Published 2026-09-25 · 55 min read

Wyoming Landlord-Tenant Law 2026: The Plain-English Guide

Quick answer - Wyoming: Wyoming sets no deposit cap, and any nonrefundable portion must be stated in the rental agreement and in writing when the deposit is taken. Return the balance with an itemization within 30 days after termination, plus 30 more days if the unit is damaged (§ 1-21-1208).

Wyoming runs its residential rentals under W.S. §§ 1-21-1201 through 1-21-1211 (Article 12, Residential Rental Property), with evictions handled as forcible entry and detainer actions in circuit court under Article 10, §§ 1-21-1001 through 1-21-1017, and domestic-abuse and sexual-violence protections in the separate Wyoming Safe Homes Act, Article 13, §§ 1-21-1301 through 1-21-1304. This guide states the current text of each provision it cites, checked against the official statutes published by the Wyoming Legislature at wyoleg.gov and the Wyoming Judicial Branch self-help pages at wyocourts.gov. Five points in the current text are the ones summaries most often get wrong — and the previous version of this guide got several of them wrong too, so they are flagged up front:

• The deposit penalty has no multiplier. If an owner unreasonably fails to comply with the deposit-return rules, the renter recovers the full deposit and court costs (§ 1-21-1208(c)). There is no double-damages or triple-damages provision anywhere in § 1-21-1208. The earlier version of this guide said "double the full deposit." That was wrong, and our dedicated Wyoming security deposit law guide — which states the penalty correctly — is the version that agrees with the statute.
• There is no deposit cap, and there never has been a lease-based shortcut. Wyoming sets no maximum on security deposits, and the return deadline is the later of 30 days after termination or 15 days after the owner receives the renter's new mailing address, extended by 30 more days when the unit is damaged (§ 1-21-1208(a)). Claims circulating in summary tables — a "one-month cap," a deadline of "60 days if the lease says so," or a penalty of "up to 3x deposit" — appear nowhere in the statute.
• The Safe Homes Act is a defense, not a termination right. Sections 1-21-1301 through 1-21-1304 give a tenant an affirmative defense against a landlord's action to recover rent for the period after the tenant vacates, on proof of a credible imminent threat or a recent incident, plus seven days' written notice before vacating (§ 1-21-1303). The Act contains no lock-change right, no automatic right to terminate "without penalty," and no working-locks mandate. The earlier version of this guide described all three. None is in the Act.
• Wyoming has no subletting statute. Nothing in Articles 10, 12, or 13 says a landlord may not unreasonably refuse a qualified sublessee. The earlier version of this guide stated that rule as Wyoming law. It is not in the statutes; subletting in Wyoming is governed by the lease.
• There is no statutory 30-day notice to end a month-to-month tenancy. Articles 10 and 12 set no period for terminating a periodic tenancy and no period for a rent increase. The Wyoming Judicial Branch's eviction guidance describes a no-cause month-to-month eviction as requiring a full month's notice — court self-help guidance, not a cited statute. Thirty days is sound practice and belongs in the lease; it is not a number you can cite to a section of Article 12.

Wyoming landlord-tenant law at a glance

Who and what Article 12 covers

Article 12 uses its own vocabulary, and the definitions in § 1-21-1201 control the rest of the article:

• "Owner" means the owner, lessor, or sublessor of a residential rental unit — and, for purposes of notice and other communication under the article, it also includes a managing agent, leasing agent, or resident manager unless the agent or manager specifies otherwise in writing in the rental agreement (§ 1-21-1201(a)(i)). If your manager is the tenants' notice address, say so in the lease; if the manager is not, the lease must say that instead.
• "Rental agreement" means any agreement, written or oral, that establishes or modifies the terms, conditions, rules, or other provisions regarding use and occupancy (§ 1-21-1201(a)(ii)). An oral tenancy is still an Article 12 tenancy — which is one more reason to put everything in writing anyway.
• "Renter" means any renter, lessee, tenant, or other person entitled under a rental agreement to occupy the unit to the exclusion of others (§ 1-21-1201(a)(iii)).
• "Residential rental unit" means the renter's principal place of residence, including the appurtenances, grounds, common areas, and facilities held out for renters generally, and any other area or facility provided in the rental agreement — excluding a mobile home lot and recreational property rented on an occasional basis (§ 1-21-1201(a)(iv)). The mobile-home-lot exclusion matters: Article 12's deposit, repair, and abandoned-property rules do not govern a lot-only rental, and the Judicial Branch notes that mobile-home-park evictions carry additional procedures.
• "Termination" means the lawful ending of a rental agreement for any reason, including expiration, mutual voluntary termination, termination under § 1-21-1203(d), abandonment by the renter before the period expires, or termination by court order (§ 1-21-1201(a)(v)). Every deposit clock in § 1-21-1208 runs from "termination" in this defined sense.

Two scope rules in § 1-21-1202 frame everything that follows. First, Article 12 does not apply to breakage, malfunctions, or other conditions that do not materially affect the physical health or safety of the ordinary renter (§ 1-21-1202(c)) — a cosmetic defect is a customer-service problem, not a statutory one. Second, any duty or obligation in Article 12 may be assigned to a different party or modified by an explicit written agreement signed by the parties (§ 1-21-1202(d)). That modification power is unusually broad — many states make habitability duties non-waivable — but it requires an explicit, signed writing. A standard lease clause in fine print is not the safe way to use it, and the Safe Homes Act, notably, opts out of this flexibility entirely: its provisions may not be waived or modified in any lease or separate agreement (§ 1-21-1304).

How much can a Wyoming landlord charge as a security deposit, and when must it be returned? (§§ 1-21-1207 and 1-21-1208)

Our dedicated Wyoming security deposit law guide tracks this statute line by line and agrees with what follows. The rules below are stated from the same text.

No cap — and no interest, no escrow

Section 1-21-1208 regulates what happens to deposit money; no section of Article 12 limits how much deposit an owner may collect. A deposit of one month's rent, two months' rent, or more is a market and lease-drafting decision, not a statutory one. What the statute does impose is at the back end: the balance is returned "without interest" (§ 1-21-1208(a)) — Wyoming affirmatively rules interest out rather than merely omitting it — and no provision requires the deposit to be held in a separate or escrow account. Per-unit bookkeeping is still the practice that wins disputes, because the itemization duty below requires you to account for every dollar.

One caution about the uncapped deposit: because the § 1-21-1208(c) penalty for unreasonable noncompliance is forfeiture of the full deposit, a larger deposit raises the amount at risk in a deadline dispute dollar for dollar. The absence of a cap is not the absence of consequences.

