Getting a Billings Rental Ready for Winter: Snow, Heat, and Frozen Pipes
Billings gives you 24 hours to clear snow off the sidewalk, and since late 2025 the city code spells out exactly how wide the cleared path has to be. Montana law sets its own clock on heat: a landlord has to supply reasonable heat from October 1 to May 1. If you own a rental in Billings, both of those clocks are already running.
We've already covered Montana's notice and deposit rules for Billings owners. This post is the practical side of a Montana winter: who clears the walk, what the heat rule actually says, and how to keep a frozen pipe from turning into a January insurance claim. Here's what the code says.
Nothing here is legal advice. City and state codes change, so check the current Billings Municipal Code and Montana Code Annotated, and talk to a Montana attorney or your insurance agent about your specific property.
Billings Gives You 24 Hours to Clear the Sidewalk
The rule is Billings Municipal Code § 22-406. In plain English:
Who's responsible. The duty belongs to the occupant of the property. If the property is unoccupied, it falls to the owner or the owner's agent.
How fast. Snow, ice, and slush have to be removed within 24 hours after they accumulate, and the occupant also has to "prevent the continuance and accumulation" of it.
How wide. An amendment adopted in October 2025 added a minimum: the cleared path has to be at least 36 inches wide, and down to the surface of the sidewalk. A boot-width trail packed into ice doesn't count.
Where the snow can't go. It's unlawful to move snow from private property onto a public street, alley, or sidewalk. Plowing the driveway into the street isn't a fix. It's a second problem.
What happens if nobody does it. The city can clear the walk itself and keep a record of the cost. Once a year, the city council passes a resolution listing those properties, and the cost becomes a lien collected the same way as property taxes. Violations are also municipal infractions under § 22-409, and § 18-1304 allows civil penalties of up to $300 for a first violation and up to $500 for each repeat. Each day a violation continues counts as a separate one.
Per the city's snow removal page, enforcement usually starts with a complaint: Code Enforcement inspects and notifies the owner.
In a Rental, "Occupant" Isn't the End of the Story
Read quickly, the Billings code sounds like the tenant's problem. Not quite. If the city clears the walk, the lien lands on the property, and the property is yours. A fall on an icy sidewalk is the kind of claim nobody wants to sort out after the fact. And the day a unit goes vacant, there's no occupant at all. The duty is yours or your manager's.
So settle it in writing before the first storm:
Single-family homes. It's common for the tenant to handle the sidewalk and driveway. Say so plainly in the lease: who clears it, the 24-hour standard, whether a shovel and ice melt are provided, and what happens if it isn't done.
Duplexes and small multifamily. Shared sidewalks are where "I thought they had it" lives. Hiring it out is usually the cleanest answer. We've written about how this plays out in lawn care in small multifamily, and snow works the same way.
Vacant units. Line up a snow service now, not after the first storm.
Montana's Heat Rule Runs October 1 to May 1
Under MCA 70-24-303, a Montana landlord has to supply running water and reasonable amounts of hot water at all times, and reasonable heat between October 1 and May 1. There are exceptions, including a unit where the heat comes from an installation within the tenant's exclusive control. The same statute requires the landlord to keep supplied heating, plumbing, and electrical systems in good and safe working order.
The statute also allows a landlord and tenant to agree in writing, in good faith, that the tenant takes on certain of those duties. That's one more reason who pays for heat belongs in the lease, not in a handshake.
Service the furnace in the fall. A furnace that limped through last spring will get tested on the first cold snap. A fall service catches the worn part while it's still a scheduled repair.
Put filters on a schedule. Montana law requires tenants to use heating and plumbing in a reasonable manner (MCA 70-24-321), but "reasonable" doesn't change a filter. Name who does it and how often.
Test the smoke and CO detectors. Montana requires an approved carbon monoxide detector and an approved smoke detector in each unit under the landlord's control. The landlord verifies they work when the rental agreement starts, and the tenant keeps them working during the tenancy. When we take over a property, detectors are the first thing we check, because legal compliance comes first. We've written about the CO detector that probably saved a tenant's life, and heating season is exactly when that matters.
