{"id":374543,"date":"2017-09-07T14:52:27","date_gmt":"2017-09-07T19:52:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/missouri-law\/missouri-tenant-rights-laws.html"},"modified":"2017-09-07T14:54:17","modified_gmt":"2017-09-07T19:54:17","slug":"missouri-tenant-rights-laws","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/missouri-law\/missouri-tenant-rights-laws.html","title":{"rendered":"Missouri Tenant Rights Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Missouri Tenant Rights Laws<\/h1>\n
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Created by FindLaw’s team<\/a> of legal writers and editors<\/i><\/p>\n\n | Last updated\n

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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

It’s not uncommon for disputes to arise between landlords and tenants during the course of a residential lease. Each state has its own laws that dictate the rights and responsibilities<\/a> of landlords and tenants. When considering your options as a Missouri tenant, it’s important to first understand your state’s laws.<\/p>\n

Missouri Tenants Rights Laws<\/h2>\n

Missouri has implemented various laws that set forth the rights of landlords and tenants. For example, Missouri chooses to limit how much a landlord can collect as a security deposit<\/a> and also sets forth a timeline for returning the tenant’s security deposit at the end of the lease. There are also state laws detailing how landlords and tenants can terminate a tenancy.<\/p>\n

However, there are some areas of the landlord\/tenant relationship that Missouri law does not choose to govern. Missouri does not have laws limiting how much landlords can charge for rent, for instance, and there are no communities in Missouri with rent control laws<\/a>. Missouri also does not have any law prohibiting landlords from retaliating against tenants for exercising legal rights.<\/p>\n

The below chart provides details of Missouri’s tenants’ rights laws at a glance.<\/p>\n\n

Statutes<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

Missouri Revised Statutes Chapters 441<\/a>, 534<\/a>, and 535<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>

Security Deposits<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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  • Cannot charge more than 2 months’ rent as security deposit<\/li>\n
  • Security deposit must be returned within 30 days of tenant move-out<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>

Paying Rent<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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  • There are no limits on how much rent a landlord can charge<\/li>\n
  • There are no communities in Missouri with rent control<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>

Living Conditions<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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  • Under certain circumstances, after giving 14 days’ notice, a tenant can withhold up to one-half months’ rent or $300 (whichever is greater) to pay for repair of dangerous or unsanitary conditions landlord fails to fix<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>

Discrimination<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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  • Landlords prohibited from refusing to sell, rent, or sublease on the basis of a renter’s race, religion, gender, disability, familial status, or national origin<\/li>\n
  • Landlords cannot raise the amount of rent in a discriminatory way<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>

Ending or Renewing a Tenancy<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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  • Either party may terminate a year-to-year lease by giving 60 days’ notice<\/li>\n
  • Either party may terminate a month-to-month lease by giving one months’ notice<\/li>\n
  • In the event of non-payment of rent, landlord must give 5 days’ notice to either come current or move out, if a tenant does neither landlord can evict tenant<\/li>\n
  • Tenant’s use of property for illegal purpose voids lease<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>

Retaliation<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n