Feature article: Housing
What do you know about Missouri landlord-tenant law?
By Cynthia E. Crawford, Ph.D., and Carole Bozworth, Ph.D., family financial education specialists, University of Missouri Extension; Adapted by Brenda Procter, M.S., state specialist & instructor, Personal Financial Planning, University of Missouri Extension
Missouri landlords do not always know all they need to
know about laws to protect the rights of themselves and
tenants. Unfortunately, some landlords do know the law
but take advantage of renters who do not. Landlord
tenant law is specific to individual states. Here is a
quiz to help you learn about Missouri’s laws. Circle
your answers and then check them against the correct
answers below.
- Which of the following actions can get a
tenant evicted?
a. Damage to the property
b. Failure to pay rent
c. Violation of the terms of the lease
d. Allowing drug-related criminal activity on the property
e. All of the above - You return to your apartment one day and find
all of your belongings outside and new locks on the
door. Your landlord says that she had the right to
evict you for failing to pay rent.
a. True
b. False - You ask the landlord to make a repair to your
apartment. She doesn’t do it, so you can legally
quit paying rent.
a. True
b. False - You pay your rent late, so your landlord
decides to turn off your electricity and water until
you pay rent. The landlord is legally allowed to
turn off utilities to punish late payments.
a. True
b. False - You have given your landlord proper notice
that you will not renew your lease. You wake up in
the middle of the night to find your landlord
inspecting the apartment for damages. The landlord
tells you he can inspect for damages any time during
the last month of the lease.
a. True
b. False - Your landlord catches you selling illegal
drugs from your apartment. You receive a written
court order from the local county court ordering you
to immediately vacate the apartment. You argue that
you are entitled to more notice.
a. True
b. False - If you get evicted, the eviction will
probably show up on your credit report in the
future.
a. True
b. False - Your landlord keeps all of your security
deposit to cover damage that you can prove was from
normal use. You may sue to recover up to double the
amount that was withheld.
a. True
b. False
Answers:
- The answer is e. All of the above!
- The answer is b. False!
Not paying rent can get you evicted, but a landlord must get a court order first. For a legal eviction, you must get a written notice from the landlord that an eviction lawsuit has been filed. You also get a chance to tell the court your side of the story before they issue an order. - The answer is b. False!
Landlords must make needed repairs, but not paying rent can get you evicted. In some cases a tenant may make repairs and deduct the cost from the rent, but only if certain conditions are true. Go to the Missouri attorney general’s Web site at http://ago.mo.gov/Consumer-Protection.htm or call the toll-free consumer protection hotline at 1-800-392-8222 to find out what your rights are. - The answer is b. False!
The landlord cannot get your utilities turned off unless it is for health and safety reasons. - The answer is b. False!
The landlord must notify you of the time and date he plans to inspect the dwelling. You have the right to be present at the inspection, which you should do if possible, and the inspection must be at a reasonable time. - The answer is b. False!
The landlord can evict you right away. By law, county courts can order the quick eviction of tenants involved in drug-related criminal activity or violence, even when they do not get arrested. Prior written notice is not required. - The answer is a. True!
An eviction is a legal proceeding and may show on your credit report. That’s why landlords usually check your credit report before renting to you. If you get evicted, it can be hard to get into rental property in the future. - The answer is a. True!
You have the right to sue to get twice the amount the landlord should not have kept.
Learn more about Missouri’s landlord-tenant laws from
a free booklet you can order from the Missouri attorney
general Web site at
http://ago.mo.gov/publications/landlordtenant.htm.
Or, take an additional set of quiz questions at http://ago.mo.gov/cgi-bin/ConsumerCorner/quizzes/Landlord-Tenant-Law.cgi.
Adapted from You’re Out! Missouri’s Landlord Tenant Laws by Sandra McKinnon, M.S., and Cynthia E. Crawford, Ph.D., family financial education specialists, University of Missouri Extension.
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Last update: Tuesday, May 05, 2009
