Columbia, MO Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)
Key Facts
- Heat season
- Sept 1 to June 1
- Minimum overnight temp
- 60°F (16°C)
- Egress requirement
- Openable window/door from basement bedrooms
- Code
- IPMC §§ 602.3, 702.4.1, amended
- Penalty
- $25-$500 fine or 3 months jail
Summary
Columbia's Property Maintenance Code requires landlords to supply heat of at least 60°F from September through May in every rented dwelling, rooming, or dormitory unit in the city.
602.3 Heat supply. Every owner and operator of any building who rents, leases or lets one or more dwelling units, rooming units, dormitory or guest rooms on terms, either express or implied, to furnish heat to the occupants thereof shall supply sufficient heat during the period from September 1 to June 1 to maintain the room temperatures specified in Section 602.2 during the hours between 6:30 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. of each day and not less than 60 degrees F. (16 degrees C.) during other hours.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 138).
Full Breakdown
Under City Code § 6-72's amendment to the adopted 2018 International Property Maintenance Code, § 602.3 requires every owner or operator who rents dwelling units, rooming units, dormitories, or guest rooms in Columbia to supply enough heat from September 1 through June 1 to hold the temperatures set in § 602.2 between 6:30 a.m. and 10:30 p.m., and not less than 60°F the rest of the day. A companion habitability provision, § 702.4.1, requires every basement sleeping room in Use Group I-1 or R occupancies to have an openable emergency-egress window or door, or two independent exits, and bars eliminating an existing egress window.
Violations & Fines
Failing to supply required heat or maintain emergency egress is a Property Maintenance Code misdemeanor: $25 to $500 fine, up to three months in jail, or both, per day of violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is my Columbia, Missouri landlord required to provide heat?
Do basement bedrooms in Columbia rentals need a window?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Columbia
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