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Missouri Rental Agreement

Landlord Advice

A Missouri rental agreement is a formal document signed by a landlord and someone who wishes to rent their property for residential or commercial purposes. The federal law requires all states in the United States to include certain elements in their rental and lease agreements. It’s important to note that all rental agreement should include the following information:

  • Name and address of both tenant and landlord
  • Address of the property
  • Rent and other payment information
  • Property guidelines and disclosures

However, states may differ on some important issues which can cause slight variations when writing rental agreements. For example, the state of Arizona restricts the amount that a landlord can request a security deposit, but in Colorado, this amount is not restricted.

How to write a Missouri rental agreement

If you want to create a standard Missouri rental agreement, below is a brief explanation on how you can do it.

You will need to provide information about the property being rented. Such information includes premise type, address, city, state and zip code. You can add extra details such as the number of bathrooms, bedrooms and extras such as storage areas in this section.

A standard rental agreement should include information regarding property guidelines. Our Missouri rental agreement form allows you to inform your tenants what allowed and what not allowed in the premise. You should also write down the number of days’ notice you’ll give to enter the premise for a non-emergency.

Other details you’re required to fill in the rental agreement template include information about the term of the agreement, payment information and penalties, tenant responsibilities, utilities, lead paint disclosure and amenities & extras.

Security deposits requirements in Missouri

In Missouri, a landlord should not request more than two month’s rent as a security deposit. The security deposit minus damage cost must be refunded within 30 days after the termination of a rental agreement.

Additionally, the tenant is required by the Missouri law to dispose of waste in a sanitary manner and must refrain from the unreasonable use of all heating, plumbing and electrical fixtures.

Disclosures in a Missouri rental agreement

If the property was built before 1978, the federal law requires you to give a lead paint disclosure in your rental agreement.

The importance of a formal rental agreement

Although there is no legal requirement for you to commit to a formal rental agreement, it’s important to ensure that all tenants have signed a written tenancy agreement before letting them into your rental property.

A formal rental agreement protects your position as a landlord and also regulates how tenants use your property. If you intend to request a security deposit which is governed by Missouri laws, you will need to make a rental agreement. A formal rental agreement also helps outline the responsibilities of both the tenant and the landlord thus preventing misunderstandings which could result in a dispute.

Free Missouri rental agreement

You can access our Missouri rental agreement form for free. You will get a preview of the final agreement document for free. However, we charge a small fee to have the final document downloaded to your computer in different file formats for printing.