Missouri Eviction Laws
Missouri notice periods for ending a tenancy and starting an eviction, each as LeaseCraft read it in the statute at the official source, with its citation and read date (most recently ).
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Missouri notice periods
Periods are as the statute states them: some are minimums, some apply unless the lease sets another. "Lease controls" means there is no statutory period; "No pre-suit notice" means none is required before filing.
| Situation | Notice period | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Unpaid rent | No pre-suit notice |
RSMo §535.020
Read
|
| Lease violation | Lease controls |
RSMo §441.030; §441.040; §534.030
Read
|
| Ending the tenancy without a chance to cure | 10 days |
RSMo §441.040; §441.020; §441.030
Read
|
| Ending a month-to-month tenancy | 30 days |
RSMo §441.060.1, .3, .4(1)
Read
|
| Tenant staying after the lease ends | No pre-suit notice |
RSMo §534.030
Read
|
| Ending a week-to-week tenancy | 30 days |
RSMo §441.060.1
Read
|
What the Missouri statute says
Unpaid rent No pre-suit notice
- Rent must be due and payable and payment must have been demanded by the landlord or agent and not made; no statutory waiting period after the demand before filing a rent-and-possession action.
- The §441.060 one-month notice is expressly NOT required before a rent-and-possession filing.
Ending the tenancy without a chance to cure 10 days
- Tenant violated §441.020 (permitting prohibited gaming devices, a bawdyhouse/brothel or common gaming house, or illegal possession, sale or distribution of controlled substances — lease becomes void) or §441.030 (assignment/transfer without landlord's written assent, violating any condition of a written lease, or committing waste).
- Landlord may re-enter and take possession or oust the tenant by the procedure specified by law after giving ten days' notice to vacate.
Exceptions
- Emergency drug/violence evictions under RSMo §§441.710–441.880 follow a separate expedited court procedure (not researched).
Ending a month-to-month tenancy 30 days
- Written notice stating the tenancy terminates on a periodic rent-paying date not less than one month after receipt of the notice (statute says 'one month', recorded as 30 days).
Exceptions
- Mobile-home lot tenancies (tenant owns the home): landlord notice not sooner than 60 days from the date rent next becomes due (§441.060.4(2)).
Tenant staying after the lease ends No pre-suit notice
- A tenant who holds over after the term ends is guilty of unlawful detainer only after a written demand for delivery of possession is made and refused; no waiting period is stated (except 10 business days for certain post-foreclosure residential tenants).
Ending a week-to-week tenancy 30 days
- §441.060.1 applies to any tenancy at will, by sufferance 'or for less than one year' — one month's written notice; no shorter statutory period for week-to-week tenancies was found.
Just cause, delivery, form and local rules in Missouri
How the notice may be delivered
No statutory method: §441.060 requires written notice 'given to the other party' measured from 'receipt'; §534.030 requires a written demand for possession; §535.020 requires only that rent be 'demanded'.
RSMo §441.060.4(1); §534.030; §535.020 · read
Required form or contents
none found
- §441.060 requires notice 'in writing'; §534.030 requires a 'demand made, in writing' for possession; no statutory contents or court form located.
RSMo §441.060; §534.030 · read
Statewide just-cause rule
No statewide just-cause requirement
- No statewide just-cause requirement; month-to-month tenancies terminate on the §441.060 one-month notice without cause.
RSMo §441.060; §534.030 · read
For Missouri landlords
- Find the period for your situation in the table above and count it from the day the notice is delivered.
- Deliver the notice the way Missouri law allows and keep a record of how and when.
- A notice is not a court order and does not by itself remove a tenant.
For Missouri tenants
- Compare the notice you received with the period for its situation in the table above and the date it reached you.
- A notice is not a court order. If a case is filed, the court papers say how and by when to respond.
- Local legal aid and tenant organizations can explain your options.
How an eviction generally proceeds
A general outline, not Missouri law: the steps, their names and their deadlines differ by state and court. The Missouri rules LeaseCraft has verified are the ones above.
- Written notice. The landlord gives the notice the situation calls for and waits out its period.
- Court filing. If the tenant has not paid, cured or left, the landlord files an eviction case in court.
- Hearing. Both sides can be heard; the tenant may raise defenses such as an improper notice.
- Judgment. The court decides who has the right to the property.
- Removal. If the court rules for the landlord, removal follows its order. A notice is not a court order and does not by itself remove a tenant.
Missouri eviction questions
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LeaseCraft's record holds no notice period before filing. Source: RSMo §535.020. Rent must be due and payable and payment must have been demanded by the landlord or agent and not made; no statutory waiting period after the demand before filing a rent-and-possession action. LeaseCraft read this at the official source on 2026-09-27.
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LeaseCraft's record sets no statutory period for this, so the lease controls. Source: RSMo §441.030; §441.040; §534.030. LeaseCraft read this at the official source on 2026-09-27.
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30 days, under RSMo §441.060.1, .3, .4(1). Written notice stating the tenancy terminates on a periodic rent-paying date not less than one month after receipt of the notice (statute says 'one month', recorded as 30 days). LeaseCraft read this at the official source on 2026-09-27.
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No statutory method: §441.060 requires written notice 'given to the other party' measured from 'receipt'; §534.030 requires a written demand for possession; §535.020 requires only that rent be 'demanded'. Source: RSMo §441.060.4(1); §534.030; §535.020. LeaseCraft read this at the official source on 2026-09-27.
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No statewide just-cause requirement, under RSMo §441.060; §534.030. No statewide just-cause requirement; month-to-month tenancies terminate on the §441.060 one-month notice without cause. LeaseCraft read this at the official source on 2026-09-27.
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30 days, under RSMo §441.060.1. §441.060.1 applies to any tenancy at will, by sufferance 'or for less than one year' — one month's written notice; no shorter statutory period for week-to-week tenancies was found. LeaseCraft read this at the official source on 2026-09-27.
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Cities and counties can add rules. LeaseCraft is not a law firm and this is not legal advice.