Missouri Rent Increase Rules: Statewide Bans on Rent Control

Missouri is a landlord-friendly state where rental markets remain completely deregulated. In a sweeping move in 2024, the state legislature preemptively prohibited any local city or county from attempting to regulate the rental market, further solidifying the state's stance against rent control.

Official Law Citation: Missouri law requires one month's written notice to terminate or change the terms (like raising rent) of a month-to-month tenancy. (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.060.1)

No Limit on Rent Increases In

Missouri, there is no statutory limit on how much a landlord can increase rent. 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 2024 Rent Control Ban (HB 595)

Effective August 28, 2024, Missouri passed House Bill 595. This manage legislation explicitly preempts local municipalities. Under this law, 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 residential properties.
2. Screening Requirements: Dictate how an owner or property manager assesses applicants or screens potential tenants.
3. Eviction Moratoriums: Impose local moratoriums on evictions (unless authorized by state or federal law).

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 raise the rent on a month-to-month tenant, a landlord must provide at least 30 days’ written notice before the increase takes effect.

• Timing: By law (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.060), this notice is typically interpreted as "one month's notice" coinciding with the rent-paying date.
• Example: If rent is due on the 1st of the month, and a landlord wants the 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 (which is uncommon in residential leases).

• Upon the expiration of the fixed term, if the lease converts to a month-to-month tenancy, the 30-day 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 statutes are less manage than some states, 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 30 days' 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 30-day 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 late fee schedules - making it easy to stay compliant with Missouri regulations.

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