level. The Montana Legislature has never passed rent-control enabling legislation, rendering a preemption statute unnecessary — a distinction Montana shares with Wyoming, Idaho, and North Dakota (where the Century Code explicitly bans rent control as an extra precaution).

The Billings City Council and Yellowstone County Commission have not enacted rent regulation and there is no credible advocacy movement for rent control in Billings or anywhere in Montana. Billings’ housing affordability discussion — driven by the 2021–2022 surge in Northern Plains in-migration and post-COVID energy economy dynamics — has focused on supply-side approaches rather than rent caps. The practical result for Billings landlords: no rent cap, no annual increase guideline, no stabilization board, and no administrative process. Raise rent at lease renewal by any amount with proper notice as required by the existing lease.

Montana Code: Billings deposit, notice, and eviction rules

Security deposit: no cap, 30-day return, actual damages — MCA §§70-25-101 to 70-25-206

Montana’s security deposit statute (MCA §§70-25-101 through 70-25-206) governs all residential tenancies statewide. Montana’s deposit law is notable for its flexibility (no cap), its 30-day return deadline (consistent with Nevada and Wyoming), and its actual damages remedy for wrongful withholding.

No statutory deposit cap (MCA §70-25-101): Montana imposes no limit on the amount a Billings landlord may require as a security deposit. A landlord renting a unit at $1,200/month may collect $1,200, $2,400, $3,600, or any other amount as a security deposit. This is in sharp contrast to Alaska (2-month cap, AS §34.03.070(a)), Hawaii (1-month cap, HRS §521-44(b)), Arizona (1.5-month cap, ARS §33-1321), California (2-month cap unfurnished, CC §1950.5), and Nevada (3-month cap, NRS §118A.242). Montana, alongside Wyoming and Idaho, imposes no deposit ceiling, giving Billings landlords maximum flexibility for higher-risk tenancies.

30-day return deadline (MCA §70-25-201): After the tenancy terminates and the tenant vacates, the Billings landlord must return the deposit balance with a written itemized statement of deductions within 30 days. Montana’s 30-day deadline matches Nevada (30 days, NRS §118A.242) and Wyoming (30 days, Wyo. Stat. §1-21-1201). It is slower than Alaska (14 days — tied fastest in US), Arizona (14 days — tied fastest), Hawaii (14 days — tied fastest), Idaho (21 days), and California (21 days), and faster than Oregon (31 days). Calendar the move-out date and the 30-day deadline the moment the tenant vacates.

Wrongful withholding: actual damages (MCA §70-25-206): A Billings landlord who wrongfully withholds the deposit or fails to return it with an itemized statement within 30 days is liable for the tenant’s actual damages plus court costs. Montana does not impose a statutory multiplier (unlike Idaho’s 3×, Hawaii’s 3×, California’s 2×, Alaska’s 2×, Oregon’s 2×, and Nevada’s 2× damages provisions). However, actual damages exposure includes not only the deposit amount but any consequential losses flowing from the wrongful withholding. Document all deductions meticulously with photographs, repair invoices, and move-out inspection reports.

No deposit interest required: Montana does not require Billings landlords to pay interest on security deposits. Unlike Hawaii (5% per annum required on all deposits) and Massachusetts (5% per annum required for tenancies over one year), Montana landlords bear no deposit interest obligation.

Eviction: 3-day pay-or-quit with mandatory cure right — MCA §70-24-422

MCA §70-24-422 governs the eviction notice requirement for non-payment of rent in Montana. For a Billings residential tenancy, the landlord must serve a written 3-day notice to pay or vacate before commencing eviction proceedings.

Montana’s critical distinction: the tenant has a MANDATORY STATUTORY CURE RIGHT. If the tenant pays the full amount of overdue rent within the 3-day notice period, the landlord may not proceed with eviction. This cure right is embedded in MCA §70-24-422 and distinguishes Montana from Texas (3-day, no statutory cure right) and Florida (3-day, no cure). Montana is one of the few states combining a 3-day notice period with a mandatory cure right, making the notice simultaneously one of the shortest in the Northern Plains and one of the most tenant-protective in its cure provision.

Montana’s 3-day notice period is among the shortest in the Mountain West and Northern Plains: matching California (3-day), Texas (3-day), but significantly shorter than Washington state (14-day), Oregon (13-day), Alaska (7-day), and Nevada (7-day).

Court: Thirteenth Judicial District Court (Yellowstone County), 217 N. 27th St., Billings, MT 59101. After the 3-day notice expires without payment or surrender, the landlord files for eviction (unlawful detainer) in Yellowstone County District Court. Montana’s eviction process timelines are generally comparable to other intermountain states.

