Missouri Rent Increase Notice

Introduction

Key Things to Know

1. 1

   A rent increase notice is the written notice a Missouri landlord gives a tenant to raise the rent on a home, naming the new monthly rent and the day the higher rent begins.

2. 2

   Missouri has no rent-increase-only clock; the landlord reaches a higher rent by closing the month-to-month arrangement and offering a fresh one at the higher figure.

3. 3

   The landlord ends a month-to-month tenancy with a written notice that the tenancy will end on a periodic rent-paying date not less than one month after the tenant receives it (Mo. Rev. Stat. 441.060), so a full month passes before the new rent applies.

4. 4

   That one-month count runs to a rent-paying date, not from a fixed calendar day; if rent falls due on the first, the notice should go out before the first of the prior month so a whole period clears.

5. 5

   Missouri sets no statewide ceiling and no statewide percentage limit, so the landlord chooses the new figure once the tenancy is properly ended.

6. 6

   Cities and counties are shut out of the field: none may enact, maintain, or enforce an ordinance regulating the amount of rent for privately owned residential property (Mo. Rev. Stat. 441.043).

7. 7

   Rent under a fixed-term lease cannot move mid-term unless the lease allows it; a raise reaches a month-to-month tenant only after the current arrangement is properly closed.

Missouri Requirements for Rent Increase Notice

• One Month Notice on a Month-to-Month

  Missouri has no statute setting a day-count only for a rent increase. A landlord raises rent by ending the month-to-month tenancy with a written notice that the tenancy will terminate on a rent-paying date not less than one month after the tenant receives it (Mo. Rev. Stat. 441.060), and offering a new tenancy at the higher rent. The tenant gets at least that notice before the new rent applies.

• Notice Runs to a Rent-Paying Date

  The one-month notice runs to a periodic rent-paying date (Mo. Rev. Stat. 441.060). If rent is due on the first of the month, the notice should be given before the first of the preceding month so that a full rental period passes before the new tenancy and the new rent begin.

• No Statewide Rent Cap

  Missouri has no statewide rent cap and no statewide percentage limit. A landlord may set the new amount, as long as the tenancy is properly ended and the increase is not for a retaliatory or discriminatory reason.

• Local Rent Control Is Preempted

  Local rent control is preempted: no county or city may enact, maintain, or enforce any ordinance or resolution regulating the amount of rent for privately owned residential property (Mo. Rev. Stat. 441.043). Cities such as Kansas City, St. Louis, and Springfield cannot cap private rent increases, so the statewide notice rule governs.

• No Mid-Lease Increase on a Fixed Term

  Rent on a fixed-term lease cannot be raised during the term unless the lease specifically allows it, because the rent is a fixed term of the contract. A rent increase reaches a month-to-month tenant only after the existing tenancy is ended by at least one month written notice, or it takes effect when a fixed-term lease renews.

• Delivery of the Notice

  The landlord should serve the notice ending the month-to-month tenancy and the notice of the new rent in writing, in a way that reliably reaches the tenant, such as personal delivery or mail (Mo. Rev. Stat. 441.060). Missouri does not fix a delivery method, so using certified mail or hand delivery with an acknowledgment and keeping proof of service helps if the increase is later disputed.

• What the Notice Must State

  The notice should identify the landlord and tenant, give the rental address, state the current monthly rent and the new monthly rent, and state the effective date, give at least the one month Mo. Rev. Stat. 441.060 requires, and offer a new tenancy at the higher rent. It should also state how rent is to be paid.

• Short Notice Is Not Yet Effective

  A rent increase served without properly ending the month-to-month tenancy, or with less than the one month Mo. Rev. Stat. 441.060 requires, does not take effect on the stated date. A tenant may continue paying the prior rent until a valid notice ending the tenancy and offer of a new tenancy have run. An increase for a retaliatory or discriminatory reason cannot be enforced.