St. Louis County, MO Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)

3 puts the heating obligation on 'every owner and operator' who rents, leases or lets a dwelling unit, rooming unit, dormitory or guestroom, whether the promise to supply heat is written into the lease or simply implied by the arrangement. The mandated minimum, 68 degrees Fahrenheit, applies to every habitable room plus bathrooms and toilet rooms, and it runs on a fixed calendar window, October 1 through May 15, regardless of an unusually warm or cold winter. The only carve-out in the section is for extreme cold: if the outdoor temperature drops below the winter outdoor design temperature set by the Residential and Mechanical Codes for the area, the landlord is not in violation for failing to hit 68 degrees provided the heating system is already running at its full design capacity, meaning the furnace has to be maxed out, not simply left on a low setting.

Habitability under the same 2015 ICC Property Maintenance Code chapter also covers electrical service. 2 requires at least two separate and remote receptacle outlets in every habitable space, at least one grounded or GFCI-protected outlet in the laundry area, and GFCI protection on every bathroom receptacle. 4 sets a parallel, lower heating floor of 65 degrees Fahrenheit for occupiable work spaces during the same October-to-May window, though it exempts processing and storage areas needing special temperatures and spaces where occupants do vigorous physical work. Complaints about a landlord who will not supply heat or fix bare wiring go to the Department of Transportation and Public Works, the same office that enforces the rest of the Property Maintenance Code and can issue a written notice of violation with a correction deadline.