How much a landlord can charge, and which deductions are actually legal
This page covers how much a landlord may charge in Missouri, and which deductions from a residential deposit are lawful. It assumes the tenancy has ended and the question is what may be withheld.
It does not cover:
Two months' rent (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300(1)). A landlord may not demand or receive a security deposit in excess of two months' rent.
Caps frequently carry exceptions — smaller landlords, furnished units, or pets are treated differently in most states. Read the provision itself rather than relying on the headline figure.
| Claimed deduction | Permitted in Missouri |
|---|---|
| Amounts reasonably necessary to remedy a tenant's default in payment of rent | Permitted, if substantiated |
| Amounts reasonably necessary to restore the dwelling unit to its condition at the start of the tenancy, ordinary wear and tear excepted | Permitted, if substantiated |
| Carpet cleaning costs (only if the rental agreement provides for it and actual costs exceed ordinary wear) | Permitted, if substantiated |
| Actual damages from the tenant's failure to give adequate notice to terminate (with mitigation) | Permitted, if substantiated |
| Claimed deduction | Permitted in Missouri |
|---|---|
| Ordinary wear and tear | Not permitted |
| Any amount withheld without a written itemized list within 30 days | Not permitted |
| Any amount wrongfully withheld (triggers 2x damages) | Not permitted |
Whether a specific charge is lawful depends on the facts — how old the damage is, whether the lease addressed it, and whether the landlord can document the cost. A charge being in the "permitted" column does not make it automatically collectable.
The landlord must furnish a written itemized list of damages within 30 days. Wrongful withholding of any portion entitles the tenant to twice the amount wrongfully withheld.
In Missouri the burden sits with the landlord. This matters strategically: if the burden is theirs, your task is to request the documentation rather than to prove the deduction wrong. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300(3), (6) ↗
A landlord who withholds in bad faith may be liable for 2x the portion wrongfully withheld.
If the landlord wrongfully withholds all or any portion of the security deposit in violation of this section, the tenant shall recover as damages twice the amount wrongfully withheld. The basis is the amount wrongfully withheld, not the full deposit.
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300(6) ↗On wrongful withholding of any portion, the tenant recovers twice the amount wrongfully withheld — keyed to the withheld portion, not the full deposit.
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300(6) ↗Missouri's limitations period for actions on a written contract is 10 years (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.110(1)) — substantially longer than the 6-year norm in most states.
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.110 ↗Any interest earned on a Missouri security deposit belongs to the landlord, not the tenant — unlike Maryland or New Jersey, which credit interest to the tenant.
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300(2) ↗““I kept the deposit for damages.””
Missouri requires return of the full deposit or a written itemized list of damages plus the balance within 30 days. Without that, you have wrongfully withheld, and I am entitled to twice the amount wrongfully withheld.
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300(3), (6)
““You were not there for the inspection.””
You were required to give me reasonable written notice of the inspection and I had the right to be present. Failure to provide that notice does not defeat my claim.
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300(5)
““The deposit covered normal wear.””
Ordinary wear and tear is expressly excepted. You may withhold only for rent defaults or restoration beyond ordinary wear.
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300(4)(2)
Some widely circulated summaries of Missouri deposit law state things the statute does not say. We list the disagreements rather than picking a side silently.
| Source | What it says |
|---|---|
| Some multi-state checklists | 2x the deposit |
| Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300(6) | twice the amount wrongfully withheld |
What we follow: 2x the amount wrongfully withheld
The statute says "twice the amount wrongfully withheld," keyed to the withheld portion, not the full deposit.
Every figure on this page comes from the official text, not from a summary. The table below lists each provision used and the date it was last checked against the source.
| Statute | Last verified | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300(3) | 2026-10-15 | official text ↗ |
| Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300(6) | 2026-10-15 | official text ↗ |
| Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300(3), (6) | 2026-10-15 | official text ↗ |
| Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300(1) | 2026-10-15 | official text ↗ |
| Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.110 | 2026-10-15 | official text ↗ |
| Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300(2) | 2026-10-15 | official text ↗ |
Primary reference: Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300. Where the official text and a secondary summary disagree, this page follows the official text and says so. Amendments are recorded on the site changelog.
A self-help letter is the right starting point for a single deposit you can document. Get legal help if:
Local legal aid organisations and tenant unions offer free help for qualifying cases. They are independent of this site — we list them because they are the right place to go, not because they link here.
Missouri Security Deposit Return
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The statute does not permit deductions for: ordinary wear and tear; any amount withheld without a written itemized list within 30 days; any amount wrongfully withheld (triggers 2x damages).
The landlord. The landlord must furnish a written itemized list of damages within 30 days. Wrongful withholding of any portion entitles the tenant to twice the amount wrongfully withheld.
Two months' rent (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300(1)). A landlord may not demand or receive a security deposit in excess of two months' rent.
No. Ordinary wear and tear