The nonrefundable-disclosure rule — § 1-21-1207

Section 1-21-1207 is one sentence, and it imposes two disclosures, not one:

Any rental agreement shall state whether any portion of a deposit is nonrefundable and written notice of this fact shall also be provided to the renter at the time the deposit is taken by the owner or his designated agent. (§ 1-21-1207)

So a nonrefundable portion — a cleaning fee taken from deposit money, a pet deposit stated to be nonrefundable — must be (1) stated in the rental agreement and (2) the subject of written notice given when the deposit is collected. A "nonrefundable deposit" flagged in neither place, or in only one of the two, is exposed to being treated as ordinary refundable deposit money subject to the full § 1-21-1208 return rules. Build a deposit addendum that states exactly what is and is not refundable, hand it over at collection, and have the renter initial it. See pet policy and screening for how pet money is usually structured.

The return deadline — the later-of rule, plus 30 for damage — § 1-21-1208(a)

Upon termination, deposit money may be applied only to the four categories in the next subsection. The balance of the deposit and prepaid rent, together with a written itemization of deductions and the reasons for them, must be delivered or mailed, without interest, to the renter within:

• 30 days after termination of the rental agreement, or
• 15 days after receipt of the renter's new mailing address,

whichever is later — and if there is damage to the residential rental unit, the period is extended by 30 days (§ 1-21-1208(a)).

The renter carries a matching duty: the renter must, within 30 days of termination, notify the owner or designated agent of the location where payment and notice may be made or mailed (§ 1-21-1208(a)). Request the forwarding address in writing at every move-out — the 15-day alternative clock cannot start until you receive it, but the 30-day clock runs regardless, and "whichever is later" means a late-delivered address can push your deadline out. Calendar both dates the day the tenancy ends, using the Security Deposit Deadline Finder, and see our move-in/move-out inspection checklist for the documentation that supports the damage extension.

Deposit worked example 1 — the later-of rule, no damage. A rental agreement terminates and the renter vacates on Monday, March 2, 2026. Thirty days after termination is Wednesday, April 1, 2026. The renter delivers a new mailing address on Thursday, March 5, 2026; 15 days after receipt is Friday, March 20, 2026. The deadline is the later of the two: Wednesday, April 1, 2026 (§ 1-21-1208(a)). The deposit is $1,500. Documented deductions total $260 — $140 of accrued rent and $120 to clean the unit to its beginning condition — so the balance due with the itemization is $1,240.

Deposit worked example 2 — damage extends the period, and a late address can too. A rental agreement terminates on Friday, May 1, 2026, and the move-out inspection shows damage beyond reasonable wear and tear. The base deadline is 30 days after termination, and the damage extension adds 30 more. The renter mails a forwarding address that you receive on Monday, May 11, 2026; 15 days after receipt is Tuesday, May 26, 2026 — earlier than the extended termination-based date, so the extended date controls. A landlord who assumes "30 days, always" in a damage case has 30 days of statutory slack; a landlord who assumes the damage extension always applies, in a case a court later finds involved only wear and tear, has none. Photograph the damage at move-out so the extension is defensible.

What may be deducted — § 1-21-1208(a)

The statute lists exactly four applications of deposit money:

1. accrued rent;

2. damages to the residential rental unit beyond reasonable wear and tear;

3. the cost to clean the unit to the condition at the beginning of the rental agreement; and

4. other costs provided by any contract (§ 1-21-1208(a)).

The itemization must state the deductions together with the reasons for each — amounts alone do not satisfy the section. Build each deduction from the security deposit deductions guide, item by item, against the move-in record, and keep the receipts behind every line: the itemization requires reasons, and judges expect documentation behind them.

Note the interaction with § 1-21-1211(b): if damage exceeds the deposit, the renter remains liable for the excess, plus interest at 10% per annum on unpaid amounts, and the owner may take any legal action available to recover it. The deposit is a fund to apply, not a cap on liability.

The utilities deposit — a separate regime — § 1-21-1208(b)

Money held and separately identified as a utilities deposit runs on its own track, entirely distinct from the general deposit:

• It must be refunded within 10 days of a satisfactory showing that all utility charges incurred by the renter have been paid.
• Absent that showing within 45 days of termination, the owner must, within 15 days thereafter, apply the utilities deposit to the renter's outstanding utility debt.
• Any refund then due must be paid within 7 days after the deposit is applied to the utility debt, or within 15 days after receipt of the renter's new mailing address, whichever is later (§ 1-21-1208(b)).

The trap is commingling: a utilities deposit that was never separately identified does not get this track, and a utilities deposit you treat as general deposit money misses the 10-day refund duty. Identify it separately in the lease and in your ledger from day one.

The penalty, stated precisely — § 1-21-1208(c)

Section 1-21-1208(c) provides, in full substance:

• If the owner or the owner's agent unreasonably fails to comply with subsection (a) or (b), the renter may recover the full deposit and court costs.
• In a renter's action under the section, if the owner is the prevailing party and the court finds the renter acted unreasonably in bringing the action, the owner may be awarded court costs in addition to any other relief available (§ 1-21-1208(c)).

That is the whole penalty scheme. There is no multiplier — not double, not triple — and no statutory attorney's-fee award in § 1-21-1208(c); the monetary exposure for unreasonable noncompliance is the entire deposit, even if only part of it was wrongfully withheld, plus court costs. The operative word is "unreasonably": a good-faith, documented, on-time itemization that a renter disputes on the merits is a different case from silence past the deadline. Wyoming punishes the silent landlord by making the deductions die with the deadline.

Finally, § 1-21-1209 binds successors: the holder of the owner's interest at the time of termination is bound by §§ 1-21-1207 and 1-21-1208. Buying a tenanted property means inheriting its deposit duties — reconcile the deposit ledger tenant by tenant at closing.

Use our Security Deposit Deadline Finder.

Compare Wyoming's rules to every other state: no deposit cap, a 30-day deposit return under the later-of rule in § 1-21-1208(a), and a full-deposit-plus-court-costs penalty with no multiplier are just Wyoming's formula — every state rewrites deposit caps, return deadlines, and eviction-notice rules. The 50-State Landlord Law Dataset (CSV + JSON) ($29) puts all 50 states' key rules in one spreadsheet-ready dataset.

What are Wyoming's rules on rent and rent increases?

Wyoming's rent law is mostly the absence of law, and this guide says so rather than dressing practice up as statute:

• No rent control. No provision in Articles 10 or 12 caps rent or the size of an increase, and no state preemption statute was needed to reach that result. Rent is set by the rental agreement.
• No statutory rent-increase notice period. Articles 10 and 12 set no number of days for raising rent on a month-to-month tenancy. The earlier version of this guide stated a 30-day statutory rule; no such section exists. Thirty days' written notice, effective at a period boundary, is sound practice, matches the Judicial Branch's full-month framing for month-to-month changes, and belongs in the lease — where it becomes enforceable as a contract term. See how to raise rent legally.
• Rent is due when the lease says. Article 12 sets no default due date or payment method. Write the due date, accepted payment methods, and any grace period explicitly.
• No mandatory grace period and no late-fee cap. Neither appears in Articles 10 or 12. Late fees are lease-driven — but note the one place they surface in the eviction statute: in a nonpayment FED case, the court renders judgment for the rent found due together with costs and attorney's fees as provided by the lease (§ 1-21-1008(b)). A fee not provided by the lease has no statutory path into the judgment. See how to handle late rent.
• Rent interacts with eviction timing. An FED case for nonpayment may be brought only after a failure to pay rent for three days after it is due (§ 1-21-1002(a)(i)) — a built-in three-day delinquency threshold before the three-day notice to quit can even be served. The timeline below works the arithmetic.
• Rent and repairs are linked by the currency requirement. A renter must be current on all payments both as a standing duty (§ 1-21-1204(a)(vi)) and as a precondition to invoking the repair-notice procedure (§ 1-21-1203(b)). Wyoming has no rent-withholding remedy: a renter who stops paying over a repair dispute is in default and exposed to an FED case, however genuine the defect.

