Missouri Rent Increase Rules: Statewide Bans on Rent Control

Missouri is a landlord-friendly state where rental markets remain completely deregulated. Under the primary governing authority of Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.043—which originally prohibited rent control in 2002 and was significantly expanded by House Bill 595 & 343 effective August 28, 2025—the state legislature preemptively prohibits any local city or county from attempting to regulate the rental market.

Official Law Citation: Missouri law requires one month's written notice to terminate a month-to-month tenancy. (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.060.1, 441.060.4(1))

No Limit on Rent Increases

In Missouri, there is no statutory limit on how much a landlord can increase rent for privately-owned residential properties. Landlords are free to raise the rent to whatever amount the market will bear.

• There are no state laws capping rent increases.
• There are no caps tied to inflation (CPI).
• The state prohibits any limit on the frequency of rent increases during a month-to-month tenancy, provided proper notice is given each time.

The 2025 Rent Control Ban (HB 595 & 343)

Effective August 28, 2025, Missouri passed House Bill 595 & 343. This primary legislation explicitly preempts local municipalities. Under this law (codified in Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.043), no county, city, town, or village in Missouri can enact, maintain, or enforce any ordinance or resolution that would:

1. Regulate Rent: Limit or cap the amount of rent landlords can charge for privately-owned, single-family, or multiple-unit residential properties.
2. Screening Requirements: Restrict a landlord's ability to use or consider income-qualifying methods, credit scores, credit reports, eviction or property damage history, or criminal history, according to such landlord's own customarily applied criteria, or prohibit landlords from requesting such information, to determine whether to rent or lease a property to a prospective tenant.
3. Limit Security Deposits: Limit the amount of security deposit a landlord may require from a prospective tenant.
4. Right of First Refusal: Require tenants to automatically receive the right of first refusal.

This ensures state-wide uniformity, meaning landlords in Kansas City, St. Louis, and rural Missouri all operate under the same free-market rent rules.

Proper Notice Requirements

While there are no limits on the amount of the increase, Missouri law dictates the process a landlord must follow to raise the rent.

1. Month-to-Month Leases

To terminate a month-to-month tenancy, or to change its terms such as raising the rent, a landlord must provide at least one month's written notice before the termination or change takes effect.

• Timing: By law (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.060), this notice must state that the tenancy shall terminate upon a periodic rent-paying date not less than one month after the receipt of the notice.
• Example: If rent is due on the 1st of the month, and a landlord wants a rent increase to take effect on October 1st, they must deliver the written notice no later than August 31st.

2. Fixed-Term Leases

For tenants on a fixed-term lease (e.g., a one-year lease), the rent cannot be increased during the lease term unless the lease agreement explicitly contains a clause allowing for an increase.

• Upon the expiration of the fixed term, if the lease converts to a month-to-month tenancy, the one-month notice rule applies.
• If a new fixed-term lease is offered, the new rent amount is simply presented in the new lease agreement for the tenant's approval.

Prohibited Reasons for Rent Increases

Despite the lack of rent control, a landlord cannot raise rent for illegal, discriminatory, or retaliatory reasons.

• Discrimination: Increasing rent based on a tenant's race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or familial status violates the Federal Fair Housing Act and the Missouri Human Rights Act.
• Retaliation: While Missouri's anti-retaliation protections are less robust than some states, Associate Circuit Courts generally view a sudden, exorbitant rent increase immediately after a tenant complains to a government agency about housing code violations (or joins a tenant union) as illegal retaliation.

Best Practices for Missouri Landlords

1. Provide 60 Days' Notice When Possible: While the state only requires one month's notice, providing 60 days' notice is an industry best practice. It helps maintain a positive landlord-tenant relationship and gives tenants ample time to budget for the increase or decide to move.
2. Justify the Increase: Even though you legally don't have to, citing increased property taxes, insurance premiums, or recent property upgrades can make a rent increase more palatable to long-term tenants.
3. Use Certified Mail: For official notices of a rent increase, sending the notice via certified mail with a return receipt provides irrefutable proof that the notice was served effectively.

How Landager Helps

Landager tracks lease terms, compliance rules, and notice periods - making it easy to stay compliant with Missouri regulations.

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