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State law · statute quotes

Missouri security deposit laws for landlords and property managers

The words of Missouri's security deposit statute on each topic, quoted verbatim with pinpoint citations and links to the official source. No summaries, no interpretation.

Reviewed by Mark Shvaya, licensed California real estate broker (DRE #02243502), who uses ProFlow360 in a rental portfolio Mark manages

Last reviewed

Quoted on this page

  • Deposit limit
  • Returning the deposit
  • Itemized statement
  • Inspections and condition reports
  • Photographs
  • Normal wear and tear
  • Interest
  • Wrongful withholding

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300

On this page
  1. Inspections and condition reports
  2. Deposit limit
  3. Returning the deposit
  4. Itemized statement
  5. Normal wear and tear
  6. Interest
  7. Wrongful withholding
  8. Recent changes
  9. Documenting a tenancy
  10. Nearby states
  11. Sources

What this page covers

Missouri's residential security deposit provisions quoted here come from Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300. Below are the statute's own words on 7 topics, each with a pinpoint citation and a link to the official text. This page does not summarize or interpret the law.

What does Missouri law say about move-in or move-out inspections?

5. The landlord shall give the tenant or his representative reasonable notice in writing ... of the date and time when the landlord will inspect the dwelling unit following the termination of the rental agreement to determine the amount of the security deposit to be withheld, and the inspection shall be held at a reasonable time.
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300(5)Official source

What does Missouri law say about the amount of a security deposit?

1. A landlord may not demand or receive a security deposit in excess of two months' rent.
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300(1)Official source

What does Missouri law say about returning the deposit?

3. Within thirty days after the date of termination of the tenancy, the landlord shall: (1) Return the full amount of the security deposit; or (2) Furnish to the tenant a written itemized list of the damages for which the security deposit or any portion thereof is withheld, along with the balance of the security deposit.
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300(3)Official source

What does Missouri law say about an itemized statement of deductions?

(2) Furnish to the tenant a written itemized list of the damages for which the security deposit or any portion thereof is withheld, along with the balance of the security deposit.
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300(3)Official source

How does Missouri law refer to normal wear and tear?

(2) To restore the dwelling unit to its condition at the commencement of the tenancy, ordinary wear and tear excepted;
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300(4)(2)Official source

What does Missouri law say about interest on deposits?

Any interest earned on a security deposit shall be the property of the landlord.
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300(2)Official source

What does Missouri law say about wrongful withholding?

6. If the landlord wrongfully withholds all or any portion of the security deposit in violation of this section, the tenant shall recover as damages twice the amount wrongfully withheld.
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300(6)Official source

Not quoted on this page

photographs. That does not mean Missouri law is silent on them; other sections or local rules may apply. Read the full statute.

Has Missouri's security deposit law changed recently?

From our review of the official history notes: (L. 1983 H.B. 175 § 1, A.L. 2016 H.B. 1862, A.L. 2018 S.B. 581); current version effective 8/28/2018. No 2024-2026 amendment.

How does ProFlow360 help you document a Missouri tenancy?

ProFlow360 records and organizes inspection evidence; it does not tell you what the statute requires or allows. What it records, for any state:

  • Move-in, routine, pre-move-out and move-out inspections with photos timestamped at capture.
  • Each move-out photo beside its move-in match, filed under the tenancy.
  • Itemized lines with your classification, the amount you entered, and the estimate or invoice attached.
  • An issued record that is sealed, shared by a link that expires and can be revoked.

Do this in ProFlow360

Keep the photos, the call and the invoice on the same line

Every deduction line carries the move-in and move-out photos, your classification and its documents, so the record can be followed by someone who was not there.

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Kitchen · counter burn, left of range

Line 2 of 5 · TEN-0418

$180.00
1
MI-21 · Jul 12, 2024
MO-29 · Sep 30, 2026
2
Tenant damageAvery Chen · Oct 2, 2026
3
Amount you entered$180.00 · from estimate
4
Ridgeline estimate.pdfInvoice 2291.pdf
5
Move-inPeriodicMove-outClassifiedIssued

Security deposit statutes in nearby states

Sources

  1. 1.Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300: Security deposits, limitation - holding of security deposits, requirements - return of deposit or notice of damages, when - withholding deposit, when - tenant's right to damages - security deposit defined.

Sources checked October 16, 2026.

Keep reading

Normal wear and tear vs damageHow operators commonly categorize what changed, room by room.Read moreSecurity deposit dispositionWhat an itemized statement should contain, line by line.Read moreMove-in / move-out checklistFree room-by-room checklist with a PDF download.Read more

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