Wyoming Residential Lease Agreement
A Wyoming residential lease agreement has no statutory security deposit cap, but deductions must be itemized in writing. Free to create. Attorney review available.
Introduction
A residential lease agreement is a legally binding contract between a landlord and a tenant that sets the terms under which the tenant rents the landlord's residential property, covering rent, the length of the tenancy, the security deposit, each party's responsibilities, and how the lease ends. In Wyoming, leases are governed primarily by the Wyoming Residential Rental Property Act (W.S. 1-21-1201 through 1-21-1211), which requires every rental unit to be maintained in a safe, sanitary condition fit for human habitation, with operational electrical, heating and plumbing systems and hot and cold running water. Wyoming sets no statutory cap on a security deposit, but the landlord (owner) must return the deposit balance, without interest, along with a written itemization of any deductions, within 30 days after the lease ends or 15 days after receiving the tenant's (renter's) new mailing address, whichever is later; that deadline extends by 30 more days if the unit was damaged. If any portion of the deposit is nonrefundable, the lease must say so and the landlord must give written notice of that fact when the deposit is taken. Wyoming has no statute setting entry-notice hours, late-fee caps, grace periods, or termination and rent-increase notice periods, so the lease itself should spell these out. There is no statewide rent control in Wyoming. Attorney review is available as an option before you sign.
Key Things to Know
- 1
A residential lease agreement is a legally binding contract that sets the terms under which a tenant rents a landlord's residential property: rent, term, security deposit, each party's responsibilities, and how the tenancy ends.
- 2
Wyoming sets no statutory cap on a security deposit. The landlord must return the deposit balance, without interest, plus a written itemization (an itemized list of deductions and the reasons for them) of any deductions, within 30 days after the lease ends or 15 days after receiving the tenant's new mailing address, whichever is later; that deadline extends by 30 more days if the unit was damaged (W.S. 1-21-1208).
- 3
Two disclosures typically apply: the federal lead-based paint disclosure for housing built before 1978 (42 U.S.C. Section 4852d), and, if any part of the deposit is nonrefundable, a written nonrefundable-deposit notice given at the time the deposit is taken (W.S. 1-21-1207).
- 4
Wyoming's Residential Rental Property Act sets no advance-notice period for a landlord to enter the rental unit. The tenant simply may not unreasonably deny the landlord access for repairs, inspection, or showing the unit (W.S. 1-21-1205), so the lease should set its own notice-hours rule.
- 5
There is no statutory cap on late fees and no statutory grace period (the extra days a tenant has to pay before a late fee applies) before rent is considered late in Wyoming; both are left to the lease agreement.
- 6
Wyoming law sets no statutory notice period for ending a month-to-month tenancy or for raising rent. Whatever notice period the lease itself specifies is what controls.
- 7
Wyoming has no statewide rent-control or rent-stabilization law and no just-cause (a required legal reason for eviction) eviction regime.
Key decisions before you file
Before you file a Residential Lease Agreement in Wyoming, a few decisions shape the document: which option to choose and what each one means. The Residential Lease Agreement guide walks through them.
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Wyoming Requirements for Residential Lease Agreement
Wyoming sets no statutory maximum on a security deposit amount. The landlord must return the deposit balance, without interest, along with a written itemization of any deductions, within 30 days after the lease terminates or 15 days after receiving the tenant's new mailing address, whichever is later. That deadline extends by 30 more days if the unit was damaged (W.S. Section 1-21-1208).
If any portion of the security deposit is nonrefundable, the rental agreement must state that fact, and the landlord or the landlord's designated agent must give the tenant written notice of it at the time the deposit is taken (W.S. Section 1-21-1207).
For rental housing built before 1978, federal law requires the landlord to disclose known lead-based paint hazards and provide the tenant an EPA pamphlet on lead paint, regardless of state (42 U.S.C. Section 4852d).
Wyoming's Residential Rental Property Act sets no minimum advance-notice period for a landlord to enter the rental unit. The tenant may not unreasonably deny the landlord access for repairs, inspection, or to show the unit (W.S. Section 1-21-1205), so the lease itself should state the notice hours the parties agree to.
Wyoming law contains no provision capping late fees and no statutory grace period before rent is considered late. Late-fee amounts and any grace period are governed entirely by whatever the lease agreement states.
Wyoming sets no statutory notice period for ending a month-to-month or other periodic tenancy. The termination notice period the lease agreement specifies is what governs between the parties.
Wyoming law does not require any advance notice before a landlord raises the rent. Whatever rent-increase notice period the lease agreement states is what applies; tenants and landlords should agree on and write this down.
The landlord must maintain the rental unit in a safe and sanitary condition fit for human habitation, with operational electrical, heating and plumbing systems and hot and cold running water, unless the parties agree otherwise in writing (W.S. Sections 1-21-1202 and 1-21-1203).
Frequently Asked Questions
A Wyoming lease should name the landlord and tenant, describe the rental address, state the rent amount and due date, the security deposit amount and terms, the lease term, and each party's maintenance responsibilities. It should also include the federal lead-based paint disclosure for pre-1978 housing and, if part of the deposit is nonrefundable, the written nonrefundable-deposit notice required by W.S. 1-21-1207.
Wyoming law sets no statutory maximum on a security deposit amount. Whatever amount the lease states applies. The landlord must return the deposit balance, without interest, along with a written itemization of any deductions, within 30 days after the lease ends or 15 days after receiving the tenant's new mailing address, whichever is later; that period extends by 30 more days if the unit was damaged (W.S. 1-21-1208).
Yes. A Wyoming residential lease agreement template is free to generate, and you can customize the rent, deposit, term, and other terms to fit your rental. Attorney review is available afterward as an option if you want a licensed attorney to check the finished lease before you sign.
No. Wyoming law does not require a residential lease agreement to be notarized or witnessed to be valid. The lease is enforceable once both the landlord and tenant sign it. Some landlords choose notarization for extra evidentiary certainty, but it is not a legal requirement under the Wyoming Residential Rental Property Act.
Wyoming's Residential Rental Property Act sets no statutory advance-notice period for a landlord to enter. The only related rule is that the tenant may not unreasonably deny the landlord access for repairs, inspection, or to show the unit (W.S. 1-21-1205). Because the statute is silent on notice hours, the lease agreement should spell out a specific notice period the landlord agrees to give, except in an emergency.
Two disclosures commonly apply. Federal law requires a lead-based paint disclosure and EPA pamphlet for housing built before 1978 (42 U.S.C. Section 4852d). Wyoming law separately requires that if any part of the security deposit is designated nonrefundable, the lease must say so and the landlord must give the tenant written notice of that fact at the time the deposit is taken (W.S. 1-21-1207).
The Wyoming Residential Rental Property Act does not set a statutory notice period for ending a month-to-month tenancy or for raising the rent on one. Because the statute is silent, the notice period stated in the lease agreement itself controls, so both parties should agree on and write down the notice they will give before ending the tenancy or changing the rent.
Wyoming has no statutory cap on late fees and no statutory grace period before rent is considered late. The lease agreement's stated late-fee amount and any grace period govern, so tenants should check the lease itself rather than assume a state-mandated limit applies.