Missouri Security Deposit Demand Letter
A free Missouri security deposit demand letter 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
| Deposit return deadline | Within 30 days after the tenancy ends, the landlord must return the full deposit or send an itemized list of damages along with any remaining balance. Mailing to the tenant's last known address satisfies the duty. Source: RSMo 535.300.3 |
|---|---|
| Itemized deductions | Required. Withholding must be listed in a written itemized list of damages. Allowed deductions: unpaid rent; restoring the unit beyond ordinary wear and tear; carpet cleaning if the lease contains the required notice and a receipt is provided within 30 days; actual losses from the tenant's inadequate termination notice if the landlord tried to mitigate. Source: RSMo 535.300.3-.4 |
| Penalty for withholding | Tenant may recover twice the amount wrongfully withheld. Source: RSMo 535.300.6 |
| Wear and tear / move-out charges | A deposit may be withheld only for amounts reasonably necessary to cover unpaid rent, to restore the unit to its condition at the start of the tenancy ('ordinary wear and tear excepted'), or for actual damages from the tenant's failure to give proper notice (with reasonable efforts to mitigate). Carpet cleaning: the lease may set amounts or fees for carpet cleaning, and amounts actually spent may be withheld if the lease also tells the tenant they may be liable for actual carpet-cleaning costs beyond ordinary wear and tear. The landlord must give a receipt for actual carpet-cleaning costs within 30 days after the tenancy ends. 'Ordinary wear and tear' is not defined. Source: RSMo 535.300.4 |
Fill in your letter
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To: [landlord or manager name], [landlord address]
From: [your name], former tenant at [rental address]
I moved out and returned the keys on [move-out date]. I paid a security deposit of $[deposit amount]. I gave you my forwarding address in writing on [date you gave your address].
Under RSMo 535.300.3, a landlord must return the deposit, or send an itemized list of lawful deductions, by the deadline set in that law. I have not received [the deposit / an itemized list].
Please send $[amount owed] to [forwarding address] within [number] days of this letter.
If I do not receive it, I plan to file a claim in small claims court and ask for any additional amount allowed by RSMo 535.300.6.
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.
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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.