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.
Mo. Rev. Stat. §535.300 controls security deposits for St. Louis tenants. Landlords may not collect more than two months' rent as a security deposit, must hold deposits in trust, and must return funds within thirty days of the tenant's lease end and notice of departure. Within that window the landlord must either return the full deposit or provide a written itemized list of damages and lawful deductions. A landlord who wrongfully withholds a deposit may be liable to the tenant for up to twice the amount wrongfully withheld. The city does not impose stricter local caps because rental-deposit standards are governed by state law.
Wrongful withholding can expose a landlord to a tenant lawsuit for double damages, plus court costs, and complaints through the Missouri Attorney General's consumer-protection division.
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See how St. Louis's security deposit rules rules stack up against other locations.
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