Missouri Tenants
A professional demand letter citing Missouri's security deposit statute (RSMo § 535.300), the 30-day return deadline, and the double-damages penalty for wrongful withholding. Ready in minutes.
Deadline
30 days
to return your deposit after move-out
Penalty
2× damages
for wrongful withholding
Statute
§ 535.300
Missouri Revised Statutes
Under RSMo § 535.300, your landlord has 30 days after your tenancy ends to return your security deposit or provide a written, itemized list of any deductions.
If the landlord wrongfully withholds any part of your deposit, you may recover:
So a $1,500 deposit wrongfully withheld supports a court judgment of $3,000. Missouri courts enforce § 535.300 strictly as a consumer-protection statute — lease clauses that try to waive these rights are unenforceable — so most landlords settle quickly once they realize you know the law.
Good to know: Missouri caps security deposits at two months’ rent (pet deposits excluded from the cap), and you have the right to request to be present at the move-out inspection.
Every letter follows the structure courts expect — your facts, the statute, a specific demand, and a deadline. Here's the skeleton; the generator fills the brackets from your answers and computes Missouri's deadlines under § 535.300.
[Date]
[Your name]
[Your forwarding address]
[Landlord's name and address]
RE: Security Deposit — Formal Demand for Return of $[Amount]
I am the former tenant of [rental property address]. You accepted a security deposit of $[Amount], and my tenancy ended on [move-out date]. My forwarding address for return of the deposit is stated above, which I am providing to you in writing.
Under § 535.300, you were required to [return the deposit or provide an itemized statement] within [the statutory period]. That period has passed, and you have done neither. [The specific consequence Missouri law attaches, cited by section.]
I demand return of $[Amount] no later than [deadline]. If I do not receive it, I am prepared to pursue all remedies available under [statute], including filing suit in the appropriate court.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
30 days after you move out.
Wrongful withholding makes the landlord liable for twice the amount wrongfully withheld under § 535.300.6 — a flat, non-discretionary remedy that applies even where the landlord had some legitimate damages but withheld improperly.
RSMo § 535.300. We verify these against the statute text itself; the date we last checked is shown on this page.
Sources & verification
The Missouri rules on this page were verified against the statute text itself:
Last verified against primary sources on .
How we verify this →Laws change. If you spot something out of date, tell us at support@gettenantshield.com and we'll correct it.
Properly formatted, addressed to your landlord by name, citing the exact Missouri statutes that apply to your situation.
RSMo § 535.300 and any others triggered by your circumstances — not generic legalese.
The letter computes the exact dollar amount you're entitled to demand based on your deposit and the deductions at issue.
Download instantly, print, sign, and send via USPS Certified Mail with Return Receipt.
Most Missouri landlords return the deposit within days of receiving a properly drafted demand letter.
Generate my letter — $39