Month-to-month termination (MCA §70-24-441): Either party may terminate a month-to-month tenancy by providing 30 days’ advance written notice. Montana requires 30 days (compared to Idaho’s one calendar month and Washington’s 20 days). Serve the notice with documentation and maintain proof of delivery.

Billings Clinic: Montana’s largest independent health system and Yellowstone County’s top employer

Billings Clinic (2800 10th Ave N, Billings, MT 59101) is Montana’s LARGEST INDEPENDENT HEALTH SYSTEM, a not-for-profit integrated healthcare organization that has anchored Billings’ economy and provided medical services to the Northern Plains since 1911 (founded as Deaconess Hospital; renamed Billings Clinic in 2005). With approximately 3,500–4,000 employees, Billings Clinic is the largest single employer in Yellowstone County.

Billings Clinic serves an eight-state regional patient base, functioning as the de facto tertiary referral center for Eastern Montana, Northern Wyoming, Western North Dakota, and Western South Dakota. Key services include:

• Level II Trauma Center — one of Montana’s few designated trauma centers
• Montana’s most comprehensive cancer program: NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) designation
• Cardiac surgery and interventional cardiology services unavailable in most of the surrounding 500-mile radius
• Neurosurgery and spine surgery program
• Children’s and neonatal services
• Regional behavioral health center

The Clinic’s employee base spans physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, medical researchers, administrative staff, and support workers across a wide income range: physicians earn $200,000–$500,000+; registered nurses $65,000–$110,000; allied health technicians $45,000–$75,000. Healthcare employment at Billings Clinic generates stable, year-round rental demand concentrated in the West End neighborhood (adjacent to the campus) and Downtown Billings, largely insulated from energy price cycles and commodity market volatility.

ExxonMobil Billings Refinery: one of the largest inland refineries in the Western US

The ExxonMobil Billings Refinery, located in Laurel, Montana (approximately 8 miles southwest of downtown Billings on I-90), is one of the LARGEST INLAND REFINERIES IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES by crude oil throughput. The refinery processes crude oil delivered via the Keystone Pipeline and other Northern Plains pipeline systems, producing gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, asphalt, and petroleum products distributed throughout Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, and adjacent states.

ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) is a Fortune 4 company with approximately $398 billion in FY2024 revenue — the world’s largest publicly traded integrated oil and gas company. The Billings Refinery is a significant ExxonMobil mid-continent asset with:

• Approximately 500–700 direct ExxonMobil employees (highly skilled, well-compensated refinery operations workforce)
• 500–1,000 additional contractor employees during periodic maintenance turnarounds and capital projects (generating temporary furnished-rental demand)
• Crude oil processing serving the broader Northern Plains petroleum distribution network
• Asphalt production critical for Montana’s road infrastructure

Energy sector employment and oil price cycles have historically been the most significant external factor affecting Billings’ rental market. The 2022 oil price surge (WTI briefly exceeding $120/barrel) drove strong Billings rental demand; the subsequent 2023–2024 energy sector normalization produced the rent stabilization currently observed. ExxonMobil refinery contractor rotations generate distinct demand for furnished short-term rentals and extended-stay accommodations in Laurel and Lockwood, Billings’ fastest-growing suburban community.

1st Interstate BancSystem: Montana’s largest bank, headquartered in Billings

1st Interstate BancSystem (NASDAQ: FIBK; HQ: 401 N. 31st St., Billings, MT 59101) is Montana’s LARGEST BANK by assets, with approximately $35 billion+ in total assets as of 2024. Founded in Billings in 1968, 1st Interstate has grown from a community bank serving Yellowstone County into one of the largest community banking organizations in the Mountain West, operating 300+ branch locations across Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, North Dakota, Idaho, Washington, and Colorado.

1st Interstate BancSystem holds Fortune 1000 status and employs approximately 3,000 employees system-wide, with its Billings headquarters employing a significant share of corporate, technology, and banking operations staff. As Montana’s primary commercial and residential lender, 1st Interstate has deep ties to Billings’ real estate market: it finances the commercial developments, multifamily construction, and single-family home sales that shape the rental landscape. Banking and financial sector employment at 1st Interstate and Billings’ broader financial services hub generates stable, mid-to-upper professional rental demand concentrated in Downtown Billings and the West End.

St. Vincent Healthcare (Intermountain Health): Billings’ second major health system

St. Vincent Healthcare (1233 N. 30th St., Billings, MT 59101) is Billings’ second major hospital system, employing approximately 2,000–2,500 employees. A Catholic health system originally established in Billings by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, St. Vincent joined Intermountain Health in 2023 — one of the nation’s premier not-for-profit health systems, headquartered in Salt Lake City and serving the Intermountain West.

