How to Get Your Security Deposit Back in Missouri
Thirty days, an itemized list, and double damages if it’s wrongfully kept. The law is on your side — if you do a few things right.
The 30-day rule
Missouri law (RSMo §535.300) gives your landlord exactly two options within 30 days after your tenancy ends: return the full deposit, or send a written, itemized list of damages along with whatever balance is left. The law requires an itemized list; a vague line like “cleaning: $400” is worth challenging. The same statute caps deposits at two months’ rent in the first place.
Here’s the part with teeth: if a landlord wrongfully withholds any portion, you can sue and recover twice the amount wrongfully kept. That double-damages provision is why a short, informed letter often shakes a deposit loose without anyone going to court.
The mistake that loses more deposits than any landlord
The landlord complies with the law by mailing the statement and payment to your last known address. If you don’t leave a forwarding address, that’s the apartment you just vacated — and your deposit can sit in a returned-mail pile while you assume it was stolen. Before you hand back the keys, give the landlord your new address in writing (text or email is fine; keep a copy). It takes thirty seconds and it’s the single highest-value move in this whole article.
What they can and can’t deduct
Landlords can deduct for unpaid rent, damage beyond normal wear and tear, and in some cases rent lost because you left before the lease ended. They cannot charge you for the apartment simply aging around you.
| Normal wear and tear (not deductible) | Damage (deductible) |
|---|---|
| Faded paint, minor scuffs, small nail holes from pictures | Holes in walls or doors, unapproved paint colors |
| Carpet worn flat in walking paths | Burns, pet stains, large permanent stains |
| Loose grout, worn cabinet hinges | Broken fixtures, cracked countertops, missing doors |
| Ordinary dust and light cleaning | Junk and furniture left behind, heavy cleaning from neglect |
One exception: if your lease sets carpet-cleaning charges and tells you that you may owe actual carpet-cleaning costs beyond normal wear and tear, Missouri lets the landlord deduct those costs, with a receipt within 30 days.
Use your walkthrough right
Missouri gives you the right to be present at the move-out inspection, and the landlord has to give you reasonable notice of when it will happen at a reasonable time. Go. Bring your phone, photograph every room — ideally the same angles as your move-in photos — and if the landlord flags something, ask what it will cost while you’re standing there. Disputes that get argued in the empty apartment rarely turn into disputes argued in court.
If 30 days pass and nothing comes
Escalate in order, on paper.
Send a demand letter. Keep it short: the address, your move-out date, the deposit amount, a note that RSMo §535.300 required return or an itemized statement within 30 days, and that you’ll file in small claims court — where the statute allows recovery of twice the amount wrongfully withheld — if it isn’t resolved in 10 days. Send it to the landlord’s official address, and keep a copy.
File in small claims court. Small claims handles cases up to $5,000, the filing fee is modest, and you don’t need a lawyer. File in the county where the property sits or where the landlord lives. Bring your lease, photos, the demand letter, and any texts or emails. These cases are common, and judges know the 30-day rule well.
Get free legal help if you need it. Legal Services of Eastern Missouri (314-534-4200) helps qualifying renters, and our Missouri tenant rights guide covers the wider landscape — including what to do when a landlord won’t make repairs while you still live there.
And if you’re reading this before a move: photograph the empty unit on day one, get the move-in condition in writing, and the 30-day rule will almost never need its teeth. What deposits and fees are normal in the first place is covered in application fees & deposits.