Missouri security deposit law: know your rights.
Understand the return, deduction and notice rules in Missouri. Check which conditions apply to your rental, then choose your next step.
Your deposit rights in Missouri
- Return timing
- Within 30 days after termination of the tenancy the landlord must return the full deposit or furnish an itemized list of damages plus the balance.
- Accounting for deductions
- A written itemized list of the damages for which any portion is withheld, with the balance, within 30 days.
- Deposit interest
- The state deposit statute does not require interest. Check any additional lease or local rule.
Registry review: August 2026. Review dates refer to the cited rules, not an attorney review of your case.
Does this rule apply to your rental?
Check the type of tenancy, the lease and any local or housing-program rules before relying on the statewide summary.
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300 ↗What starts the return clock?
Within 30 days after termination of the tenancy the landlord must return the full deposit or furnish an itemized list of damages plus the balance.
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300 ↗Check your return timing
Optional estimate from your move-out date. Read the start conditions above before treating that estimate as the return deadline. You can start the free analysis without completing this check.
Check what the landlord deducted
No general paid-receipt requirement for every deduction. For a carpet-cleaning charge authorized by the lease under section 535.300.4(2), the charge must reflect actual cost and a receipt must be furnished within 30 days.
Match each charge to the work alleged, the lease provision and the records supporting the amount. Keep refunds and charges you accept separate from those you dispute.
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300 ↗What could you recover?
The tenant 'shall recover as damages twice the amount wrongfully withheld' (§ 535.300.6) - the doubled sum is the total recovery per the AG's guide ('up to twice the amount wrongfully withheld').
Start with the unpaid amount you dispute. Any additional statutory recovery depends on the conditions in Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300.6, including applicable notice requirements. A multiplier that already includes the deposit should not be added to that deposit again.
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300 ↗Put the rules to work
See how the rules fit your deposit dispute
Free analysis
Add the refund, charges and records. Review the deductions and possible remedies with an explanation tied to your facts.
Full case package $29-$49
Turn your case into a demand letter, organized exhibits and a next-step plan. Review the analysis before deciding to buy.
Your entered dates and deposit amount carry forward. Additional timing details are saved in case notes. The next step asks for the refund and charges so you can build on this check.
Choose your next step
Small-claims limit: $5,000. Filing: ~$35-$45 by county. The court guide explains the applicable limits and additional costs.
Questions about Missouri deposit rights
How long does a Missouri landlord have to return a security deposit?
Within 30 days after termination of the tenancy the landlord must return the full deposit or furnish an itemized list of damages plus the balance.
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300 ↗See the timing rules →What happens if my landlord does not follow the deposit return rules in Missouri?
Missing the 30-day deadline or failing to itemize makes the withholding wrongful, triggering the double-damages remedy. Keep proof of the dates, any refund, and the itemized statement.
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300 ↗Understand the possible recovery →What accounting should I ask for in Missouri?
A written itemized list of the damages for which any portion is withheld, with the balance, within 30 days. No general paid-receipt requirement for every deduction. For a carpet-cleaning charge authorized by the lease under section 535.300.4(2), the charge must reflect actual cost and a receipt must be furnished within 30 days.
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300 ↗