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Landlord Retaliation Laws in Missouri

Missouri's landlord-tenant chapters (RSMo chapters 441 and 535) contain no general section barring landlord retaliation.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Missouri at a glance

Retaliation banned by statute
No statute
No retaliation section appears in RSMo chapter 441 (Landlord and Tenant) or chapter 535 (Landlord-Tenant Actions).
Presumption period
No presumption period
Protected tenant actions
None set by statute

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Missouri

Does Missouri law prohibit landlord retaliation against tenants?

No statute. Retaliation banned by statute in Missouri: no statute. No retaliation section appears in RSMo chapter 441 (Landlord and Tenant) or chapter 535 (Landlord-Tenant Actions).

How long after a tenant complaint is retaliation presumed in Missouri?

Presumption period in Missouri: No presumption period.

Which tenant actions are protected from retaliation in Missouri?

Protected tenant actions in Missouri: None set by statute.

Where do the Missouri landlord retaliation laws come from?

The rules above come from RSMo Chapter 441 (Missouri Revisor of Statutes) and RSMo Chapter 535 (Missouri Revisor of Statutes). Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

What this means in practice

Keep a written record of every complaint, repair request and report to a government agency, with dates. A presumption period usually runs from the date of the protected action, so proof of that date can matter.

Retaliation protection does not usually excuse unpaid rent or lease violations. Statutes commonly allow a landlord to raise rent, end a tenancy or evict for a good-faith reason, such as nonpayment, damage to the unit or a rent increase applied to all tenants.

If a rent increase, service cut or eviction notice follows a complaint, read the statute for your state and any local ordinance. Cities and counties may add protections, and a local legal aid office or tenant union can explain how they apply.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.