What repairs and habitability duties does a Wyoming landlord have? (§§ 1-21-1202, 1-21-1203, and 1-21-1206)

Wyoming's repair scheme is a procedure, not a slogan, and both sides lose rights by skipping steps. It has four moving parts: the owner's duties, the renter's first notice, the owner's options (including a statutory right to refuse and terminate), and the renter's second notice and court action. There is no repair-and-deduct right and no rent-escrow procedure anywhere in Article 12.

The owner's duties — §§ 1-21-1202(a) and 1-21-1203(a)

Section 1-21-1202(a) states the general duty: each owner and agent renting or leasing a residential rental unit shall maintain that unit in a safe and sanitary condition fit for human habitation, and each unit shall have operational electrical, heating, and plumbing, with hot and cold running water, unless otherwise agreed in writing by both parties — with an express carve-out that the section does not prevent renting seasonal units such as summer cabins not intended to have those amenities.

Section 1-21-1203(a) states the protective duties in list form. To protect the renter's physical health and safety, each owner shall:

1. not rent the unit unless it is reasonably safe, sanitary, and fit for human occupancy;

2. maintain common areas in a sanitary and reasonably safe condition;

3. maintain electrical systems, plumbing, heating, and hot and cold water; and

4. maintain other appliances and facilities as specifically contracted in the rental agreement (§ 1-21-1203(a)(i)–(iv)).

Two limits matter. The owner is not required to correct a condition caused by the renter, the renter's family, or the renter's guests or invitees through inappropriate use or misuse (§ 1-21-1203(c)). And the owner is not liable under Article 12 for claims for mental suffering or anguish (§ 1-21-1203(e)).

The renter's duties — § 1-21-1204 — and prohibited acts — § 1-21-1205

Section 1-21-1204(a) requires each renter to: maintain the unit in a clean and safe condition without unreasonably burdening common areas; dispose of garbage and waste in a clean and safe manner; keep plumbing fixtures as sanitary as the fixtures permit; use all facilities and appliances in a reasonable manner; occupy the unit as designed and not increase occupants above the number specified in the agreement without the owner's written permission; be current on all payments; comply with all lawful requirements of the rental agreement; and, before termination, remove all property and garbage the renter or guests placed in the unit and clean the unit to its beginning-of-agreement condition (§ 1-21-1204(a)(i)–(viii)).

Section 1-21-1205(a) prohibits the renter from: intentionally or negligently destroying, defacing, damaging, impairing, or removing any part of the unit, or knowingly permitting another to do so; interfering with another person's peaceful enjoyment of the property; or unreasonably denying access for repairs, inspection, or showing (see the entry section below). Note what § 1-21-1205 is and is not: despite its position in the article, it is a list of prohibited acts by the renter, not a list of prohibited lease provisions. Wyoming has no equivalent of the closed prohibited-lease-terms lists some states enact — lease terms are policed by the specific statutes (the § 1-21-1207 disclosure, the § 1-21-1304 Safe Homes non-waiver rule) rather than by a general prohibited-terms section.

These two sections matter beyond housekeeping: a violation of § 1-21-1204 or § 1-21-1205 is an express ground for a forcible entry and detainer case under § 1-21-1002(a)(vi).

Step 1: the renter's notice of noncompliance — § 1-21-1203(b)

The procedure starts only when all of § 1-21-1203(b)'s conditions are met:

• the renter is current on all payments required by the rental agreement;
• the renter has reasonable cause, supported by evidence, to believe the unit does not comply with the article's health and safety standards; and
• the renter advises the owner in writing of the condition and specifies the remedial action requested.

Within a reasonable time after receiving that notice, the owner must either commence action to correct the condition or notify the renter in writing that the owner disputes the claim. The notices under this subsection must be served by certified mail or in the manner specified by § 1-21-1003 (leaving a written copy with the person or at the usual place of abode or business) (§ 1-21-1203(b)).

For landlords, the operational translation is simple: give every tenant a written maintenance-request method at move-in, date-stamp every report, and answer in writing — fix it, start fixing it, or dispute it in writing. Silence is the one response the statute does not offer. See how to handle maintenance requests.

The owner's option to refuse and terminate — § 1-21-1203(d)

Wyoming gives the owner an express economic escape hatch that most states do not state so plainly. If the cost of repairs exceeds an amount that would be reasonable in light of the rent charged, the nature of the rental property, or the rental agreement, the owner may refuse to correct the condition and terminate the rental agreement. To use it, the owner must:

• notify the renter in writing within a reasonable time after receiving the § 1-21-1203(b) notice; and
• give the renter sufficient time to find substitute housing, no less than 10 days nor more than 20 days from the date of the notice.

If the agreement is terminated on this ground, rent paid is prorated to the date the renter vacates, and any balance is refunded along with any deposit due under § 1-21-1208 (§ 1-21-1203(d)). Use this provision deliberately and document the cost comparison — an unreasonable repair bill is a judgment call a court can second-guess, and the 10-to-20-day housing window is mandatory, not a courtesy.

Step 2: the notice to repair or correct — § 1-21-1206(b)

The renter's remedies in § 1-21-1206 are available only to a renter in compliance with §§ 1-21-1204 and 1-21-1205 whose agreement has not been lawfully terminated under § 1-21-1203(d) (§ 1-21-1206(a)). If a reasonable time has elapsed after the § 1-21-1203(b) notice and the owner has failed to respond or to correct the condition, the renter may serve a second document — a "notice to repair or correct condition" — by certified mail or in the § 1-21-1003 manner. That notice must:

1. recite the previous § 1-21-1203(b) notice;

2. state the number of days elapsed since that notice and that the period constitutes the reasonable time allowed under § 1-21-1203(b);

3. state the conditions from the previous notice that remain uncorrected;

4. demand that the uncorrected conditions be corrected; and

5. state that if the owner fails to commence reasonable corrective action within three days, the renter will seek redress in the courts (§ 1-21-1206(b)(i)–(v)).

The three days here are days to commence reasonable corrective action, not to finish the repair — dispatching the plumber and documenting the dispatch inside the window is commencement; ignoring the notice is not.

