Missouri Residential Lease Agreement Form
Missouri is known for its beautiful outdoor landscapes, delicious food, and low cost of living. If you’ve been wanting to move to the Show-Me State, it will help to learn what goes into the Missouri Residential Lease Agreement Form.
Before negotiating a lease agreement, prospective tenants have to submit a Missouri rental application form to the landlord. If the application is approved, the landlord and tenant can start discussing the details of the lease. A residential lease agreement form contains terms and conditions pertaining to how residential real estate can be used in exchange for monthly rent.
The lease agreement is a binding contract between the landlord and tenant. The template provides a brief description of the property and the personal information of both parties. It stipulates the rent amount and the monthly due date, which is usually on the first of the month unless they jointly agree to use another date.
The agreement also enumerates the duties of the landlord and the tenant. The landlord needs to make the apartment habitable, which may mean dealing with repairs if the property needs it. On the tenant’s side, they must pay rent on time and take care of the property.
Required Disclosures
- Lead-Based Paint Disclosure - Landlords are required to inform tenants about the dangers of lead-based paint for properties built before 1978, the year the country banned this type of paint. Landlords must also provide tenants with educational materials about the hazards of lead-based paint (Lead-Based Paint Disclosure Rule (Section 1018 of Title X)).
- Methamphetamine Production Disclosure - Landlords have to inform the tenant in writing if the property for lease was previously used for the production of methamphetamine. The owner should also disclose knowledge of previous methamphetamine production in the unit and whether the people involved were convicted or not (MO Rev Stat § 441.236 (2021)).
- Landlord Name and Address - Missouri landlords are required to inform the tenant of their real name and address. This information is used for communication and legal notices (MO Rev Stat § 535.185 (2021)).
Rent Grace Period
Missouri has no statutes regarding rent grace periods and late fees. However, landlords are allowed to collect late fees as long as it’s mentioned in the residential lease agreement form.
Security Deposits
Though security deposits are not required in Missouri, most landlords collect security deposits in case the property is damaged or the tenant fails to pay rent. While there is no limit on how much the landlord can charge as a security deposit, unreasonably high deposits may discourage prospective tenants.
If the landlord collects a security deposit, they must deposit the fund into a separate bank account. Landlords are not obligated to pay the tenant interest from the security deposit.
When the tenancy ends, the landlord has 30 days to return the security deposit to the tenant. However, the landlord can withhold part of the security deposit, or its entirety, if there is damage to the rental unit or if the tenant failed to pay rent. The landlord cannot deduct property damage sustained from regular wear and tear.
In addition, the landlord can charge a “rent loss” from the security deposit if the tenant ends the lease prematurely without due cause. Examples of legally justifiable reasons for the tenant to terminate the lease early include harassment from the landlord, the property not meeting habitable standards, and if the tenant needs to report for military duty (MO Rev Stat § 535.300 (2021)).