What can I change in my Missouri rental property? See the state’s rental rules
When it comes to renting in Missouri, there are several rules that landlords — and tenants — must follow. From eviction rules to honoring the terms of a lease, Missouri law sets standards for how rental properties must be managed.
There are multiple questions a renter may have when they’re occupying a unit. Sometimes of those questions could be answered in your lease. If not, we have some answers.
Here’s what we know:
What makes a Missouri rental property habitable?
In 2019, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas signed off on a Tenant Bill of Rights. This included the rights to safe and accessible housing, which includes the following:
- All residential rental property units must meet minimum health and safety standards of basic utilities and facilities, ventilation and heating, safety from fire, and safe and sanitary maintenance.
- Rental property units must also maintain working amenities including but not limited to water heating facilities, heating facilities, water and sewer lines, plumbing and electrical fixtures, lighted common halls and stairways, and, if provided, cooking equipment.
- Mold, lack of heat, inadequate ventilation, infestations and lead are just some threats to tenants’ health in substandard housing, often exacerbating chronic illnesses such as asthma and lung disease.
For the state of Missouri, the laws on renting say that landlords are required to make properties habitable before tenants move in. But the lawsdon’t directly define what makes a property habitable.
It also states that landlords are required to do the following:
- Make and pay for repairs due to ordinary wear and tear.
- Refrain from turning off a tenant’s water, electricity or gas.
- Provide written notice to tenants when ownership of the property is transferred to a new landlord.
- Not unlawfully discriminate.
Do Missouri landlords have to provide a stove and refrigerator?
The Missouri law does not explicitly state whether it’s required. Though in Mayor Quinton Lucas’ Tenant Bill of Rights, it mentions that Kansas City landlords must provide safe cooking equipment “if provided.”
Can I make changes to my apartment if something is outdated?
Missouri law states that the landlord should be responsible for repairs cause by ordinary wear and tear and natural forces such as the weather. Tenants should pay for damages resulting from their own negligence or the negligence of a guest.
If repairs are needed, and they’re not done in a reasonable amount of time, the law recommends you to make a written request for the necessary repairs and keep a copy of the letter.
“If the repairs still are not made, the tenant may seek legal assistance. If the dwelling becomes unsafe due to the repair problems, the tenant should contact local health or housing authorities,” the law states.
In most instances, a tenant cannot withhold rent until repairs are completed, as they would be in violation the lease and may be subject to eviction.
Missouri law provides very narrow exceptions to this rule for dangerous or unsanitary conditions that a landlord fails to fix. Under these circumstances it is OK that the tenant makes the necessary repairs and deducts the cost from rent:
- The condition affects the sanitation, security or habitability of the property and violates city code. (If the landlord disputes this, a tenant must obtain written verification from city inspectors as to the code violation.)
- The tenant has lived on the property for at least six consecutive months.
- The tenant has paid all rent owed.
- The tenant is not in violation of the lease.
- The tenant has provided written notice to the landlord of the problem and the tenant’s plan to fix it.
- The tenant has allowed at least 14 days for the landlord to respond to the notice
The law states the amount of the repairs must be verified by receipts. In most cases, the cost of repair must be less than $300 or one half month’s rent (whichever is greater).
How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit?
A Missouri landlord cannot charge more than two months’ rent as a security deposit. At the end of the lease, the landlord has 30 days to return the security deposit, which should include a list of damages for which any portion of the deposit is kept.
Tenants are not allowed to use their security deposit as their last month’s rent.