Repair worked example — the two-notice clock. A renter who is current on rent serves a § 1-21-1203(b) written notice about a failed water heater by certified mail on Monday, June 1, 2026. The owner neither commences a correction nor disputes the claim in writing. After a reasonable time has elapsed, the renter serves the § 1-21-1206(b) notice to repair or correct condition on Monday, June 15, 2026, reciting the June 1 notice, the 14 days elapsed, and the uncorrected condition, and demanding correction. The owner now has until Thursday, June 18, 2026 — three days — to commence reasonable corrective action. If the owner still has not corrected the condition or used due diligence to correct it, the renter may file in circuit court under § 1-21-1206(c). A landlord who treats the first notice as a suggestion has already spent the statute's patience; the second notice is the last stop before court.

Step 3: the circuit court action — § 1-21-1206(c) and (d)

If the owner has not corrected, or used due diligence to correct, the conditions after the § 1-21-1206(b) notice — or if the owner has notified the renter that the claim is disputed — the renter may commence a civil action in circuit court. The court endorses on the summons the number of days within which the owner must appear and defend, not less than three nor more than twenty days from the date of service. On a showing of an unreasonable refusal to correct or a failure to use due diligence, the renter may be awarded costs, damages, and affirmative relief as the court determines. Damages may include rent improperly retained or collected, and affirmative relief may include a declaration terminating the rental agreement or an order directing the owner to make reasonable repairs (§ 1-21-1206(c)).

If the court terminates the agreement, the renter is entitled to a refund of the balance of the rent and the deposit within 30 days of the date the agreement is ordered terminated, and must vacate no sooner than 10 days nor later than 20 days after the court-ordered termination (§ 1-21-1206(d)).

Three negative points complete the scheme, each verified by the absence of any contrary provision in Article 12: there is no repair-and-deduct remedy, no rent-withholding or rent-escrow remedy, and no general attorney's-fee provision in § 1-21-1206 — the section awards costs and damages, and says nothing about attorney's fees. The Judicial Branch's eviction guidance makes the same point from the tenant's side: in Wyoming you should never withhold rent, and a habitability defense in an eviction case works only if the renter followed the required notice steps, including staying current on rent — the court will typically ask for the certified mailing to prove it.

How much notice must a Wyoming landlord give before entering? (§ 1-21-1205(a)(iii))

Wyoming has no statute requiring advance notice before entry — no 12-hour, 24-hour, or 48-hour rule appears in Articles 10 or 12. What the statute provides instead is a duty running the other direction: no renter shall unreasonably deny access to, refuse entry to, or withhold consent to enter the unit to the owner, agent, or manager for the purpose of making repairs, inspecting the unit, or showing the unit for rent or sale (§ 1-21-1205(a)(iii)).

That structure has two practical consequences. First, the lease is where entry notice lives in Wyoming: a lease clause promising 24 hours' written notice except in emergencies is enforceable as a contract term and is the clause tenants actually judge you by. Second, the statutory standard is reasonableness on both sides — a renter who bars a plumber from a leaking unit violates § 1-21-1205(a)(iii), and an owner whose entries are frequent, unexplained, and at odd hours is building the factual record for a harassment or quiet-enjoyment dispute even without a notice statute. Give reasonable notice anyway (24 to 48 hours in writing is the market norm), enter at reasonable times, state the purpose, and log every entry. See the rental property inspection schedule.

How does a Wyoming landlord evict a tenant through forcible entry and detainer?

Self-help is not the Wyoming route. Possession changes hands through a court judgment, a writ of restitution, and the sheriff — the Judicial Branch states it plainly: only the sheriff has authority to physically remove a tenant, and a landlord cannot lock a tenant out after the notice period expires. The earlier version of this guide cited § 1-21-1016 for sheriff removal; § 1-21-1016 actually provides only that an FED action does not bar an ejectment action. The removal provisions are § 1-21-1013 and § 1-21-1211(a), cited below.

The grounds — § 1-21-1002(a)

An FED proceeding in circuit court (§ 1-21-1001) may be brought, among the non-tenancy cases the section also lists, in these tenancy situations:

• against tenants holding over their terms, or after a failure to pay rent for three days after it is due (§ 1-21-1002(a)(i)); and
• against renters in violation of any terms imposed under § 1-21-1204 (renter's duties) or § 1-21-1205 (prohibited acts) (§ 1-21-1002(a)(vi)).

The remaining grounds in § 1-21-1002(a)(ii)–(v) concern execution and foreclosure sales, sales by executors, administrators, guardians, or on partition, and settlers or occupiers without color of title — relevant to purchasers at sales, not to ordinary lease enforcement. Section 1-21-1002(b) adds that the section does not limit Article 12 (cited there by its older section range).

Note what the earlier version of this guide got wrong here: it described a cure right for lease violations "under § 1-21-1204." Section 1-21-1204 is the renter's duties list; it grants no cure period, and § 1-21-1003's notice is a notice to leave, not a notice to cure. Neither Article 10 nor Article 12 gives a renter a statutory right to cure a violation within the three days and thereby defeat the action as of right. The Judicial Branch observes, as a practical matter, that if the tenant does what a notice requires — moves out, or pays the rent — the landlord cannot evict on that notice, and that a tenant who pays in full before the landlord files may be able to prevent the filing; the Branch itself flags that payment outcome as not guaranteed. Draft and negotiate settlements in writing on that understanding; do not promise a statutory cure the code does not contain.

Step 1: the three-day notice to quit — § 1-21-1003

Before commencing an FED action, the party desiring to commence it must notify the adverse party to leave the premises. The notice must be served at least three days before commencing the action, by leaving a written copy with the defendant, or at the defendant's usual place of abode or business if the defendant cannot be found (§ 1-21-1003). The Judicial Branch describes the same notice as a 3-day (72-hour) notice to quit that may be given in person, left at the home or office, or posted to the front door, and publishes the official form — FED Form 00, Notice to Quit Premises — with an affidavit of service. Use the court's form and complete the affidavit; a defective notice is the cheapest defense a tenant has.

Eviction worked example — nonpayment timing. Rent of $1,400 is due Friday, May 1, 2026. Under § 1-21-1002(a)(i), an FED case for nonpayment requires a failure to pay for three days after the due date, so the earliest the notice-to-quit step is ripe is Monday, May 4, 2026. The owner serves the written notice to quit on May 4. Under § 1-21-1003, the action may be commenced only after at least three days have run from service — the owner files the FED complaint in circuit court no earlier than Thursday, May 7, 2026. Filing on May 5 or May 6 invites dismissal for a short notice, however clear the nonpayment.

Step 2: file in circuit court; the summons sets trial 3 to 12 days out — § 1-21-1004

After the three days expire, the owner files the FED complaint in circuit court. The summons must state the cause of the complaint and the time and place of trial, and must be served and returned as in other cases, with service not less than three nor more than twelve days before the day of trial set by the judge (§ 1-21-1004). The defendant is not required to file a written answer as a condition of participating fully in the trial (§ 1-21-1004) — a tenant who files nothing but appears still gets heard, a point the Judicial Branch makes to tenants directly. The Branch also notes the papers are usually served by the sheriff's office or a process server.

