Missouri Eviction Process: Notice Periods, Timeline, and Costs

Missouri sets no waiting period before you may file a rent and possession case. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.020 requires only that rent has become due, that the landlord or the landlord's agent demanded payment, and that payment was not made, and the same section says the § 441.060 notice is not required before filing under chapter 535. Because the statute is silent on form, make the demand in writing, state the amount and the property, and keep proof — you will have to swear to the demand in the verified statement you file. Your lease may impose its own notice period, and if it does, that period binds you even though the statute does not.

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.040 requires 10 days' notice to vacate before you may act on a violation of § 441.020 or § 441.030, which cover using the premises for the illegal possession, sale, or distribution of controlled substances, gambling, or prostitution, and the landlord bears the burden of proving the illegal use. For ordinary lease breaches Missouri sets no statutory cure period at all — you terminate under the lease's own terms and then bring an unlawful detainer under chapter 534, which requires a written demand for possession under § 534.030 before filing.

Under Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.060, a tenancy at will, at sufferance, or for less than one year is ended by one month's written notice requiring the occupant to vacate, and the notice must state that the tenancy terminates on a periodic rent-paying date not less than one month after receipt — timing it to the wrong date is a common defect. Mobile home lot tenancies require notice that the tenancy terminates not sooner than 60 days from the date rent next becomes due. Missouri has no statewide just-cause requirement.

Rent and possession and unlawful detainer cases are heard by an associate circuit judge in the county where the property sits, and filing fees are set county by county, commonly running $40 to $100. Add service costs of roughly $70 per defendant for personal service or posting, plus the sheriff's charge to execute the judgment.

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.030 requires the summons to be served as in other civil cases at least four days before the court date, or, where the defendant cannot be found, by posting a copy on the dwelling and mailing copies at least 10 days before the court date. The court date must be set no more than 21 business days from the date the summons issues unless the landlord agrees to a later one, and the tenant appears and defends rather than filing a written answer.

With no statutory notice period to wait out, the clock is mostly court scheduling: the court date falls within 21 business days of the summons, then judgment, then execution and sheriff scheduling for the physical set-out. A tenant who satisfies the money judgment and costs before the judgment becomes final stops the execution outright under § 535.160, and an appeal or a consent payment plan can add months.

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.233 makes a landlord who removes or excludes a tenant or the tenant's property without judicial process and a court order, removes the doors or locks, or willfully interrupts electric, gas, water, or sewer service guilty of forcible entry and detainer. That is not a slap on the wrist: under chapter 534 the tenant can sue to be restored to possession, and § 534.330 directs the court to enter judgment for double the damages assessed and double the monthly rents and profits from the date of judgment until possession is restored, plus costs. Only the sheriff, acting on the court's execution, may put a tenant out.

Senate Bill 895, effective August 28, 2024, bars any county, municipality, or political subdivision from imposing or enforcing a moratorium on eviction proceedings unless specifically authorized by law, and requires that transfers of title to rental property carrying outstanding collectible judgments be filed with the circuit court within 30 days.

Missouri's biggest trap is picking the wrong case type. Rent and possession under chapter 535 is for unpaid rent and gets you possession plus a money judgment, but the tenant can stop the execution at any point before the judgment becomes final by paying the judgment and costs. Unlawful detainer under chapter 534 is for a tenant holding over after the tenancy ends or after a forfeiture, requires a written demand for possession first, and carries double damages — but it is not a vehicle for collecting current rent. The second trap is imported from the internet: many landlord sites publish a Missouri notice period for nonpayment, commonly five days, and no such statutory period exists. An individual owner may appear pro se in associate circuit court, but a corporation or LLC generally must be represented by an attorney.

• Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.020
• Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.060
• Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.233