Missouri Rent Increase & Late Fee Laws
Missouri rules on rent increases & late fees for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-23.
Short answer: Statewide preemption. Counties and cities, including charter governments, may not enact, maintain, or enforce ordinances regulating the rent charged for privately owned residential or commercial rental property. RSMo 441.043
The rules in Missouri
| Rent control / increase limits | Statewide preemption. Counties and cities, including charter governments, may not enact, maintain, or enforce ordinances regulating the rent charged for privately owned residential or commercial rental property. Exceptions: property the locality owns, voluntary agreements for subsidized properties, and CDBG-assisted properties. Amended by H.B. 595 & 343 (2025), effective 28 Aug 2025. It now also bars local rules that: require landlords to accept housing-assistance income; restrict tenant screening (credit, eviction or criminal history); limit security deposit amounts; or require a tenant right of first refusal. Source: RSMo 441.043 |
|---|---|
| Late fees | No statute — no cap or grace period; late fees are governed by the lease. No section of Chs. 441, 534 or 535 caps late fees or requires a grace period. The Attorney General's guide advises tenants to check the lease for late fees and grace periods. Chapter lists: https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneChapter.aspx?chapter=534 and https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneChapter.aspx?chapter=535. |
Free calculators
- Late Fee Checker — Check a late fee against your state's cap and grace period.
- Rent Increase Calculator — In states with a statewide rent cap, see the most your rent can go up this year.
Related questions
- Can a landlord raise the rent in the middle of a lease?
- How much can a landlord charge for a late fee?
- How much notice does a landlord have to give before raising the rent?
- Can a landlord evict you for no reason?
Missouri vs. neighboring states
| State | Rent control / increase limits | Late fees |
|---|---|---|
| Missouri | Statewide preemption. Counties and cities, including charter governments, may not enact, maintain, or enforce ordinances regulating the rent charged for privately owned residential or commercial rental property. Exceptions: property the locality owns, voluntary agreements for subsidized properties, and CDBG-assisted properties. RSMo 441.043 | No statute — no cap or grace period; late fees are governed by the lease. RSMo Chs. 441, 534 and 535 (no section on late fees) |
| Arkansas | Local rent control is preempted. Local governments may not enact, maintain, or enforce ordinances controlling rent, and since Act 459 of 2025, rental application fees or rental deposits, for private residential or commercial property. There is no statewide rent cap. Ark. Code Ann. §§ 14-16-601, 14-54-1409 (as amended by Act 459 of 2025) | No statutory cap — no Arkansas statute limits residential late fees or requires a grace period. The Landlord-Tenant Act defines 'rent' to include late charges and lets the parties set rental terms not otherwise prohibited by law, so the lease governs. Ark. Code Ann. §§ 18-17-301(10), 18-17-401(a) |
| Illinois | No statewide rent control, and home rule units are preempted from regulating the amount of rent charged for private residential or commercial property. 50 ILCS 825/10 (Rent Control Preemption Act) | No statutory cap statewide. AG: landlord may charge a reasonable fee for late rent. Landlords with 100+ units and an on-site office must accept rent there without penalty. Illinois AG fact sheet; 735 ILCS 5/9-218 |
| Iowa | Preempted: cities and counties may not adopt or enforce any limit on the amount of rent for private residential or commercial property (except property in which the local government has an interest). No statewide cap. Iowa Code § 364.3(9) (cities); § 331.304(10) (counties) | Rent of $700/month or less: late fee may not exceed $12 per day or $60 per month. Rent over $700/month: not more than $20 per day or $100 per month. Iowa Code § 562A.9(4) |
| Kansas | Preempted: no county, city, township or other political subdivision may enact, maintain or enforce rent control on privately owned residential or commercial property (voluntary incentive agreements excepted). K.S.A. 12-16,120 | No statutory cap or grace period. K.S.A. 58-2540 et seq. (no late-fee provision) |
| Kentucky | Preempted: only the General Assembly may enact rent control on private property; local governments may not. No statewide cap. KRS 65.875 | No statutory cap or grace period. KRS Chapter 383 (no late-fee provision) |
| Nebraska | Preempted statewide: cities, villages, counties and their subdivisions may not enact or enforce local laws controlling rent on private property, including home-rule cities; conflicting local laws are void. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 13-331 (Laws 2025, LB266) | No statutory cap Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1414 |
| Oklahoma | No statewide rent cap. Cities are prohibited from enacting, maintaining or enforcing ordinances that set rent on privately owned residential (or commercial) property. 11 O.S. § 14-101.1 | No statutory cap or grace period. No late-fee section in 41 O.S. §§ 101-136 (full text checked) |
| Tennessee | Prohibited statewide: local governments may not enact, maintain or enforce any ordinance or resolution that would control the rent charged for private residential or commercial property. Local mandatory below-market (inclusionary) housing requirements are also barred, but voluntary incentive programs are allowed. T.C.A. 66-35-102 | URLTA counties: no late fee may be charged until after a 5-day grace period, counting the due date as day 1. If the last day falls on a Sunday or legal holiday, no fee may be charged if rent is paid the next business day. Late fees may not exceed 10% of the past-due rent. Non-URLTA counties: no statute caps late fees or sets a grace period; the lease governs. T.C.A. 66-28-201(d); ch. 66-7 (checked) |
City rules that may add to state law
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- Free legal help in Missouri
Compare rent increases & late fees in all 50 states and DC →
Missouri Rent Increase & Late Fee Laws FAQ
Is there rent control or a limit on rent increases in Missouri?
Statewide preemption. Counties and cities, including charter governments, may not enact, maintain, or enforce ordinances regulating the rent charged for privately owned residential or commercial rental property. Exceptions: property the locality owns, voluntary agreements for subsidized properties, and CDBG-assisted properties. (RSMo 441.043)
Is there a limit on late fees in Missouri?
No statute — no cap or grace period; late fees are governed by the lease. (RSMo Chs. 441, 534 and 535 (no section on late fees))
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.