Landlord Entry Notice Requirements in Missouri
At a glance
| Governing law | No general landlord-entry statute. Missouri did not adopt the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, and its landlord-tenant chapter (Mo. Rev. Stat. ch. 441) contains no section setting an entry-notice period, permitted purposes, or hours for an ordinary tenancy — entry is governed by the lease and the common-law covenant of quiet enjoyment. Two narrow statutes touch entry: § 535.300(5) (written notice of the post-termination security-deposit inspection) and § 441.233 (banning lockouts and utility shutoffs) |
|---|---|
| Advance notice required | None required by statute for a routine entry. Missouri sets no 24-hour or other advance-notice figure; whatever the lease specifies (or, if silent, the common-law 'reasonable notice' expectation) controls. The only statutory notice is for the security-deposit move-out inspection after the tenancy ends — 'reasonable notice in writing' of the inspection date and time (§ 535.300(5)) |
| Reasons a landlord may enter | Not defined by statute. Because there is no entry statute, the legitimate reasons a landlord may enter (repairs, inspections, showings, agreed services) are whatever the lease permits, read against the tenant's right to quiet enjoyment. Most Missouri leases spell out entry for repairs, inspections, and showings |
| Permitted hours | No statutory limit. A lease may set entry hours; the common law expects entry at reasonable times. The only statutory 'reasonable time' requirement is for the security-deposit move-out inspection, which 'shall be held at a reasonable time' (§ 535.300(5)) |
| When no notice is needed | No statutory entry framework, so no statutory list of no-notice situations. Under general law a landlord may enter without notice in a genuine emergency (fire, flood, a burst pipe). Consent at the time of entry and an abandoned or surrendered unit likewise permit entry as a practical matter, but Missouri does not enumerate these by statute the way URLTA states do |
| Form and delivery of the notice | No statutory form for ordinary entry — the lease governs. For the security-deposit move-out inspection only, the notice must be given 'in writing at his last known address or in person' (§ 535.300(5)) |
| Special rules for showings | None by statute. Showing an occupied unit for sale or re-rental is governed by the lease, not by any special Missouri entry rule; there is no separate shorter-notice or oral-notice track |
| Tenant's remedies for unlawful entry | Because there is no entry statute, a tenant's recourse for an unlawful or harassing entry is general law — a trespass claim, a suit for breach of the covenant of quiet enjoyment, an injunction, and actual damages. For the extreme cases, Missouri does provide a statutory remedy: a landlord who removes or excludes a tenant, or removes the doors or locks, or willfully interrupts essential services (electric, gas, water, or sewer) without a court order 'shall be deemed guilty of forcible entry and detainer' under ch. 534 (§ 441.233), exposing the landlord to a possession and damages action |
What the law actually does here
Missouri is one of the states with no general landlord-entry statute. Its landlord-tenant chapter, Mo. Rev. Stat. ch. 441, never sets an advance-notice period, never lists the reasons a landlord may enter, and never fixes the hours of entry. Missouri also did not adopt the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, which is where most states get their standardized 24-hour-notice rule. So for a person renting in Missouri, two things fill the gap.
The first is your lease. Whatever the written agreement says about the landlord's right to enter — how much notice, for what reasons, at what hours — is the rule that binds you, because there is no statute overriding or supplementing it. If you care about notice before entry, the lease is where to look and where to negotiate before signing.
The second is the common-law covenant of quiet enjoyment, which Missouri courts read into every tenancy. It means you are entitled to use your home without unreasonable interference from the landlord. A landlord who enters repeatedly, without reason, or in a way that makes the home effectively unusable can be sued for breaching that covenant, for trespass, or for an injunction — even though no entry statute was broken.
Two narrow statutes do touch the subject. When your tenancy ends, § 535.300(5) requires the landlord to give you "reasonable notice in writing" of the security-deposit move-out inspection and lets you be present — the one place Missouri law requires notice tied to entering the unit. And § 441.233 is the hard floor that survives no matter what the lease says: a landlord who locks you out, removes your doors or locks, or willfully shuts off electric, gas, water, or sewer service without a court order is "deemed guilty of forcible entry and detainer," unless it is done for health or safety reasons.
What trips people up
"No statute" does not mean "anything goes." A Missouri landlord cannot legally enter whenever they please. The limits just come from your lease and the quiet-enjoyment doctrine instead of a statute, and a landlord who abuses entry can still be sued for trespass or breach of that covenant.
Read the entry clause before you sign. Because the lease is the controlling source, a clause allowing entry "at any time without notice" is enforceable in a way it would not be in a state with a protective statute. If you want a notice guarantee, get it into the lease.
A lockout or a utility shutoff is a different, more serious matter. Section 441.233 makes those acts forcible entry and detainer regardless of the lease — a landlord who cuts off your water to push you out has committed a statutory wrong, not merely an entry dispute.
Common questions
Does my Missouri landlord have to give 24 hours' notice before entering? Not under state law — Missouri has no statutory entry-notice requirement. Any notice you are owed comes from your lease; if the lease is silent, the common-law expectation is reasonable notice and reasonable behavior, enforced through a quiet-enjoyment or trespass claim rather than a fixed statutory penalty.
Can my landlord enter while I'm not home? There is no statute forbidding it, so this turns on your lease. Many leases allow entry for repairs or inspections with notice; a landlord who enters repeatedly and without reason can still face a quiet-enjoyment or trespass claim.
My landlord changed the locks because I was late on rent. Is that legal? No. A landlord who removes the locks or excludes you without a court order is "deemed guilty of forcible entry and detainer" under § 441.233 — that is an illegal self-help eviction, separate from any question about entry notice.
Statutes and sources
- Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300(5) — requires reasonable written (or in-person) notice of the security-deposit move-out inspection after the tenancy ends, held at a reasonable time, with the tenant's right to be present. https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=535.300 (accessed 2026-07-11)
- Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.233 — makes an unlawful lockout, removal of doors/locks, or willful interruption of essential services (absent a health/safety reason) forcible entry and detainer under ch. 534. https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=441.233 (accessed 2026-07-11)
Source links
Every statute quoted above, linked, with the date we checked it.
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