Williams County Landlord-Tenant Law

North Dakota landlord guide — Williston, Bakken Formation epicenter, “Boomtown USA,” oil & gas capital of the northern plains, CHI St. Alexius Health, Williston State College & NDCC Ch. 47-16 / 47-32

Landlord-Tenant Law in Williams County, North Dakota

Williams County is North Dakota’s fifth most populous county and the undisputed epicenter of the Bakken oil boom — the shale oil revolution that transformed not just western North Dakota but the entire American energy landscape. Williston, the county seat, sits directly atop the Bakken Formation and has been called “Boomtown USA” for good reason: its population essentially doubled between 2010 and 2020, from roughly 14,500 to 29,000, as oilfield workers, engineers, contractors, and service industry employees flooded in from across the country. As of 2024, Williams County had approximately 41,000 residents and was the fastest-growing county in North Dakota by percentage, adding 3.7% in a single year — a growth rate that reflects both the continued vitality of Bakken production and the maturation of Williston into a more diversified regional center.

For landlords, Williams County offers the highest potential returns and the highest volatility of any market in North Dakota. The rental market here is fundamentally tied to oil prices, drilling activity, and the rig count in the Williston Basin in a way that no other ND county matches. When energy prices are high and rigs are active, demand is intense and rents are among the highest in the state. When prices fall and drilling slows, vacancy spikes and rents compress rapidly. The landlords who have built durable portfolios in Williston understand this cycle and have structured their operations accordingly: diversified tenant mix, conservative leverage, and cash reserves to weather downturns.

All residential landlord-tenant matters in Williams County are governed by NDCC Ch. 47-16 and Ch. 47-32. Eviction actions are filed at the Williams County District Court in Williston, part of the Northwest Judicial District. Williams County observes Mountain Time — one hour behind most of North Dakota. No rent control exists in Williams County. No just-cause eviction requirement applies.

Williams County Local Ordinances & Landlord Rules

County and municipal rules that apply alongside North Dakota state law

Last verified: May 2026 · Source: NDCC Ch. 47-16 · NDCC Ch. 47-32

North Dakota Eviction Laws

NDCC Ch. 47-16 and Ch. 47-32 statutes, notice requirements, and landlord rights that apply in Williams County

A Landlord’s Guide to Renting in Williams County, North Dakota

No rental market in North Dakota — and few in the entire United States — has experienced the volatility of Williams County. The Bakken oil boom transformed Williston from a quiet agricultural town of 12,000 into the most talked-about boomtown in America, then the oil price collapse of 2014–2016 brought a correction that was equally dramatic. The landlords who emerged from that cycle with viable portfolios did so by understanding something that the out-of-state speculators who flooded in at peak did not: a rental market built entirely on transient oilfield workers is not a market — it is a commodity trade, subject to the same price volatility as the oil itself. Building a durable rental business in Williams County requires building on the stable employment base that exists beneath the boom-and-bust overlay.

The Bakken Formation: Geology Becomes Economics

The Bakken Formation is a shale oil deposit underlying much of the Williston Basin — a geological structure spanning western North Dakota, eastern Montana, and parts of Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Williston sits directly atop the most productive portion of the formation, which by some estimates contains billions of barrels of technically recoverable oil. The application of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing technology to the Bakken beginning around 2005–2008 unlocked that resource at scale, triggering a decade-plus of intense drilling activity that brought North Dakota from producing a few hundred thousand barrels per day to over a million barrels per day at peak — making it briefly the second-largest oil-producing state in the country. Over 200 oilfield service companies operate in or out of Williston, ranging from global energy services giants with hundreds of employees to small independent contractors. The total economic impact of oil activity in Williams County is measured in billions of dollars annually.

Williston’s Maturation as a Regional Center

The boom transformed not just Williston’s population but its infrastructure. The Williston Area Recreation Center — a 234,000 square-foot facility featuring indoor surfing, golf simulators, and aquatic facilities — was built in 2014 as the city invested boom-era tax revenues in community amenities. Williston Basin International Airport opened in 2019, replacing the old Sloulin Field facility with a modern terminal capable of handling commercial jet service. The Sand Creek retail corridor brought national retailers, restaurants, and commercial services that a city of Williston’s pre-boom size would not have attracted. These investments have given Williston a more substantial civic infrastructure than its population alone would have justified, and have contributed to the city’s ability to retain residents and attract new ones even during energy downturns.

The Stable Employment Base

CHI St. Alexius Health Williston is the primary hospital and clinic system for northwestern North Dakota, serving as the regional medical center for Williams County and the surrounding area. Its clinical and administrative workforce constitutes Williston’s most stable, highest-income non-oil employment segment. The Williston Basin School District employs teachers, administrators, and support staff whose jobs are funded by state and local government rather than oil prices — a meaningful stability anchor. City of Williston and Williams County government workers, Williston State College faculty and staff, and the commercial sector that serves the permanent population collectively provide a stable employment base that exists independently of the drilling cycle. Landlords who prioritize these tenant profiles in their screening process build portfolios that weather oil downturns more effectively than those who fill units with transient oilfield workers at premium rents.

Tenant Screening in a Boom-Bust Market

Effective tenant screening in Williams County requires distinguishing between several distinct renter profiles that have meaningfully different risk characteristics. Permanent oilfield employees — those with direct employment by operators like Continental Resources, Hess, or Marathon, with multi-year track records in the area and established local lives — are generally good tenant risks despite their industry exposure. Contract oilfield workers on rotational schedules — who spend two weeks on location and two weeks elsewhere, maintain housing in Williston for convenience, and whose employment continuity depends on rig activity — are substantially higher risk. Man-camp residents transitioning to conventional rentals are an intermediate risk. The practical screening approach is to verify not just current income but employment type, employer identity, tenure in the area, and whether the tenant has established local roots (family, local banking, established credit) that signal permanence rather than transience.

North Dakota Law in Williams County

Williams County eviction actions are filed at the Williams County District Court at 205 E Broadway in Williston, part of the Northwest Judicial District — which also includes McKenzie and Divide Counties. Court hours are Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Mountain Time. The 3-Day Notice to Pay or Quit after the mandatory 3-day grace period, the 3-Day Notice to Quit for material lease violations with no cure right, and the 30-Day Written Notice for month-to-month terminations apply. LLCs and other legal entities must be represented by a licensed North Dakota attorney. Attorney fees are recoverable by the prevailing landlord under § 47-32-04. The move-in checklist requirement is mandatory and is particularly important in the Williams County market where mid-lease departures — sometimes abrupt, sometimes accompanied by property damage — are more common than in more stable markets.

Williams County landlord-tenant matters are governed by NDCC Ch. 47-16 and Ch. 47-32. Nonpayment notice: 3-day pay or quit (after 3-day grace period). Lease violation: 3-day quit (no cure). Month-to-month termination: 30-day written notice. Security deposit cap: 1 month’s rent; pet deposit up to $2,500 or 2 months. Deposit return: 30 days; interest required if occupancy 9+ months. Late fees must be in lease; no charge during 3-day grace period. Legal entities must use licensed ND attorney. Attorney fees recoverable (§ 47-32-04). Hardship stay: up to 5 days. Eviction filed at Williams County District Court, 205 E Broadway, Williston, ND 58801 (P.O. Box 2047, Williston, ND 58802-2047); phone (701) 774-4374. Filing fee ~$80. Northwest Judicial District. Court hours: Mon–Fri 8am–5pm MT. Mountain Time Zone. 2025 SB 2238: eviction record sealing after 7 years. No rent control. No just-cause eviction. Last updated: May 2026.

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