Missouri Eviction Notice and Process

Missouri evictions go through the courts. In a rent-and-possession (nonpayment) case, RSMo 535.010 lets a landlord recover possession on default, and RSMo 535.020 requires filing "a statement, verified by affidavit" stating that "payment has been demanded... and payment thereof has not been made"; the clerk then issues a summons for the tenant to show cause. Notably, 535.020 states the section 441.060 notice "is not required prior to filing" a rent-and-possession action, so a separate termination notice is not a precondition for nonpayment suits. A landlord may instead use unlawful detainer (Chapter 534) against a holdover or wrongful occupant. For tenants who violate sections 441.020/441.030 (unlawful or prohibited use), RSMo 441.040 requires "ten days' notice to vacate the premises" before re-entry.

No specific statutory penalty against landlords following the process; self-help lockouts are improper. A landlord proceeding without the required rent demand (nonpayment) or ten-day notice (for-cause under 441.040) risks dismissal of the action and continued tenant possession.