St. Vincent Healthcare holds Level II Trauma Center designation, making Billings one of the relatively rare mid-sized metros with TWO Level II Trauma Centers — a reflection of Billings’ role as the regional medical hub for the Northern Plains. St. Vincent provides emergency medicine, surgical services, behavioral health, and women’s health services. Together, Billings Clinic and St. Vincent Healthcare collectively employ approximately 5,500–6,500 healthcare workers in the Billings metro — the largest combined employment base in the city — generating stable, sector-diversified rental demand year-round.

MSU Billings, BNSF Railway, NorthWestern Energy, and other anchor employers

Beyond healthcare, energy, and banking, Billings’ rental demand is anchored by several additional major employers:

Montana State University Billings (MSU Billings) (1500 University Dr., Billings, MT 59101; ~4,000–5,000 students; ~600–800 employees) is the only four-year comprehensive university in the Billings metro. Its College of Health Professions — offering programs in nursing, respiratory therapy, radiological sciences, dental hygiene, and allied health — directly feeds the healthcare workforce at Billings Clinic and St. Vincent Healthcare. Student rental demand concentrates in the University District and South Billings, with the most affordable rents in the Billings market ($750–$1,000/month 2BR).

BNSF Railway operates a major division point and car shop in Billings, employing approximately 500–700 workers. Billings is a critical junction on BNSF’s transcontinental routes connecting Chicago to the Pacific Northwest (the Northern Transcon) and linking Montana’s coal country (Powder River Basin) to Pacific export terminals and Midwest markets. Billings’ rail heritage dates to the arrival of the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1882, the event that sparked the city’s legendary overnight growth and earned it the nickname “The Magic City.” BNSF employees — engineers, conductors, carmen, machinists — are a stable mid-market rental cohort in Billings Heights and the Lockwood/east corridor.

NorthWestern Energy (NASDAQ: NWE; ~$1.5B revenue; HQ Great Falls, MT) is Montana’s largest electric and natural gas utility, with Billings as its primary eastern Montana service area city. NorthWestern employs approximately 1,500 Montana employees system-wide. The utility’s Billings operations team and local service center add to the stable professional employment base. NorthWestern is regulated by the Montana Public Service Commission, providing rate and revenue stability.

RiverStone Health (123 S. 27th St., Billings, MT 59101; Yellowstone County’s public health department and community health center; ~500–700 employees) provides public health services, primary care, immunization, and behavioral health programs across Yellowstone County, rounding out Billings’ comprehensive healthcare employment ecosystem.

“The Magic City”: Billings as the Northern Plains’ regional hub

Billings earned its nickname — “The Magic City” — because it grew so rapidly after the Northern Pacific Railroad arrived in 1882 that it seemed to appear virtually overnight, like magic. Within months of the railroad’s arrival, a frontier settlement became a functioning town of several thousand residents. Today, Billings maintains its role as the Northern Plains’ commercial and service hub.

Billings is the ONLY MONTANA CITY at the junction of Interstate 90 and Interstate 94 — the most significant interstate junction in the Northern Plains region. This geographic position at the confluence of two major transcontinental freight corridors makes Billings the logistics, distribution, and retail hub for Eastern Montana, Northern Wyoming, and portions of North Dakota and South Dakota within a 300–500 mile radius.

Yellowstone International Airport (BIL; 1901 Terminal Circle, Billings, MT 59105) is Montana’s busiest airport by number of operations and serves as a gateway to Yellowstone National Park (approximately 60 miles south of Billings via US-212). Airlines serving BIL include Delta, American, United, Alaska Airlines, and Southwest Airlines. The airport’s role as a regional hub generates business traveler demand and sustains Billings’ hospitality and convention sector.

The Rimrocks — distinctive sandstone cliffs rising 400+ feet above the Yellowstone River Valley on Billings’ north side — provide a dramatic natural backdrop and recreational amenity. Billings sits 340 miles east of Missoula and 58 miles north of the Wyoming border, at an elevation of approximately 3,100 feet in the Yellowstone River Valley.

Billings rent trajectory and the energy economy’s influence, 2019–2026

Unlike Boise’s 2020–2022 coastal in-migration surge (+40–50% rent increase driven by California and Washington out-migration) or Missoula’s remote-work premium, Billings’ rent trajectory is more closely tied to the Northern Plains energy economy: oil price cycles, Powder River Basin coal activity, Williston Basin oil production, and ExxonMobil refinery throughput. The 2022 oil price surge (WTI briefly exceeding $120/barrel) drove strong regional employment and rent growth; the subsequent energy sector normalization in 2023–2024 has produced stabilization.