Continuances are tightly limited: no continuance longer than two days may be granted the defendant unless the defendant gives a bond, with surety approved by the circuit court, conditioned on paying the rent that may accrue and costs if judgment goes against the defendant (§ 1-21-1007).

Step 3: trial and judgment — §§ 1-21-1005 through 1-21-1011

If the defendant does not appear after proper service, the circuit court tries the action as though the defendant were present; the plaintiff must still file the complaint and sustain it by proof, or the action is dismissed (§ 1-21-1005). Either party may demand a jury (§§ 1-21-1008(a), 1-21-1009). On the merits:

• If the court finds the complaint not true, judgment goes against the plaintiff for costs.
• If the court finds the complaint true, it renders a general judgment for the plaintiff for restitution of the premises and costs; if true in part, restitution of that part only, with costs taxed as deemed equitable (§ 1-21-1008(a)).
• In a nonpayment case, the court must additionally find the amount of rent due at the time of the hearing and the agreement's rent terms, and render judgment for that amount together with costs and attorney's fees as provided by the lease, issuing execution separate from the writ of restitution for the money (§ 1-21-1008(b)). Damage claims beyond the deposit are, per the Judicial Branch, pursued in a separate case rather than inside the FED action — the small claims route below is the usual vehicle.

Keep ledgers current and log violations with dates; paperwork errors cost more than waiting. See our lease agreement guide and the full process in how to evict a tenant.

Step 4: the writ of restitution and the sheriff — §§ 1-21-1012, 1-21-1013, and 1-21-1211(a)

When a judgment of restitution is entered, the court shall, at the request of the plaintiff, the plaintiff's agent, or attorney, issue a writ of restitution (§ 1-21-1012). Unless the defendant takes an appeal, the officer must execute the writ within two days after receiving it, Sundays excepted, by restoring the plaintiff to possession, and must levy and collect the execution for rent and costs (§ 1-21-1013). Article 12 completes the picture: if the renter does not vacate as required by a court order issued under Article 10, the sheriff may remove the renter's possessions and prevent the renter from reentering without further action by the court (§ 1-21-1211(a)). The Judicial Branch adds the practical gloss tenants hear: the writ determines how much time the tenant has to remain, which can range widely, and attending the trial materially improves a tenant's chance of additional time — which is a reason for landlords to expect, and not resent, a short court-set move-out window.

An appeal does not automatically stop any of this. Proceedings are stayed only if, within 48 hours after judgment, Sundays excepted, the appellant files a bond with two or more sufficient sureties approved by the court, conditioned on paying all accrued and future costs and all damages from the wrongful detention during the appeal (§ 1-21-1014(b)). In a rent appeal, the appellant must also deposit the rent specified in the judgment with the court, and keep depositing rent as it comes due during the appeal; failure to deposit or perfect the appeal lets the judgment be affirmed and executed (§ 1-21-1015). One structural note for small owners: a business entity may represent itself without an attorney in an Article 10 proceeding if it is represented by an owner, shareholder, member, or partner who satisfies § 1-21-1017's conditions, including written notice signed by every owner, shareholder, member, or partner — and that section does not apply where the entity seeks a judgment exceeding the amount specified in § 1-21-201.

How does a Wyoming landlord handle termination, holdover tenants, and abandoned property?

Ending a fixed term and holding over

A fixed-term agreement ends by its own terms at expiration; Articles 10 and 12 impose no statutory non-renewal notice period for a term lease. A renter who stays past the term without consent is a holdover, expressly within the FED grounds of § 1-21-1002(a)(i) — but holding over still requires the full § 1-21-1003 notice and court process. Send non-renewal and move-out instructions in writing well before expiration anyway; a drifted fixed-term tenant becomes a holdover problem you solve with the Article 10 machinery, on the court's calendar rather than yours. See tenant breaking a lease for the early-exit side.

Ending a month-to-month tenancy — what the law does and does not say

State this carefully, because summaries routinely invent a statute here. No section of Article 10 or Article 12 sets a notice period for terminating a month-to-month or other periodic tenancy, and no section sets a rent-increase notice period for one. What exists is the Wyoming Judicial Branch's eviction guidance, which lists as a ground for eviction: "Your lease is a month-to-month lease, and the landlord can evict you for no reason if you are given a full months notice." That is the court's self-help description of practice — a full month's notice — not a citation to a codified 30-day rule, and this guide does not present it as one.

The drafting consequence is the real rule: put the termination and rent-increase notice period in the lease — 30 days' written notice, effective at the end of a rental period, is the market-standard term and tracks the court's full-month framing — and then honor the lease term exactly. A landlord who terminates on the lease's own notice and, if the renter holds over, serves the § 1-21-1003 notice and files in circuit court, is on solid ground. A landlord who relies on a phantom "§ 1-21-1203 30-day rule" — a citation that appears in some secondary summaries — is citing the owner's-duties section, which contains no such rule.

Early termination by agreement and by court order

Beyond expiration, Article 12 recognizes termination by mutual agreement, by the owner under § 1-21-1203(d) (the unreasonable-repair-cost route, with its 10-to-20-day housing window and prorated-rent refund), by the court under § 1-21-1206(d) (with a 30-day refund of rent and deposit balances and a 10-to-20-day vacate window), and by abandonment (§ 1-21-1201(a)(v)). The Safe Homes Act, next, does not add a fifth termination mechanism — it limits rent liability after a qualifying tenant vacates, which is a different thing. Draft a clear early-exit clause with a defined fee in the lease; otherwise early exits are priced by § 1-21-1208(a)'s deduction categories — accrued rent, cleaning, and damage — plus the owner's ordinary contract damages, subject to the renter's remaining liability rules in § 1-21-1211(b).

Abandoned property — § 1-21-1210

On regaining lawful possession after termination, the owner may immediately dispose of any trash or property the owner reasonably believes to be hazardous, perishable, or valueless and abandoned. The statute then states broadly that any property remaining in the unit after termination shall be presumed to be both valueless and abandoned — and immediately qualifies that presumption with a mandatory procedure for valuable property, which may be removed from the unit and must then be handled as follows (§ 1-21-1210(a)):

1. The owner gives the renter written notice describing the property claimed to be abandoned and stating it will be disposed of after seven days from service if the renter or the renter's agent does not, within that period, take possession or notify the owner in writing of intent to take possession. Service is deemed made on the date the notice is mailed by certified mail to an address the renter furnished in writing specifically for this purpose, on the date of personal service under Rule 4 of the Wyoming Rules of Civil Procedure with a copy delivered to the renter personally, or on the date of publication in a newspaper published in, or widely circulated in, the county (§ 1-21-1210(a)(i)).

2. If the owner receives no written response within seven days after service, the property is conclusively deemed abandoned and the owner may retain or dispose of it (§ 1-21-1210(a)(ii)).

