Free Missouri Rent-to-Own Agreement Template

Last reviewed September 2026

Written by LawLease Editorial

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Missouri Rent-to-Own Agreement

This Rent-to-Own Agreement is built with Missouri as the governing state. These are the Missouri landlord-tenant rules that most often bear on it, with the statute for each.

Missouri rules at a glance

Missouri rules for a Rent-to-Own Agreement
Security deposit limit	2 months’ rent (a pet deposit falls outside the cap)RSMo §535.300
Deposit return	30 days — full refund, or an itemized list of damages plus the balanceRSMo §535.300.3
Deposit rules	The two-month cap, 30-day return and double-damages penalty apply regardless of what the lease says (§535.300).
Rent-increase notice	No specific statute; a month-to-month change needs the one-month termination noticeRSMo §441.060
Rent control	Prohibited statewideRSMo §441.043
Rent increases	No Missouri statute sets a rent-increase notice period. Rent is fixed for a fixed-term lease; for a month-to-month tenancy, an increase is a change of terms, so the one-month termination notice under §441.060 is the practical minimum.

Security deposits in Missouri

A Missouri landlord may not demand or receive a security deposit of more than two months’ rent (§535.300.1). The statute defines a “security deposit” broadly — any money or property, however labeled, that secures the tenant’s performance — but expressly excludes a deposit for a pet, so a pet deposit sits outside the two-month cap (§535.300.8).

Where it’s held — Deposits must be kept in a federally insured bank, credit union or depository institution. Any interest earned belongs to the landlord, so Missouri requires no interest to be paid to the tenant (§535.300.2).
Allowed deductions — Only amounts reasonably necessary for unpaid rent, restoring the unit to its move-in condition less ordinary wear and tear, and actual losses caused by the tenant’s failure to give proper notice to end the tenancy — and the landlord must make reasonable efforts to mitigate that last one (§535.300.4).
Carpet cleaning — A lease may set carpet-cleaning charges that can be taken from the deposit, but only if the lease also tells the tenant they may be liable for actual carpet-cleaning costs beyond ordinary wear and tear; the landlord must provide a receipt within 30 days (§535.300.4(2)).
Move-out inspection — The landlord must give reasonable written notice of the date and time of the move-out inspection, and the tenant has the right to be present (§535.300.5).
Return — Within 30 days after the tenancy ends, the landlord must either return the full deposit or send a written itemized list of damages with the balance. Mailing it to the tenant’s last known address satisfies the rule (§535.300.3).
Wrongful withholding — A landlord who wrongfully withholds any part of the deposit owes the tenant twice the amount wrongfully withheld (§535.300.6). The tenant, in turn, can’t use the deposit in place of the last month’s rent (§535.300.7).

Rent, late fees & rent increases

Missouri has no statute capping residential late fees and no mandatory grace period. A late fee is enforceable because it is written into the lease, and — as with any contract charge — a fee far out of proportion to the landlord’s real loss risks being treated as an unenforceable penalty. There is no fixed legal number.

Rent increases — No Missouri statute sets a rent-increase notice period. Rent is fixed for a fixed-term lease; for a month-to-month tenancy, an increase is a change of terms, so the one-month termination notice under §441.060 is the practical minimum.
Rent control — No county or city may enact, maintain or enforce any ordinance that regulates the amount of rent for privately owned residential property (§441.043).
2025 preemption expansion — Effective August 28, 2025 (HB 595 & 343), cities and counties also may not require landlords to accept housing-assistance income, restrict landlords’ own screening criteria (income, credit, eviction or criminal history), cap security deposits, or impose right-of-first-refusal mandates. Local rules protecting recipients of veterans’ benefits remain allowed (§441.043).
Occupancy — A limit of two persons per bedroom is presumed reasonable in Missouri; it doesn’t apply to children born to the tenants during the lease (§441.060.2).

Tenant protections you can’t waive

No self-help eviction — Lockouts, removing a tenant’s belongings, or cutting essential utilities without a court order is forcible entry and detainer (§441.233).
Repair-and-deduct — No lease may waive the tenant’s statutory repair-and-deduct rights (§441.234.2).
Deposit rules — The two-month cap, 30-day return and double-damages penalty apply regardless of what the lease says (§535.300).
Court process only — Possession is recovered through a court judgment and the officer’s execution of it; only if the officer fails to deliver possession within seven days of receiving the writ may the landlord take possession, in the presence of law enforcement (§441.060.5). Removal without judicial process is forcible entry and detainer (§441.233).

Missouri Rent-to-Own Agreement FAQs

How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Missouri?

No more than two months’ rent (§535.300.1). A deposit specifically labeled as a pet deposit isn’t counted toward that cap, because the statute excludes pet deposits from the definition of a security deposit (§535.300.8).

How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Missouri?

30 days after the tenancy ends. The landlord must either return the full deposit or send a written itemized list of damages with the remaining balance; mailing it to the tenant’s last known address counts. Wrongfully withholding any part exposes the landlord to twice the amount withheld (§535.300.3, .6).

How do you end a month-to-month lease in Missouri?

Either party gives written notice stating that the tenancy ends on a periodic rent-paying date at least one month after the notice is received (§441.060.4). If rent is due on the 1st and notice is received on the 15th, the earliest end date is the 1st of the month after next.

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