How eviction works step by step, and what defenses you have at each stage
This page covers the eviction process in Missouri for a residential tenancy — the notices a landlord must serve, the timeline, and what you can do at each stage.
It does not cover commercial leases, or mobile home parks where a separate statute applies. Where a city has its own rules, those may differ from the state statute below.
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.020 — 欠租驱逐：房东在租金到期、已 demand 且未获付款后，可直接向 associate circuit judge 提交 rent-and-possession 之诉，无需先送达终止通知。
密苏里驱逐分两轨：欠租走 Chapter 535 的 rent-and-possession（无固定 pay-or-quit 天数，仅需 demand）；违约/非法使用走 Chapter 534 的 unlawful detainer（须 10 天 notice to vacate）。月租终止 1 个月通知（441.060）。仅法院判决由 sheriff 执行。
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.020 ↗Applies when: 欠租
Counted from: 租金到期且已 demand 未获付款（无固定天数）
Service: 仅需 demand（口头或书面均可，书面更利于举证），无需 pay-or-quit 通知。
· 535.020：欠租无需先送达 441.060 终止通知，房东可直接提交 rent-and-possession 之诉。
· 535.040：租客在开庭时或判决前付清全部欠租 + 费用，法院不判 possession（pay-and-stay）。
· 535.160：判决日付清欠租 + 费用，程序停止并 stay。
· 传票须开庭前至少 4 天送达（535.030），开庭 ≤ 21 个工作日。
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.020; 535.040; 535.160 ↗Applies when: 非法使用 / 重大违约（赌博、妓院、毒品等 441.020/441.030 情形）
Counted from: 书面 notice to vacate 送达后
Service: 书面 10 天 notice to vacate（非 notice to cure，租客无纠正机会）。
· 441.040：违反 441.020（赌博/妓院/毒品）或 441.030（擅自转租/违约）的，房东可给 10 天 notice to vacate。
· 这是「搬离」通知，不是「纠正」通知。
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.040 ↗Applies when: 月租 / 任意期限不足 1 年租约无过错终止
Counted from: 书面通知送达，须落在租金支付日
Service: 书面通知，至少 1 个月（须跨过下一个租金支付日）。
· 441.060：月租/at will/at sufferance/<1 年租约，任一方可给 1 个月书面通知终止，须落在租金支付日。
· 密苏里法院将「1 个月」解释为完整日历月，非固定 30 天。
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.060 ↗密苏里禁止自力救济（441.233）：房东不得换锁、拆门窗、断水电或擅自搬物；违法者承担损害赔偿责任。仅法院判决由执行官员执行。
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.233 ↗“「欠租了，我换锁断电赶你走。」”
密苏里驱逐只能走法院程序，仅执行官员依判决交付 possession。擅自换锁/断电构成非法自力救济（441.233），你可主张损害赔偿。
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.233
“「我要你立刻搬走，不给你付租机会。」”
虽然密苏里欠租无固定 pay-or-quit 天数，但你仍可在开庭时或判决前付清全部欠租 + 费用赎回（535.040/535.160），法院不得判 possession。
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.040; 535.160
“「你投诉了房屋问题，我报复性驱逐你。」”
密苏里无州级反报复成文法，但你可援引联邦 Fair Housing Act（42 U.S.C. § 3601 et seq.）主张基于受保护行为的歧视性驱逐，或将报复作为普通法抗辩。
42 U.S.C. § 3601 et seq. (federal Fair Housing Act)
非法自力救济的房东对租客承担损害赔偿责任（441.233）。
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.233 ↗Every figure on this page comes from the official text or a state court opinion, not from a summary. The table below lists each provision used and the date it was last checked.
| Statute | Last verified | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.020 | 2026-10-16 | official text ↗ |
| Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.020; 535.040; 535.160 | 2026-10-16 | official text ↗ |
| Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.040 | 2026-10-16 | official text ↗ |
| Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.060 | 2026-10-16 | official text ↗ |
| Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.030 | 2026-10-16 | official text ↗ |
| Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.040; 535.160 | 2026-10-16 | official text ↗ |
| Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.040 | 2026-10-16 | official text ↗ |
| Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.233 | 2026-10-16 | official text ↗ |
Where the official text and a secondary summary disagree, this page follows the official text and says so. Where a provision admits of more than one reading, that is flagged rather than smoothed over.
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10 or 30 days depending on the grounds, counted from service of the notice. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.020
密苏里禁止自力救济（441.233）：房东不得换锁、拆门窗、断水电或擅自搬物；违法者承担损害赔偿责任。仅法院判决由执行官员执行。
The timeline starts only on valid service. 仅需 demand（口头或书面均可，书面更利于举证），无需 pay-or-quit 通知。