3. If the renter responds in writing within the seven days stating an intent to take possession, the property must be held for an additional seven days after the response is received. The statute's next clause, however, states the property is conclusively deemed abandoned if the renter fails to take possession "within the additional fifteen (15) day period" (§ 1-21-1210(a)(iii)). The two numbers in the same paragraph do not match. The cautious, defensible course is to hold the property for the longer period — 15 days after the response — before disposing of it, and this guide flags the inconsistency rather than smoothing it over.

The owner is entitled to storage costs for the safekeeping period plus removal costs — reasonable costs if the owner stores the property personally, actual costs if stored commercially — payable before the renter removes the property, and the owner is not responsible for loss resulting from storage (§ 1-21-1210(b)–(c)).

Abandoned-property worked example. You regain lawful possession and find furniture you reasonably believe is valuable. You serve the § 1-21-1210(a)(i) written notice on Monday, November 2, 2026. The renter's deadline to take possession or respond in writing is Monday, November 9, 2026. No response arrives: on November 10 the property is conclusively deemed abandoned and you may retain or dispose of it. If instead the renter responds in writing on November 9 stating an intent to retrieve it, hold the property — on the cautious reading of § 1-21-1210(a)(iii), through Tuesday, November 24, 2026 (15 days after the response) — and collect your documented storage and removal costs before releasing it.

The Wyoming Safe Homes Act — §§ 1-21-1301 through 1-21-1304

The Safe Homes Act is short — four sections — and narrower than its name suggests in most summaries. Read it for what it is: a rent-liability defense plus a ban on victim-status terminations, with no waiver permitted. It contains no lock-change procedure, no landlord duty to install or maintain any particular lock or safety device, and no freestanding right to terminate a lease early "without penalty." The earlier version of this guide attributed all of those to the Act, citing it vaguely as "§ 1-21-1203-era companion provisions." The real citation is Article 13, and its actual text follows.

Definitions — § 1-21-1302

Under § 1-21-1302(a), "domestic abuse" has the meaning given in W.S. § 35-21-102(a)(iii); "sexual violence" means any act of sexual assault, sexual abuse, or stalking of an adult or minor, including any nonconsensual sexual contact or intrusion as defined in the Wyoming Criminal Code; "landlord" means the owner or the owner's agent for renting or leasing a dwelling; and "tenant" means a person who has entered into an oral or written lease as lessee. The Act is W.S. §§ 1-21-1301 through 1-21-1304 (§§ 1-21-1301, 1-21-1302(a)(v)).

The defense — two tracks — § 1-21-1303(a) and (b)

In any action brought by a landlord against a tenant to recover rent for breach of lease, the tenant has an affirmative defense, and is not liable for rent for the period after the tenant vacates, if the court finds by a preponderance of the evidence either of the following:

Track 1 — credible imminent threat (§ 1-21-1303(a)). At the time the tenant vacated, the tenant or a member of the tenant's household was under a credible imminent threat of domestic abuse or sexual violence at the premises, demonstrated by medical, court, or police evidence of domestic abuse or sexual violence; and the tenant gave seven days' written notice to the landlord before vacating, stating that the reason for vacating was that credible imminent threat.

Track 2 — victim of an incident on the premises (§ 1-21-1303(b)). The tenant or a household member was a victim of domestic abuse or sexual violence on the premises owned or controlled by the landlord and the tenant vacated as a result; and the tenant gave seven days' written notice before vacating stating the reason, the date of the sexual violence, and that the tenant provided medical, court, or police evidence supporting the claim to the landlord; and the abuse or violence occurred not more than 60 days before the tenant gave the written notice — or, if circumstances related to the abuse or violence (the statute's examples are hospitalization, or seeking assistance for shelter or counseling) made timely notice unreasonable, as soon thereafter as practicable.

Three boundaries in § 1-21-1303(d) limit the defense: it is not a defense to recovery of rent for the period before the tenant vacated and gave the required notice, and it is not a defense to a forcible entry and detainer action for failure to pay rent before the tenant gave notice and vacated. Rent through the vacate-and-notice date remains owed; the defense cuts off liability after that point.

The anti-termination rule and the non-waiver rule — §§ 1-21-1303(c), 1-21-1304

A landlord may not terminate a tenancy based solely on the tenant's, an applicant's, or a household member's status as a victim of domestic abuse or sexual violence — though the Act expressly does not prohibit adverse housing decisions based on other lawful factors within the landlord's knowledge (§ 1-21-1303(c)). And the Act's provisions shall not be waived or modified in any lease or separate agreement (§ 1-21-1304) — a lease clause purporting to waive Safe Homes rights, or to impose extra conditions on them, is ineffective.

Safe Homes worked example. A tenant gives the landlord written notice on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, stating she is vacating because of a credible imminent threat of domestic abuse at the premises and attaching a copy of a court protection order. She vacates after the seven-day notice period. If the landlord later sues for rent for the months remaining on the lease, § 1-21-1303(a) gives her an affirmative defense to rent for the period after she vacated, on proof by a preponderance of the evidence — the protection order is the kind of court evidence the section names. Rent for the period before she vacated and gave notice is still recoverable (§ 1-21-1303(d)(i)). The landlord's correct moves are documentary, not adversarial: keep the notice and the evidence, prorate the rent to the vacate date, process the deposit under § 1-21-1208 on its normal clock, and re-rent the unit.

The practical clause to build into your lease is therefore not a "Safe Homes termination clause" — the Act needs no lease clause to operate, and § 1-21-1304 forbids modifying it — but a procedure: where to send a § 1-21-1303 notice, who receives it, and a commitment to handle it confidentially and promptly. Improvising that procedure during a crisis is how a manageable statutory defense becomes a legal fight.

Subletting and assignment

Wyoming's Articles 10, 12, and 13 contain no subletting or assignment provision at all — no consent standard, no reasonableness test, no damages rule for refusing a sublessee. The earlier version of this guide stated that Wyoming limits a landlord's right to unreasonably refuse a qualified sublessee and requires a good-faith basis for refusal. That rule does not exist in the Wyoming statutes; it resembles provisions in other states' codes and appears to have been imported by error. In Wyoming, subletting is governed by the lease: prohibit it, permit it, or condition it on written consent with stated criteria — but write it, because the statute will not supply terms the lease omits. The one adjacent statutory rule is § 1-21-1204(a)(v): a renter may not increase the number of occupants above the number specified in the rental agreement without the owner's written permission — an occupancy rule that covers unauthorized occupants, not a sublet-approval standard.

Discrimination

The federal Fair Housing Act applies in full, and Wyoming has its own Wyoming Fair Housing Act in Title 40, Chapter 26. Section 40-26-103 makes it unlawful to refuse to sell or rent, refuse to negotiate, or otherwise make a dwelling unavailable, and to discriminate in the terms, conditions, privileges, services, or facilities of a sale or rental, because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin; § 40-26-104 applies the same seven classes to discriminatory notices, statements, and advertising. The state list mirrors the federal seven — Wyoming adds no further housing class in the provisions verified for this guide, and no statewide source-of-income protection was found in Title 40, Chapter 26. One statutory carve-out worth knowing: § 40-26-103(c) provides that the sale-or-rental section does not prohibit discrimination against an individual convicted of the illegal manufacture or distribution of a controlled substance under federal or state law. Screen every applicant with the same written criteria and document your decisions. Our fair housing guide covers what you can and can't ask, and screening walks through a compliant process.

