St. Louis, MO Rental Property Rules: Rent Control (2026)
Rent control rules in St. Louis, MO, also known as rent stabilization or rent cap ordinances, limit annual rent increases and protect tenants from displacement.
Key Facts
- State Preemption
- RSMo 441.043
- Local Rent Control
- Prohibited
- Rent Increases
- Any amount legal
- Notice
- 30 days month-to-month
- Federal Programs
- Section 8 and LIHTC exempted
Summary
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.
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 form of government, shall enact, maintain, or enforce any ordinance or resolution that: (1) Prohibits landlords from refusing to lease or rent a privately owned, single-family, or multiple-unit residential or commercial rental property to a person because the person's lawful source of income to pay rent includes funding from a federal or other housing assistance program; (2) Restricts a landlord's ability to use or consider income-qualifying methods, credit scores, credit reports, eviction or property damage history, or criminal history, according to such landlord's own customarily applied criteria, or prohibits landlords from requesting such information, to determine whether to rent or lease a property to a prospective tenant; (3) Limits the amount of security deposit a landlord may require from a prospective tenant; or (4) Requires tenants to automatically receive the right of first refusal. 3. This section shall not be construed as prohibiting any county or city, or any authority created by a county or city for that purpose, from: (1) Regulating in any way property belonging to that city, county, or authority; (2) Entering into voluntary agreements with private persons which regulate the amount of rent charged for subsidized rental properties; or (3) Enacting ordinances or resolutions restricting rent for properties assisted with community development block grant funds.
Full Breakdown
Missouri Revised Statutes §441.043 expressly preempts local rent control: no city, county, or political subdivision may enact, maintain, or enforce any ordinance or resolution that would have the effect of controlling the amount of rent charged for leasing private residential or commercial property. This preemption has been in place since the 1990s and applies uniformly across Missouri. St. Louis therefore cannot impose rent caps, rent stabilization, or vacancy control. Landlords may raise rent by any amount with proper notice (typically 30 days for month-to-month tenancies under RSMo 441.060). Federal programs like HUD Section 8 and LIHTC operate under their own rent rules independent of local control. Lease terms are enforceable; mid-lease rent increases require lease provisions or mutual agreement. Tenant protections in St. Louis focus on habitability and anti-discrimination rather than rent control.
Violations & Fines
No city enforcement against rent increases. Tenants experiencing improper notice or habitability violations can pursue remedies through housing court.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can St. Louis cap rent increases?
How much notice must my landlord give to raise rent?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Louis
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