Missouri Rental Application Form
The first step to renting a property in Missouri is to submit a rental application form. The form is a document that a prospective tenant needs to complete to be considered for tenancy of a rental property.
The landlord will provide a rental application template with a brief description of the apartment. Included in its description are its address, size, and the number of bedrooms. It should also indicate the expected monthly rent for the unit.
In most cases, the landlord will receive multiple rental application forms from interested lessees. The best applicant is chosen based on their ability to pay rent.
While the landlord has the final say on the rental application approval, they should adhere to the Federal Fair Housing Act. The law prohibits discrimination based on the applicant’s race, gender, country of origin, disability, familial status, and religion.
Signing and submitting a rental application form means that the interested tenant is agreeing to a screening and background check by the landlord. The landlord may conduct the background check or hire a third party to do it. The goal of these checks is:
- To verify the accuracy of the information disclosed by the tenant in the rental application form
- To ensure that the applicant has no criminal or eviction history
- To assure the landlord that the potential tenant has the ability to pay rent
Rental Application Fee
Rental application forms typically require a rental application fee. In Missouri, there is no maximum amount for this fee. However, fees that are unreasonably expensive will discourage most tenants, so it is in the landlords’ best interest to keep the fee within an affordable range. All prospective tenants must be charged the same amount.
If the landlord is hiring a third party for the background check, the rental application fee is meant to cover its cost. In cases where the landlord will perform the check, the application fee is considered an administrative cost.
Security Deposits
Landlords can charge a maximum security deposit equivalent to two months’ rent. The security deposit is refundable and should be returned to the tenant within 30 days after the tenancy ends.
The landlord may keep part of the deposit or its entirety if there is damage to the residential property. However, they should give the tenant an itemized list of deductions if they will not be returning the entire amount.
It is the tenant’s right to be present during the landlord’s move-out inspection when deductions to the security deposits are decided. So, the landlord should give the tenant appropriate notice of the inspection schedule (MO Rev Stat § 535.300 (2021)).