Missouri Residential Lease Agreement
What Missouri law requires in a residential lease — the deposit cap, the return deadline, the notice to end a month-to-month tenancy, and the disclosures you have to give the tenant. Every figure is cited to the statute it comes from and dated. The free Missouri lease template is one click away.
Maintained by Rapi Stack · Every state-specific figure on this page is cited to its statute or official agency page · Dataset last verified 2026 · Not legal advice.
Other Missouri rules your lease has to live with
Beyond the deposit, Missouri law sets rules on entry, late fees, and repairs that apply whether or not the lease mentions them.
- Rent increases. Month-to-month tenancy: written notice terminating on a rent-paying date not less than one month after receipt (statute governs termination; no separate rent-increase notice statute found) — RSMo § 441.060.4(1) (eff. 28 Aug 1997) ↗
- Repair and deduct. Permitted after 6 months' tenancy and 14 days' written notice for code violations; cost limit greater of $300 or half periodic rent, never exceeding one month's rent; max one month's rent per 12 months — RSMo § 441.234 (L. 1997 H.B. 361, eff. 28 Aug 1997) ↗
Each point links to the Missouri source it was taken from. Rules change; confirm before relying on them.
What Missouri law requires · as of 2026
- Max security deposit
- 2 months' rent
- Deposit return deadline
- 30 days after move-out
- Notice to end month-to-month
- 30 days
Source: Mo. Rev. Stat. §535.300 · verify ↗. Laws change — confirm the current rule before you rely on it.
Deposit still not back 30 days after move-out? Ask for it in writing with a Missouri security deposit demand letter; if that doesn’t work, the usual next step is Missouri small claims court.
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Frequently asked questions
How much security deposit can a landlord charge in Missouri?
In Missouri, the security deposit is limited to 2 months' rent, and it must be returned within 30 days after move-out (as of 2026). Source: Mo. Rev. Stat. §535.300. Confirm the current rule before you sign.
Is this lease valid in Missouri?
A written lease that identifies the parties, the property, the term, and the rent is generally enforceable in Missouri once both sides sign. What it cannot do is contract around Missouri law: the deposit rules, entry notice, and habitability duties below apply whether or not the lease mentions them.
Can a tenant repair and deduct rent in Missouri?
Permitted after 6 months' tenancy and 14 days' written notice for code violations; cost limit greater of $300 or half periodic rent, never exceeding one month's rent; max one month's rent per 12 months Source: RSMo § 441.234 (L. 1997 H.B. 361, eff. 28 Aug 1997).
How does Missouri compare? See the security deposit limits in all 50 states, every figure cited to statute.
How Missouri compares
Computed from our 51-jurisdiction dataset (as of 2026). Source for Missouri: Mo. Rev. Stat. §535.300 ↗.
- Missouri is one of 29 of 51 jurisdictions that cap the deposit by statute (22 set no statutory cap on the security deposit).
- Deposit return deadline
Deposit return deadline: 30 days, exactly the national median.
This is the most common figure nationally — shared by 26 other states.
Deposit return deadline in neighboring states — Arkansas (60 days), Illinois (45 days), Iowa (30 days), Kansas (30 days), Kentucky (30 days), Nebraska (14 days), Oklahoma (45 days), Tennessee (30 days).
- Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy
Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy: 30 days, exactly the national median.
This is the most common figure nationally — shared by 39 other states.
Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy in neighboring states — Arkansas (30 days), Illinois (30 days), Iowa (30 days), Kansas (30 days), Kentucky (30 days), Nebraska (30 days), Oklahoma (30 days), Tennessee (30 days). Every neighboring state with a rule matches Missouri.
The rest of what Missouri requires
The figures below are Missouri's, not national averages — each one is the value we verified for this state, with the statute it comes from. Follow a row to the full Missouri page for that document.
- Notice to cure a lease violation · as of 2026
- 10 days Mo. Rev. Stat. §§ 441.040, 441.060; ch. 535 ↗
- Small claims limit · as of 2026
- $5,000 § 482.305 RSMo; Mo. Sup. Ct. Rules 140-155 (small claims rules) ↗
- Where you file · as of 2026
- Small Claims Court — a docket of the Circuit Court heard by an associate circuit judge sitting as the small claims judge · filing fee No statewide flat fee; court costs vary by circuit/county, commonly ~$35-$100 (e.g., Cole County lists $45 for a pro se small claim). Check the local circuit clerk. § 482.305 RSMo; Mo. Sup. Ct. Rules 140-155 (small claims rules) ↗
- Rental application fee · as of July 2026
- No statutory limit Missouri Revisor ↗
- Bill of sale notarization · as of 2026
- Not required Missouri DOR (Form 1957) ↗
- Power of attorney signing · as of 2026
- Notarization required Mo. Rev. Stat. §404.705 ↗
- LLC operating agreement · as of 2026
- Required by statute Mo. Rev. Stat. § 347.081.1 (shall adopt); § 347.015(13) (definition) ↗
- Recording a deed · as of 2026
- Recorder of Deeds (county; duties under RSMo ch. 59) · no witnesses RSMo §§ 442.130, 442.380 ↗
Lease agreement in other states
More Missouri legal forms
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