Two neighboring absences deserve the same candor as the subletting correction. Article 12 contains no anti-retaliation statute — nothing in §§ 1-21-1201 through 1-21-1211 prohibits a landlord from retaliating against a renter for exercising Article 12 rights, in contrast to the express retaliation bans many states enact. The Judicial Branch nonetheless lists retaliation among the potential defenses a tenant may raise in an eviction trial, so treat repair complaints and code reports as protected activity in practice even though the Residential Rental Property article does not codify the protection. And the Safe Homes Act's § 1-21-1303(c) rule — no termination based solely on victim status — is a discrimination rule of its own kind, enforceable regardless of the lease by § 1-21-1304.

Small claims and choosing your forum

Most Wyoming deposit and damage fights that cannot be settled land in circuit court small claims. The Judicial Branch states the frame: small claims is for money damages or debts up to $6,000 — that is the most you can recover there, and a claimant with a larger claim must either waive the excess or file in another court. The action is started by filing the Small Claims Affidavit and Summons at the circuit court in the county where the defendant is located; the filing fee is $10, plus a separate sheriff or process-server fee for service on each defendant. There is no jury; a judge hears the case in a simple, informal hearing, most cases are set within about a month, and no lawyer is required (though one is permitted). Service must fall in the same 3-to-12-day window before the hearing that the FED summons uses, or the hearing cannot proceed on the scheduled date and an alias summons issues at a further service fee.

Forum choice follows the remedy. Possession goes through the FED action in circuit court under Article 10. A habitability claim by a renter — repair orders, damages, termination — goes through the § 1-21-1206 circuit court action after the two notices. Money only — a deposit the renter says was unreasonably withheld (full deposit plus court costs under § 1-21-1208(c)), or damage beyond the deposit with 10% interest under § 1-21-1211(b) — fits small claims whenever the amount is $6,000 or less. Claims above $6,000 that a party will not waive belong in a regular civil filing; circuit courts also hear general civil cases up to $50,000, with larger cases in district court — confirm the current jurisdictional amounts with the clerk before filing, because the $6,000 small-claims figure and the $10 fee are the Judicial Branch's published figures as verified for this guide, and fees and limits are exactly the kind of detail legislatures adjust.

Practical tips for small landlords

• Disclose nonrefundable money in writing, twice. The § 1-21-1207 rule — stated in the rental agreement and by written notice at collection — is the most-missed deposit rule in Wyoming. Pet deposits and cleaning fees die here. Add a deposit addendum that states exactly what is and is not refundable, deliver it when the money changes hands, and have the tenant initial it.
• Run the deposit itemization with receipts, on the later-of clock. The penalty is not a multiplier — it is forfeiture of the full deposit plus court costs for unreasonable noncompliance (§ 1-21-1208(c)). Photo-document at move-in and move-out, keep every repair and cleaning receipt, calendar both the 30-day termination date and the 15-day forwarding-address date, and generate the itemization within days — not week four.
• Keep the utilities deposit separate, or do not take one. The § 1-21-1208(b) track — 10-day refund on proof of payment, 45/15/7-day fallbacks — applies only to a deposit separately identified as a utilities deposit. Commingled money gets the general track and misses the specific refund duty.
• Answer every repair notice in writing. Under §§ 1-21-1203(b) and 1-21-1206(b), your options are commence the correction, dispute the claim in writing, or — if the repair cost is genuinely unreasonable against the rent — invoke § 1-21-1203(d) with its 10-to-20-day housing window. Silence advances the renter's case toward circuit court, where the remedies include a repair order, damages including rent improperly collected, and court-ordered termination with a refund.
• Write the terms Wyoming leaves open. Month-to-month termination notice, rent-increase notice, entry notice, subletting consent, late fees, and grace periods have no statutory defaults in Articles 10 and 12. Every one of them that matters to you must be a lease term — see our lease agreement guide.
• Use the court's forms for eviction. The three-day notice to quit (FED Form 00), the FED complaint packet, and the abandoned-property notice are all published by the Wyoming Judicial Branch with instructions. The statute's sequence — rent three days overdue (§ 1-21-1002(a)(i)), three-day notice (§ 1-21-1003), summons served 3 to 12 days before trial (§ 1-21-1004), writ executed within two days (§ 1-21-1013) — rewards precision and punishes shortcuts with dismissal.
• Know your forum: Wyoming's small claims procedure in circuit court handles money claims up to $6,000 for a $10 filing fee, before a judge, with no lawyer required — and the renter-side habitability action under § 1-21-1206 is also a circuit court case, where the judge can order repairs, award damages and costs, or terminate the agreement. Most deposit fights land in one of those two circuit court lanes.

The bottom line

Wyoming is a small-landlord-friendly state with fast mechanics and a short statute: no deposit cap, no rent control, no mandatory grace period or late-fee cap, a three-day notice to quit, and renters who must stay current on rent while pursuing a two-notice repair procedure that ends in circuit court — not in self-help repair-and-deduct or rent withholding. The traps are precision traps, not policy traps: the double disclosure for nonrefundable deposit money (§ 1-21-1207), the later-of return deadline with its damage extension (§ 1-21-1208(a)), the separate utilities-deposit timeline (§ 1-21-1208(b)), and forfeiture of the full deposit for unreasonable noncompliance (§ 1-21-1208(c)) — no multiplier, and no excuse. Just as important is what Wyoming does not have: no statutory month-to-month termination period, no entry-notice period, no subletting standard, and no Safe Homes lock-change or early-termination right — only a carefully conditioned rent defense in §§ 1-21-1301 through 1-21-1304. Write the lease completely — exact due dates, explicit late fees, exact deposit terms with the nonrefundable disclosure signed and initialed, entry and termination notice terms the statute leaves to you — respond to repair notices in writing and fast, give reasonable entry notice even though no statute demands it, and Wyoming will treat you well.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a cap on security deposits in Wyoming?

No. No section of Article 12 sets a maximum deposit amount. What the statute regulates is disclosure and return: any nonrefundable portion must be stated in the rental agreement with written notice at collection (§ 1-21-1207), and the balance must be returned without interest on the § 1-21-1208(a) clock. Check a planned deposit against Wyoming's no-cap rule with the Security Deposit Max Checker, which returns a compliant or over-the-limit verdict for the amount and state you enter.

What is the penalty if a Wyoming landlord misses the deposit deadline?

There is no multiplier. If the owner unreasonably fails to comply with § 1-21-1208(a) or (b), the renter may recover the full deposit and court costs (§ 1-21-1208(c)). If the owner prevails and the court finds the renter sued unreasonably, the owner may be awarded court costs instead.

How long does a Wyoming landlord have to return a deposit?

