Missouri Rental Fee Rules
Missouri rules on rental fees for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-23.
Short answer: No statute. Missouri statutes do not cap or regulate rental application or screening fees. Since 28 Aug 2025, cities and counties may not restrict a landlord's use of credit scores, credit reports, eviction or property damage history, or criminal history in screening. RSMo Ch. 441, 534, 535 (no fee section); RSMo 441.043.2(2)
The rules in Missouri
| Application / screening fees | No statute. Missouri statutes do not cap or regulate rental application or screening fees. Since 28 Aug 2025, cities and counties may not restrict a landlord's use of credit scores, credit reports, eviction or property damage history, or criminal history in screening. Based on review of the section titles of Chapters 441, 534 and 535 on the Revisor site (https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneChapter.aspx?chapter=441). Other chapters not exhaustively searched. |
|---|---|
| Other rental fees | No statute. No Missouri statute limits move-in, convenience, or online-payment fees or requires all-in rent disclosure. In a rent-and-possession case, other lease charges may be joined to the claim but are not treated as rent and cannot by themselves support an order for possession. Absence finding based on the Chapter 441/534/535 section lists. |
Related questions
- How much can a landlord charge for a rental application fee?
- What rental fees are illegal (junk fees)?
Missouri vs. neighboring states
| State | Application / screening fees | Other rental fees |
|---|---|---|
| Missouri | No statute. Missouri statutes do not cap or regulate rental application or screening fees. Since 28 Aug 2025, cities and counties may not restrict a landlord's use of credit scores, credit reports, eviction or property damage history, or criminal history in screening. RSMo Ch. 441, 534, 535 (no fee section); RSMo 441.043.2(2) | No statute. No Missouri statute limits move-in, convenience, or online-payment fees or requires all-in rent disclosure. In a rent-and-possession case, other lease charges may be joined to the claim but are not treated as rent and cannot by themselves support an order for possession. RSMo Ch. 441, 535 (no fee section); RSMo 535.020 |
| Arkansas | No state cap or refund rule for rental application or screening fees, and no portable screening report law. Since Act 459 of 2025, cities, counties, and other local governments may not regulate or control the amount of rental application fees (or of rent or deposits) for private residential or commercial property. Ark. Code §§ 14-16-601, 14-54-1409 (as amended by Act 459 of 2025) | No statute limits other rental fees (move-in, convenience, or online-payment fees) or requires total-cost-of-rent disclosure. The Landlord-Tenant Act lets the parties include any lease terms not prohibited by law, so the lease governs. Ark. Code § 18-17-401(a) (Act 1004 of 2007) |
| Illinois | Reusable screening reports: if an applicant provides a qualifying reusable tenant screening report (prepared within the last 30 days by a consumer reporting agency, free for the landlord to access, covering the landlord's criteria), the landlord may not charge an application screening fee or a fee to access the report (since Jan. 1, 2025). For leases entered on or after Jan. 1, 2027, rental application fees (including background checks) are capped at $50; a landlord may pass through a higher actual third-party background-check cost only if it paid the cost up front and bills the applicant with receipts within 14 days (otherwise the fee is waived). Fees added on top of the application fee that duplicate screening costs or are unrelated to screening are banned. 765 ILCS 705/30 (P.A. 103-840, eff. 1-1-25); 765 ILCS 705/35(c)(1)-(2) (P.A. 104-479, eff. 1-1-27) | For leases entered on or after Jan. 1, 2027: all non-optional fees (one-time or recurring) must appear on the first page of the lease or the tenant does not owe them; listings must disclose non-optional fees, and listings/leases must say whether utilities are included. Banned: lease renewal/modification fees; fees for an eviction notice or for filing before an eviction order (court costs still recoverable); after-hours maintenance fees; fees for contacting the owner/manager or a maintenance hotline; maintenance travel fees; routine maintenance fees; pest fees where the tenant did not contribute; and move-in/move-out walk-through fees. Renaming a fee does not avoid the law; tenants may sue for injunctive and monetary relief plus attorney's fees. Already in effect: a landlord using a payment portal that charges a transaction fee must allow a fee-free way to pay rent (leases after 1-1-25), and a landlord may not require rent to be paid by electronic funds transfer (leases after 1-1-24). 765 ILCS 705/35 (P.A. 104-479, eff. 1-1-27); 765 ILCS 705/3.5 (P.A. 103-809); 765 ILCS 705/4 (P.A. 103-132) |
| Iowa | No statute — no cap, refund rule, or reusable-screening-report rule was found in Iowa Code ch. 562A. Iowa Code ch. 562A (section list checked) | No general junk-fee or fee-disclosure statute. The only statutory fee limit found is the late-fee cap (rent up to $700/month: $12/day, $60/month max; rent over $700: $20/day, $100/month max). Landlords may not charge fees or penalties for a tenant's summoning police or emergency assistance. Iowa Code §562A.9(4); §562A.27B(1) |
| Kansas | No statute — the Kansas Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (K.S.A. 58-2540 et seq.) sets no cap, refund rule, or reusable-report rule for application or screening fees. K.S.A. 58-2540 et seq. (section list checked) | No statute — no general limit or disclosure rule for other rental fees was found in the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. K.S.A. 58-2540 et seq. (section list checked) |
| Kentucky | No statute — no cap, refund rule, or reusable-screening-report rule was found in KRS Chapter 383. KRS Chapter 383 (section list checked) | No statute — no general limit or disclosure rule for other rental fees was found in KRS Chapter 383. A lease may not authorize penalties or termination because a tenant called police or sought emergency help (punitive damages up to 2 months' rent). KRS Chapter 383 (checked); KRS 383.302 |
| Nebraska | No statute caps or regulates rental application or screening fees. Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 76-1401 to 76-1449 (section list reviewed) | No statute limits move-in, convenience or online-payment fees or requires all-in rent disclosure. A domestic-violence survivor released from a lease under § 76-1431.01 may not be charged a fee solely because of the termination. Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 76-1401 to 76-1449; 76-1431.01(4)(b) |
| Oklahoma | No statute. The Oklahoma Residential Landlord and Tenant Act has no cap or refund rule for application or screening fees. 41 O.S. §§ 101-136 (no application-fee section) | No statute. Title 41 has no limits on move-in, convenience, or other rental fees and no fee-disclosure rule. 41 O.S. §§ 101-136 (no fee section) |
| Tennessee | No statute - Tennessee has no cap or refund rule for rental application or screening fees. T.C.A. Title 66, Chapter 28 | No general statute limiting move-in, convenience or other rental fees. The only statutory fee limit is on late fees in URLTA counties: none until after a 5-day grace period, and no more than 10% of the past-due rent. T.C.A. 66-28-201(d) |
City rules that may add to state law
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- Free legal help in Missouri
Compare rental fees in all 50 states and DC →
Missouri Rental Fee Rules FAQ
Is there a limit on rental application fees in Missouri?
No statute. Missouri statutes do not cap or regulate rental application or screening fees. Since 28 Aug 2025, cities and counties may not restrict a landlord's use of credit scores, credit reports, eviction or property damage history, or criminal history in screening. (RSMo Ch. 441, 534, 535 (no fee section); RSMo 441.043.2(2))
What rental fees are banned or limited in Missouri?
No statute. No Missouri statute limits move-in, convenience, or online-payment fees or requires all-in rent disclosure. In a rent-and-possession case, other lease charges may be joined to the claim but are not treated as rent and cannot by themselves support an order for possession. (RSMo Ch. 441, 535 (no fee section); RSMo 535.020)
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.