Missouri Rental Lease Agreement Templates

The Missouri Rental Lease Agreement Forms are legal documents, that allow a property owner or manager to temporarily cede control of their property to another party, known as a tenant. There are a variety of leases, depending on the type of property, what it is going to be used for and how long the tenant intends to remain, but what follows are the most common ones. In order to sell or lease property in Missouri, you will need a Real Estate Broker License.

Regardless of the type and length of a lease, it should be read carefully. Residential leases are legally required to contain simple, easy to read language, to minimize the risk of a misunderstanding, but they too should be read carefully so that a tenant does not accidentally break it due to inattention to detail.

Form Description Types

Missouri Commercial Lease Agreement

The Missouri Commercial Lease Agreement is the only lease included on this page that is not a residential lease. This kind of lease is used for a commercial entity to rent a property for business or industrial purposes. Only a…Read more ›

Missouri Month to Month Rental Agreement

The Missouri Month to Month Lease Agreement is a residential lease designed for shorter term or more fluid living situations. Unlike a One Year Lease, a Month to Month Lease terminates at the end of every month or pay period,…Read more ›

Missouri Rental Application

The Missouri Rental Application Form is not a legal document, but a fairly common application that many landlords will require potential tenants to complete. It screens all applicants for issues with paying rent or violating clauses in their previous leases,…Read more ›

Missouri Sublease Agreement

The Missouri Sublet Agreement is an addition to an existing lease that allows the current tenant, known as the sublessor, to rent out part of the property they are leasing to another party, known as the sublessee. This is usually…Read more ›

Missouri Residential Lease Agreement

The Missouri Standard One (1) Year Lease Agreement is an extremely common type of Residential Lease, common enough to be considered the basic form of long term lease. Unlike a Month to Month Lease, this kind of lease will run…Read more ›

Missouri Rental Laws

  • Missouri Revised Statutes, Chapters 441 and 535

Rental Laws

Security Deposits

Most landlords will want to charge a security deposit, to account for the possibility that a tenant will leave without paying rent or to pay for any reasonable wear and tear a property sustains during a tenancy. In Missouri a landlord can charge a maximum of two (2) months rent for a security deposit. Once a tenant has moved out, a landlord is required to return the security deposit within thirty (30) days.

Rent

There is no legal limit to how much a landlord can charge for rent in Missouri, as there are no areas with rent control in the state. Regardless of the kind of lease, all of the rules for rent (how much it is, when it is due, etc.) will be laid out in the lease.

Late Fees

If a tenant fails to pay the rent on time and in full, they may risk accruing a late fee. Under Missouri state law, there is no maximum amount to how much a landlord can charge for a late fee, but their late fee policy must be clearly spelled out in the lease itself, or else a late fee cannot be charged, no matter how little it is.

Rent Increases

Under a Month to Month Lease, a landlord can alter the rent at their discretion by giving the tenant one (1) month’s notice. Under a One Year or longer lease, a landlord cannot alter the rent at all, unless there is a clause in the rent that causes a rent increase.

Eviction

If the tenant violates the law by using the property for narcotics, prostitution or gambling, sublets without the landlord’s permission or causes serious damage to the property, the landlord may issue an Unconditional Quit Notice, giving the tenant ten (10) days to move out before the landlord can file for eviction.

Once the landlord has given the tenant ten days to vacate the property, the landlord can file for eviction. At this point the local court system will hold a hearing and the tenant will have the opportunity to defend themselves and their actions. If the landlord is successful, the tenant will be served with an Eviction Notice.

Until the tenant has been served with an Eviction Notice, the landlord cannot change the locks, tamper with utilities, install a deadbolt or otherwise try to force the tenant to leave the property.

Discrimination

Rental discrimination (IE refusing to lease, altering rent, denying a unit is available when it is, ending a lease) against the following parties is illegal in Missouri:

  • race, color, national ancestry, religion, sex, family status, physical or mental disability
  • note that age, gender identity and sexual orientation

Landlord’s Right to Enter

As there are no laws in Missouri specifically covering a landlord’s right to enter, it is governed by good sense and manners, referred to as Common Law. As such it is customary to give the tenant at least a full day’s notice before entering the property to make non-emergency repairs or inspections. Obviously this is suspended in an emergency.