Frozen Pipes Are a January Problem You Solve in October
The cheapest time to prevent a burst pipe is before the first hard freeze, while the fixes are still small jobs.
Get the water out of the outside lines. Disconnect hoses, shut off and drain the hose bibs, and blow out the sprinkler system before a hard freeze.
Show the tenant the main shutoff. A tenant who can find the water shutoff in the first minutes of a leak can stop the water before it reaches the next room.
Plan for the deep-cold nights. The American Red Cross recommends opening kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors and letting cold water drip from faucets served by exposed pipes when it's very cold outside.
Set holiday expectations. The Red Cross also recommends leaving the heat on, no lower than 55°F, when you'll be away during cold weather. Put that in your winter letter to tenants (more on that below), and ask them to tell you when they'll be gone.
Keep vacant units heated and checked. Heat on, gas and electric service kept active in someone's name, and regular walk-throughs. Our Black Hills winterizing checklist goes deeper on vacant units, and every word of it applies in Billings.
Send a Winter Letter Before the First Storm
A lot of winter trouble in a rental starts as a communication gap. The tenant didn't know where the shutoff was, didn't know the furnace was supposed to be serviced, or didn't know who was supposed to shovel. A one-page winter letter in October fixes most of that, and it gives you a written record that you set expectations.
Here's what we'd put in it:
Who clears the snow. The sidewalk, the driveway, and the steps, plus the 24-hour standard and where the snow can and can't go.
The heat expectations. Keep the heat on all winter, keep it steady during cold snaps, and never let it drop below the minimum in the lease, especially when traveling.
Where the water shutoff is. Include a photo if you can.
How to report a problem. The normal maintenance channel, and the after-hours number for true emergencies like no heat, a frozen or burst pipe, or a CO alarm.
Travel notice. Ask tenants to let you know before an extended trip so someone can keep an eye on things.
What's coming. If you've scheduled furnace service or a filter change, give the date and the notice you'll provide before entry.
Keep it short and friendly. Tenants who know what to do in the first five minutes of a problem save everyone money.
Getting Into the Unit Without Overstepping
Fall furnace service and winter checks mean entering an occupied home. Under MCA 70-24-312, a tenant can't unreasonably refuse entry for inspections and necessary repairs. Except in an emergency, or when it's impracticable, the landlord gives at least 24 hours' notice and enters at reasonable times.
A burst pipe is an emergency, and the law allows entry without consent. A filter change isn't, so schedule routine winter work with notice.
Why This Matters
Billings winters show up on schedule. The 24-hour sidewalk rule, the October-to-May heat duty, and the first subzero night all arrive whether your rental is ready or not. Handle it in October, or spend January sorting out liens, claims, and water damage.
We inspect every property twice a year, and we'd much rather find the tired furnace in October than hear about it in January. You can learn more on our Billings property management page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do you have to shovel your sidewalk in Billings?
Within 24 hours after snow, ice, or slush accumulates, with a cleared path at least 36 inches wide, down to the sidewalk surface (BMC § 22-406).
Who has to shovel the sidewalk at a Billings rental?
The code puts the duty on the occupant, and on the owner or the owner's agent if the property is unoccupied. Your lease should still say exactly who does it.
Does a Montana landlord have to provide heat?
Reasonable heat between October 1 and May 1, under MCA 70-24-303, with exceptions such as heat generated by an installation within the tenant's exclusive control.
Is your Billings rental actually ready for winter?
A furnace check and a written snow plan in October beat an emergency call in January every time. Want to know what your rental should actually be earning? Get a free rental analysis. Let's talk. Blair Allen Property Management serves owners across South Dakota and Montana.
Chris Twiggs
President, Blair Allen Property Management
📞 605-545-1218
✉️ chris@blairallen.com