Missouri security deposit rules.
The Missouri rules for residential security deposits in plain English: how much can be charged, how fast it comes back, whether interest is owed, and what catches operators out.
Last reviewed · Statute: Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300 · Not legal advice
How much can be charged
Capped at two months’ rent.
When it has to come back
30 days from termination, with itemised deductions. Move-out inspection must be offered to the tenant.
Interest
No interest is required.
Where the money has to sit
Deposits must be held in a bank, credit union or depository institution insured by a federal agency, not commingled with the landlord’s funds. Interest earned belongs to the landlord.
What catches operators out
- Wilful retention = up to twice the wrongfully withheld amount in damages.
- Move-out inspection notice is a deduction-rights gating requirement.
What this looks like with Standby in Missouri.
When a resident takes a Standby certificate there is no cash deposit to hold, so the cap, the return deadline and the interest rules above have nothing to attach to. You are covered up to the full deposit and draw on it when you need to.
When a resident pays cash instead, Standby handles that deposit under your lease and Missouri law, so your team is not tracking return deadlines by hand.
This page summarises the most common single-family and multifamily residential rule in Missouri. Furnished units, senior leases, mobile-home tenancies and short-term rentals can differ, and city ordinances may override the state default. Check the statute before relying on a figure for a specific lease.