Healthcare employment at Billings Clinic and St. Vincent Healthcare provides a stable counterweight to energy sector cyclicality: healthcare jobs do not fluctuate with oil prices, providing floor demand for the rental market even during energy downturns. 1st Interstate BancSystem’s headquarters presence similarly provides financial sector stability. The 2026 Billings rental market reflects this dual-sector structure: modest rent levels (Montana’s most expensive major city, but still highly affordable vs. national peers), with slow organic growth driven by healthcare expansion and regional hub demand.

Billings rent levels by neighborhood, 2026

Billings rent trajectory, 2019–2026

Billings vs. comparable Mountain West and Northern Plains cities: rent and deposit law, 2026

Montana deposit law vs. Mountain West states, 2026

Billings landlord compliance checklist, 2026

1. No rent increase cap. No Montana city has ever enacted rent control at any level of government. Raise rent at lease renewal by any amount with advance written notice as required by the lease. Montana imposes no rent increase restrictions of any kind statewide or locally.
2. No statutory deposit cap (MCA §70-25-101). You may collect any deposit amount. Unlike Alaska (2-month cap), Hawaii (1-month), Arizona (1.5-month), California (2-month), and Nevada (3-month), Montana imposes no limit on the security deposit. Standard Billings market practice is 1–2 months’ rent, though higher deposits may be appropriate for higher-risk tenancies.
3. Return deposit within 30 days with itemized statement (MCA §70-25-201). After tenancy termination and tenant vacation, return the deposit balance plus a written itemized statement of all deductions within 30 days. Calendar the move-out date and the 30-day deadline the day the tenant vacates. Only actual damages beyond normal wear and tear, unpaid rent, and permitted lease charges are allowable deductions.
4. Wrongful withholding damages (MCA §70-25-206). Failure to return the deposit with a written itemized statement within 30 days, or improper withholding of any portion, exposes the Billings landlord to actual damages plus court costs. Document all deductions thoroughly with dated photographs, contractor invoices, move-out inspection checklists, and repair receipts. Montana does not impose a statutory multiplier, but actual damages exposure can include consequential losses beyond the deposit amount.
5. No deposit interest obligation. Montana does not require Billings landlords to pay interest on security deposits. Unlike Hawaii (5% per annum required) and Massachusetts (5% per annum for tenancies over one year), Montana imposes no deposit interest obligation. Deposits may be held in a standard account without interest accrual requirements.
6. Serve 3-day pay-or-quit with cure right (MCA §70-24-422). For non-payment of rent, serve a written 3-day notice to pay rent or vacate. Montana tenants have a mandatory statutory cure right — if the tenant pays the full amount owed within 3 days, eviction is barred. Specify the exact amount of overdue rent owed. Maintain documentation of service (date, time, method). After 3 days without payment or surrender, file for eviction in the Thirteenth Judicial District Court, Yellowstone County, 217 N. 27th St., Billings, MT 59101.
7. 30-day month-to-month termination notice (MCA §70-24-441). To terminate a month-to-month tenancy, provide 30 days’ advance written notice to the tenant. Serve the notice with adequate lead time and maintain written proof of delivery (certified mail receipt, proof of service, or signed acknowledgment).
8. Energy-sector tenant considerations. ExxonMobil refinery contractors, Williston Basin oil workers, Powder River Basin energy professionals, and BNSF Railway employees are distinct Billings rental cohorts with rotation-based employment schedules and potential relocation requirements. Include appropriate lease provisions for employer-required relocation or rotation terminations, especially for furnished and short-term units in Lockwood and Laurel. Consider requiring employer verification letters or assignment documentation for energy-sector contractor applicants to verify the duration and nature of their Billings assignment.

Further reading

• Boise ID rent increase 2026 — Idaho Code §6-321, no deposit cap, 21-day return, 3× damages, Micron CHIPS Act
• Anchorage AK rent increase 2026 — AS 34.03.070, 14-day return (tied fastest US), JBER, Willow Project, PFD
• Salt Lake City UT rent increase 2026 — Utah Code §57-17, Silicon Slopes tech corridor, no rent control
• Idaho landlord-tenant law 2026 — Idaho Code §6-321, no deposit cap, 3× damages, Micron CHIPS Act
• Alaska landlord-tenant law 2026 — AS 34.03.070, 14-day return, PFD, JBER, ConocoPhillips Willow
• Denver CO rent increase 2026 — CRS §38-12, 30-day return, DTC tech corridor, no statewide rent control
• Las Vegas NV rent increase 2026 — NRS §118A.242, 30-day return, gaming/hospitality, no rent control