Renting Help — Plain-English Guides for St. Louis Renters
The questions the listing sites don’t answer: income, credit, evictions, documents, deposits, scams, and your rights under Missouri law.
How much income do I need?
The 3x rule, the 30% rule, and worked examples at real St. Louis rents.
Read →Renting with bad or limited credit
What landlords actually check, and six strategies that get approvals.
Read →Renting after an eviction
How long it follows you, who looks past it, and the path back to a lease.
Read →Documents needed to apply
Every paper most applications require — including options if you're paid in cash.
Read →Avoiding rental scams
The red flags in St. Louis rental scams and 60-second checks that protect you.
Read →Missouri tenant rights
Deposit caps, the 30-day return rule, and where to get free legal help.
Read →Application fees, holding deposits & approval times
What fees are normal in Missouri, what holding deposits are, and how long approval really takes.
Read →Rent & utility assistance
LIHEAP, Heat Up/Cool Down St. Louis, St. Vincent de Paul, Salvation Army — how to apply and who qualifies.
Read →Health & community resources
Free/low-cost clinics, dental, prenatal care, and community orgs for St. Louis renters.
Read →Section 8 in St. Louis
The waitlists are closed — what that means, and the subsidized-housing doors still open.
Read →Getting your deposit back
The 30-day rule, wear and tear vs. damage, and how to recover double what's wrongfully kept.
Read →Breaking a lease in Missouri
What it can cost, protections for servicemembers and survivors of domestic violence, and how to leave without wrecking your record.
Read →When repairs don't get made
Written notice, code enforcement, repair-and-deduct — and the one move that backfires.
Read →How apartment screening works
The four checks, automated vs. human review, and your rights if you're denied.
Read →Renting with no credit history
No credit isn't bad credit. What substitutes for a file, and how to land the first lease.
Read →Utility setup & moving help
Who to call for electric, gas, water, and trash, when to schedule, and help with moving costs.
Read →Have a renting question these guides don’t answer? Tell us — reader questions decide what we write next.