Idaho landlord repair laws
What your landlord is required to fix, how long they have once you put it in writing, and what Idaholaw lets you do if they don't.
The deadline
3 days after written notice
Idaho Code § 6-320 requires three days' written notice listing each failure or breach, with a written demand requiring performance or cure, before an action may be commenced. This letter is that notice and demand.
Idaho Code § 6-320 · Idaho Code § 6-320
What your landlord must maintain
Under Idaho Code § 6-320, a landlord must maintain the premises in a manner that is not hazardous to health or safety, provide reasonable waterproofing and weather protection, and maintain electrical, plumbing, heating, ventilating, cooling and sanitary facilities in good working order.
Conditions the statute covers
- ✓No working heat
- ✓No running water
- ✓No hot water
- ✓Electrical system not working or unsafe
- ✓Plumbing not in working order
- ✓Sewage backup or unsanitary conditions
- ✓Air conditioning not working (where supplied)
- ✓Supplied appliances not working — stove, refrigerator
- ✓Unsafe floors, stairs, railings, ceiling, or roof
- ✓Roof, window, or plumbing leak causing damage
- ✓Mold growth
- ✓Rodent or insect infestation
- ✓Common areas unsafe or unsanitary
- ✓No garbage receptacles or removal
- ✓Broken exterior door, window, or lock
- ✓Building or housing code violation
- ✓No approved smoke detector installed3-day clock
The highlighted conditions are on a shorter statutory clock than the general deadline — Idaho treats them as urgent.
What you can do about it
Once written notice has been given and the statutory period has passed, you may commence an action under Idaho Code § 6-320 for damages, specific performance, and costs and disbursements, with attorney fees to the prevailing party under Idaho Code § 6-324.
Idaho has no repair-and-deduct remedy. Paying for a repair and subtracting the cost from your rent is not authorized here, and doing it anyway can put your tenancy at risk. Use the remedies the statute actually provides.
One thing to know before you escalate
Idaho has no statutory anti-retaliation protection for repair requests. Most states create a presumption that punishes a landlord who retaliates; Idaho does not. That is worth weighing honestly before you act, and it is worth documenting everything you send and receive.
Limits and exceptions
Idaho has no general residential anti-retaliation statute, so this letter does not claim one. Note that attorney-fee shifting under § 6-324 runs to the prevailing party in either direction — a tenant who does not prevail can owe the landlord's fees. Idaho gives no general repair-and-deduct, but under § 6-320(a)(6) a tenant who gives certified-mail notice may install smoke detectors and deduct the cost from the next month's rent if none are installed within 72 hours. Section 6-320(e) excludes tracts of five acres or more used for agricultural purposes.
Put it in writing — the way the statute expects
We'll write your notice citing Idaho Code § 6-320, the deadline it gives your landlord, and what happens if they miss it. Free to generate and download. If you want it sent USPS Certified Mail with tracking, we do that too.
Write my Idaho repair noticeCommon questions
- How long does a landlord have to make repairs in Idaho?
- Idaho Code § 6-320 requires three days' written notice listing each failure or breach, with a written demand requiring performance or cure, before an action may be commenced. This letter is that notice and demand. That clock starts when your landlord receives written notice — which is why how you send it matters.
- Can I withhold rent or repair it myself in Idaho?
- Idaho does not provide a repair-and-deduct remedy — paying for a repair and subtracting it from rent is not something the statute allows here, and doing it can put your tenancy at risk. Your remedies are commence an action under Idaho Code § 6-320 for damages, specific performance, and costs and disbursements, with attorney fees to the prevailing party under Idaho Code § 6-324.
- Can my landlord retaliate if I ask for repairs in Idaho?
- Idaho has no statutory anti-retaliation provision for repair requests. That does not make retaliation acceptable, but it does mean the statute gives you no presumption to rely on — document everything and consider speaking with a local legal aid office before escalating.
- Do I have to put a repair request in writing in Idaho?
- Yes — and it is the single most important step. Under Idaho Code § 6-320, the landlord's obligations and your remedies run from written notice. A text message or a phone call generally leaves you arguing about whether and when your landlord was told.
Moving out of this Idaho rental?
Idaho gives your landlord 21 days to return your security deposit under Idaho Code § 6-321. See the deposit rules →
Verified against Idaho's published statute text on August 11, 2026 — read the statute yourself. General information, not legal advice. We are not a law firm.