Missouri Repair Request Letter to Landlord
A free Missouri repair request letter to landlord that follows Missouri law. Fill in the boxes, check the rules below, then print or copy it. Keep a copy and proof of how you sent it.
What Missouri law says
| Repair and deduct | Allowed in narrow cases: tenant must have lived there 6 consecutive months, be current on rent, and have no uncured written lease-violation notice. The condition must affect habitability, sanitation, or security and violate a local housing/building code. Reasonable repair cost must be under $300 or one-half month's rent, whichever is greater, but never more than one month's rent. Tenant gives written notice; landlord has 14 days (or promptly in an emergency) to fix. Tenant then gives an itemized statement with receipts. Total deductions are capped at one month's rent in any 12-month period. Source: RSMo 441.234 |
|---|---|
| Withholding rent | No general right to withhold rent. The AG says a tenant who withholds rent may be evicted. Exceptions: repair-and-deduct under 441.234, and court-ordered rent payments in a deficient-housing/nuisance receivership action, which are a defense to eviction for nonpayment. Source: RSMo 441.234; 441.570-441.580 |
| Landlord retaliation | No general statewide anti-retaliation statute for residential tenants. |
| Heat | No statewide minimum temperature or heating season for rentals. Heat requirements come from local housing codes and the lease. By statute, in master-metered multi-unit buildings, the utility must post notice 5 days before shutting off heat-related service for the owner's nonpayment. Tenants may then petition for a receiver, and service may not be cut while the petition is pending. Source: RSMo 441.650; ch. 441 (checked) |
| Mold | No statute — Missouri has no mold disclosure or remediation law. Missouri courts recognize an implied warranty of habitability as case law, not statute. Local housing codes set specific standards. If a condition that detrimentally affects habitability or sanitation violates a local housing or building code, an eligible tenant may use the statutory repair-and-deduct remedy. To qualify, the tenant must have lived there 6 consecutive months, be current on rent, and have no uncured lease-violation notices. |
Fill in your letter
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To: [landlord or manager name], [landlord address]
From: [your name], tenant at [rental address]
I am asking you to repair the following problems at my rental: [describe each problem, where it is, and when it started].
I first reported this on [date first reported] by [phone, text, email, portal or letter].
Please make these repairs by [date]. You may enter to make repairs after giving the notice required by law; times that work for me: [access times].
Missouri law protects tenants from retaliation for asking for repairs (RSMo Chs. 441, 534 and 535 (no section on retaliation)).
Date: [today's date]
Tenant: [your name]
Signature: ____________________
How to send it: use a method you can prove — certified mail with return receipt, or email/text if your lease allows notices that way. Write down the date.
Repair Request Letter to Landlord templates for other states · All Missouri landlord-tenant rules · Free legal help in Missouri
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.