Rental Property Rules in St. Louis, MO (2026)
11 verified rental property rules for St. Louis, Missouri, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Rent Control
Rent control is prohibited in Missouri. Under RSMo 441.043, political subdivisions including St. Louis cannot enact ordinances controlling rent on private residential property. Market-rate rent increases are legal regardless of amount.
Rental Property: Rent Control
Few RestrictionsRSMo § 441.043
441.043. Prohibited ordinances and resolutions, exceptions. — 1. No county or city, or county or city with a charter form of government may enact, maintain, or enforce any ordinance or resolution which regulates the amount of rent to be charged for privately-owned, single-family, or multiple-unit residential or commercial rental property. 2. No county or city, or county or city with a charter f...
Just Cause Eviction
St. Louis follows Missouri statutory landlord-tenant law. Missouri does not require just cause for eviction. Month-to-month tenancies terminate with one full rental period written notice under RSMo Chapter 441, and nonpayment evictions follow RSMo Chapter 535 rent-and-possession procedures.
Rental Property: Just Cause Eviction
Few RestrictionsRental Registration
St. Louis requires a Certificate of Inspection for one and two-family rentals at change of occupancy, plus occupancy permits for tenants. Larger multifamily properties must obtain a Conditional Use Permit and pass periodic building inspections administered by the Building Division.
Rental Property: Rental Registration
Some RestrictionsRelocation Assistance
St. Louis does not have a broad citywide relocation-assistance ordinance for no-fault evictions, but tenants displaced by code-condemned buildings or federally funded projects may qualify for state, federal, or Building Division-coordinated relocation aid.
Limited Relocation Assistance for Displaced Tenants
Few RestrictionsSecurity Deposit Rules
Missouri statute caps residential security deposits at two months' rent and requires landlords to return the deposit within thirty days of move-out with an itemized statement of any deductions, applied to all St. Louis rentals.
Security Deposit Capped at Two Months' Rent
Some RestrictionsCash-for-Keys Agreements
St. Louis does not regulate cash-for-keys negotiations between landlords and tenants, so payment-to-vacate agreements are private contracts governed by general Missouri contract law and ordinary court enforcement.
Cash-For-Keys Is Private, Not Regulated
Few RestrictionsNo-Fault Evictions
Missouri permits no-fault termination of month-to-month tenancies in St. Louis with one month's written notice, and there is no city just-cause-eviction ordinance limiting the landlord's reasons for ending tenancy.
No-Fault Termination Allowed With Notice
Few RestrictionsTenant Anti-Harassment
St. Louis lacks a stand-alone anti-harassment ordinance, but state law and city housing-conservation rules prohibit lockouts, utility shutoffs, threats, and self-help eviction against residential tenants in occupied units.
Tenant Anti-Harassment Through State Law
Some RestrictionsSource-of-Income Discrimination
St. Louis amended its civil-rights ordinance to prohibit housing discrimination based on lawful source of income, including Section 8 vouchers, Social Security, child support, and veterans benefits, beyond Missouri's narrower state law.
Source-of-Income Protection in St. Louis
Some RestrictionsSection 8 Voucher Acceptance
The St. Louis Housing Authority administers federal Housing Choice Vouchers and project-based units, while the city's source-of-income ordinance limits landlords' ability to refuse voucher holders solely because of voucher status.
Section 8 Vouchers Through STLHA
Some RestrictionsEviction Moratorium History
During the COVID-19 emergency, St. Louis paused eviction filings and used CDC and CARES Act protections, but no local moratorium remains in effect today, and standard Missouri eviction procedure now governs all cases.