Idaho's §6-321 is minimal even by mountain-state standards, with one detail that does outsized work: deductions must reflect actual expenditures, not estimates or padding.
How much can a landlord charge?
No statutory cap — the lease governs.
The 21/30-day clock
Return is due within 21 days of surrender — unless the lease extends it, to a maximum of 30 days. Anything withheld requires a signed, itemized statement listing each expenditure's purpose and amount — and Idaho's statute is explicit that only amounts reasonably necessary and actually expended or owed may be kept. "Estimated repainting: $500" is not a lawful Idaho deduction; a paid invoice is.
Enforcement
A tenant can sue for the wrongfully withheld portion; where the refusal to return is arbitrary or in bad faith, Idaho courts can add damages beyond the deposit itself, plus costs. Small claims (to $5,000) is the standard venue.
Why Idaho deposit disputes are documentation disputes
The actual-expenditure rule cuts one way; the condition question cuts the other — an invoice proves money was spent, never that the tenant's conduct made the spending necessary. That link is condition evidence, and Idaho's spare statute leaves it entirely to the parties.
SealMove supplies it. Every photo and video is cryptographically sealed the instant it's captured, independently timestamped, and locked with Face ID into a tamper-evident archive. At move-out, the walkthrough lines up room-by-room against the sealed baseline — and either party can send the other a report to review and acknowledge, no app required.