Tenant Resources

Missouri tenants have important rights. This summary is general information; individual cases may depend on the lease and specific facts.

• Livable conditions: A landlord must provide safe, sanitary, and livable housing, including working plumbing, reliable electricity and heat, secure exterior doors, ventilation, and protection from serious leaks or infestations.
• No retaliation: A landlord may not retaliate against a tenant for reporting housing-code violations.
• No self-help eviction: A landlord may not remove a tenant or the tenant's belongings without a court order.
• Utilities: A landlord may not disconnect a tenant's utilities to force the tenant out.
• Security deposit: A landlord may not charge more than two months' rent as a deposit. The tenant must have an opportunity for a move-out walkthrough, and the landlord must return the deposit within 30 days or provide an explanation of lawful deductions.
• Privacy and respect: A landlord generally may not enter the home without permission or reasonable advance notice.
• Discrimination: A landlord may not deny housing or treat a tenant differently because of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, or family status. Sexual harassment is prohibited.
• Fees: A landlord may charge only fees, including late fees, authorized by the lease.
• Truthful information: A landlord may not use deceptive statements about the home's condition to induce someone to move in.
• Sale of the property: A new owner must provide written contact information and proof of ownership before collecting rent.
• Do not simply withhold rent when a landlord violates your rights. Doing so can expose you to an eviction filing. Speak with an attorney first.

This information applies to Missouri. Tenant law varies by state, and eviction cases move quickly. Kansas City, Missouri residents have a right to free legal help through the city's Right to Counsel program and may apply by calling 816-474-5112, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Service: The lawsuit may be handed to you or another adult in your home, or posted visibly at the home. Contact an attorney immediately if you want to defend the case.
• Posted lawsuits: If the papers were only posted at the home and you do not appear, the landlord may obtain an eviction judgment but generally not a money judgment for past-due rent.
• Court appearance: If neither you nor your attorney appears, the landlord will usually receive a default judgment. An eviction judgment becomes public and can make future renting more difficult.
• Read the petition: It explains the landlord's allegations, the type of case, and the money requested. Seek legal help immediately if it is inaccurate or alleges an expedited eviction.
• Rent and possession: The landlord may seek eviction and past-due rent and fees. Paying the full amount claimed by the court date may require dismissal. Keep receipts and written proof, and still appear in court unless an attorney advises otherwise.
• Defenses and counterclaims: You may challenge unauthorized fees or an incorrect balance. Serious landlord violations, such as unsafe conditions or utility shutoffs, may support a counterclaim. Consult an attorney.
• Unlawful detainer: This type of case may allege that the tenant stayed after the tenancy ended or violated the lease. Written notice rules apply. The landlord may seek eviction, rent, damages, and sometimes double rent. Most counterclaims cannot be brought in this type of case, but notice, amount, and alleged lease violations can be disputed.

Missouri landlords must maintain safe, sanitary, and livable rental housing and make repairs required by the lease. Serious issues can include no heat, a broken toilet not caused by the tenant, mice or cockroaches, standing sewage, a leaking roof, or dangerous electrical defects.

• Notify the landlord promptly. Use the tenant portal if available, then follow up with a dated and signed letter or email describing the problem, your name and address, and when it began. Save a copy and document any repair promise made by phone or in person.
• Give the landlord a reasonable amount of time to make the repair.
• If the problem remains, possible remedies may include a lawsuit, ending the lease and moving, reporting a code violation, placing rent into an escrow account, or making a qualifying repair and deducting the cost. These procedures are technical and carry risks. Speak with an attorney before acting.
• Do not simply stop paying rent. Without following the correct legal process, you may not be protected if the landlord files an eviction case.

Missouri tenants can reduce disputes by documenting the rental from the beginning and keeping important communications in writing.

• Read the lease before signing, especially repair provisions. Ask to negotiate unfair terms and make sure every agreed change appears in the signed lease.
• Get any promise to complete repairs before move-in in writing and signed by the landlord.
• Keep a file containing the lease, rent receipts, notices, and every communication with the landlord.
• At move-in, list and photograph existing damage. Send copies to the landlord and keep proof so you are not charged later.
• Before moving out, photograph the home's condition and follow the lease's notice requirements.
• For a month-to-month tenancy, give written notice at least one full month before the next rent-due date. Keep a copy of the notice.

Missouri law limits security deposits and provides procedures for move-out inspections and returns.

• A landlord may not collect more than two months' rent as a security deposit.
• Provide a forwarding address. The landlord must return the deposit within 30 days after move-out and explain any deductions for repairs.
• The landlord may deduct reasonable costs for tenant-caused damage, such as carpet burns or holes in walls, but not ordinary wear and tear such as routine painting, carpet cleaning, or replacing already worn carpet.
• The landlord must notify you when the move-out walkthrough will occur. Attend, take photographs, and dispute damage you did not cause or consider ordinary wear.
• If the landlord wrongfully withholds all or part of the deposit, a court may award up to twice the amount wrongfully withheld.