Within 30 days after termination or 15 days after receipt of the renter's new mailing address, whichever is later, with a written itemization of deductions and reasons — extended by 30 days if the unit is damaged (§ 1-21-1208(a)). The renter must provide the forwarding location within 30 days of termination. A separately identified utilities deposit has its own 10-day / 45-day / 15-day / 7-day track under § 1-21-1208(b).

What can a Wyoming landlord deduct from the deposit?

Accrued rent; damage beyond reasonable wear and tear; the cost of cleaning the unit to its beginning-of-agreement condition; and other costs provided by any contract (§ 1-21-1208(a)). Damage beyond the deposit remains recoverable, with interest at 10% per annum on unpaid amounts (§ 1-21-1211(b)).

How much notice is required to evict in Wyoming?

A written notice to quit served at least three days before filing the forcible entry and detainer action, left with the defendant or at the defendant's usual place of abode or business if the defendant cannot be found (§ 1-21-1003). For nonpayment, the FED ground itself requires that rent have been unpaid for three days after it was due before the case may be brought (§ 1-21-1002(a)(i)).

Does a Wyoming tenant have a right to cure a lease violation or nonpayment within the notice period?

No statutory cure right appears in Articles 10 or 12. The § 1-21-1003 notice is a notice to leave; § 1-21-1204, sometimes cited for a cure right, is the renter's duties list and grants none. As a practical matter, the Judicial Branch notes that a tenant who does what the notice requires — including paying the rent — before the landlord files may prevent the eviction, but it flags full payment before filing as not a guaranteed outcome. Get any settlement in writing.

How long does a Wyoming eviction take after the notice?

The summons must be served not less than three nor more than twelve days before the trial day (§ 1-21-1004), trial follows in circuit court, and on a judgment of restitution the writ issues on request (§ 1-21-1012) and the officer executes it within two days of receiving it, Sundays excepted, unless an appeal with the required bond and rent deposit stays the case (§§ 1-21-1013 through 1-21-1015). Continuances beyond two days require the defendant to post a bond (§ 1-21-1007). To run these same steps for your own case — notice to quit, filing, the summons-to-trial window, and the writ — use the Eviction Timeline Calculator.

How much notice is required to end a month-to-month tenancy in Wyoming?

No statute in Articles 10 or 12 sets a period. The Wyoming Judicial Branch's eviction guidance says a landlord can end a month-to-month tenancy for no reason if the tenant is given a full month's notice. Treat one full rental month — 30 days in most leases — as the required practice, put the period in the lease, and follow it with the § 1-21-1003 notice and court process if the tenant holds over.

Can a Wyoming tenant withhold rent or repair and deduct for habitability problems?

No. Wyoming has neither a rent-withholding remedy nor a repair-and-deduct remedy. The renter must be current on all payments to use the repair procedure (§§ 1-21-1203(b), 1-21-1204(a)(vi)), which runs: written notice of noncompliance, then a "notice to repair or correct condition" giving the owner three days to commence action, then a circuit court action for costs, damages, and affirmative relief including a repair order or termination (§ 1-21-1206).

Can a Wyoming landlord refuse to make an expensive repair?

In one defined situation, yes. If repair costs exceed an amount reasonable in light of the rent, the property, or the agreement, the owner may refuse to correct the condition and terminate the agreement, on written notice within a reasonable time and with 10 to 20 days for the renter to find substitute housing; rent is prorated to vacatur and balances and deposits are refunded (§ 1-21-1203(d)).

Does Wyoming law limit a landlord's refusal of a sublet?

No. Articles 10, 12, and 13 contain no subletting provision and no reasonableness standard for consent. Subletting is governed by the lease. The nearest statutory rule is the occupancy limit: a renter may not increase occupants above the agreement's number without the owner's written permission (§ 1-21-1204(a)(v)).

What does the Wyoming Safe Homes Act actually do?

It gives a tenant an affirmative defense to a landlord's rent-recovery action for rent after the tenant vacates, on either a credible-imminent-threat showing or a victim-of-an-incident showing, each proved by a preponderance of the evidence with medical, court, or police evidence and each requiring seven days' written notice before vacating (§ 1-21-1303(a)–(b)). It also bars terminating a tenancy based solely on victim status (§ 1-21-1303(c)), preserves rent owed for the period before notice and vacatur (§ 1-21-1303(d)), and cannot be waived or modified by lease (§ 1-21-1304). It does not grant a lock-change right or a general early-termination right.

How much notice must a Wyoming landlord give before entering the unit?

No statute sets an advance-notice period. The statutory rule is the renter's duty not to unreasonably deny access for repairs, inspection, or showing the unit for rent or sale (§ 1-21-1205(a)(iii)). Put an entry-notice term — 24 to 48 hours in writing except emergencies — in the lease, and follow it.

Where do Wyoming deposit disputes get heard, and what does it cost to file?

Usually in circuit court small claims, which handles money damages or debts up to $6,000 for a $10 filing fee plus service fees, before a judge without a jury; no lawyer is required. A claimant who will not waive the amount above $6,000 must file in a court of broader jurisdiction instead (Wyoming Judicial Branch, Small Claims page).

Official sources

• Wyoming Statutes, Title 1, Chapter 21, Article 12 — Residential Rental Property, §§ 1-21-1201 through 1-21-1211 (Wyoming Legislature, wyoleg.gov): https://wyoleg.gov/NXT/gateway.dll/Statutes%2F2021%20Titles%2F2%2F54%2F66
• Wyoming Statutes, Title 1, Chapter 21, Article 10 — Forcible Entry and Detainer, §§ 1-21-1001 through 1-21-1017 (Wyoming Legislature, wyoleg.gov): http://wyoleg.gov/NXT/gateway.dll/2023%20Wyoming%20Statutes%2F2023%20Titles%2F1%2F53%2F63
• Wyoming Statutes, Title 1, Chapter 21, Article 13 — Wyoming Safe Homes Act, §§ 1-21-1301 through 1-21-1304 (Wyoming Legislature, wyoleg.gov): https://wyoleg.gov/NXT/gateway.dll/2024%20Wyoming%20Statutes%2F2024%20Titles%2F1%2F53%2F66
• Wyoming Statutes, Title 1 — official compiled PDF (Wyoming Legislature) — the full Title 1 text, including Chapter 21, Articles 10, 12, and 13.
• Evictions — Wyoming Judicial Branch self-help — notice to quit, FED summons, writ of restitution, month-to-month full-month notice.
• Small Claims — Wyoming Judicial Branch self-help — $6,000 limit, $10 filing fee, circuit court procedure.
• Wyoming security deposit law (companion guide on this site): Wyoming security deposit law

More landlord-tenant law guides

• Landlord-tenant law by state
• Wisconsin landlord-tenant law
• Alabama landlord-tenant law
• West Virginia landlord-tenant law
• Alaska landlord-tenant law

This is general information, not legal advice. Consult a Wyoming landlord-tenant attorney for specific situations.