No landlord pays us. We never send your details to a landlord, never ask for your SSN or bank login, and cite the statute behind every rule. How we make money
Sign inPlan my move-out
Security deposit · Missouri

30 days after tenancy ends.

By housr editorsStatute text checked 2026-10-05Legal review pending
A named legal reviewer hasn't signed this page yet. We read and quoted the statute ourselves on 2026-10-05. Until review, this page isn't indexed by search engines. This is information, not legal advice. See legal review.
The short answerMo. Rev. Stat. §535.300(3)
Deadline30 calendar days
Before it appliesNone
If kept in bad faithTwice the amount wrongfully withheld

The rule

In Missouri, the clock starts when: tenancy ends. The landlord then has 30 calendar days. The statute says:

“Within thirty days after the date of termination of the tenancy, the landlord shall: (1) Return the full amount of the security deposit; or (2) Furnish to the tenant a written itemized list of the damages for which the security deposit or any portion thereof is withheld, along with the balance of the security deposit.”

You have the right to be present at the landlord's move-out inspection, at the time the landlord schedules.

For example, if you returned the keys on Oct 25, 2026, the date would be Nov 24, 2026. Use the Clock for your own dates.

What the landlord has to send

A written itemized list of damages, with the balance.

How much a deposit can be

Two months' rent.

“The tenant shall have the right to be present at the inspection of the dwelling unit at the time and date scheduled by the landlord.”
Mo. Rev. Stat. §535.300(5)

Do this

On move-out day

Give your forwarding address in writing and keep proof of sending. Photograph every room before you return the keys.

Deductions and wear and tear

Missouri's statute limits what can be kept to the purposes it lists. We haven't summarised its wear-and-tear language yet; read the section linked above.

Missouri has statute text on specific charges:

For a charge to replace something old, Fair Charge works out a prorated estimate from the item's age and useful life, and says where the useful life comes from. See also the item guides for carpet, paint and cleaning.

If the deadline passes

Twice the amount wrongfully withheld.

“If the landlord wrongfully withholds all or any portion of the security deposit in violation of this section, the tenant shall recover as damages twice the amount wrongfully withheld.”
Mo. Rev. Stat. §535.300(6)

The usual first step is a written demand that states the date the deposit was due and cites the statute. Our demand letter does that and carries any disputed deductions.

Your next steps

Sources

  1. Mo. Rev. Stat. §535.300(3) · checked 2026-10-05

Information, not legal advice. Statutes are quoted from official legislature sites; summaries are ours. Spotted an error? Tell us.