Typical residential security deposit amount a landlord holds and later accounts for on a return statement in Missouri (2026)
A typical Missouri range, the local factors behind it, and the tools to price your own project.
Reviewed for 2026, updated September 8, 2026.
What drives the cost in Missouri
Missouri deposits sit below the national typical range, with St. Louis County, Kansas City, and Columbia the higher markets. State law caps deposits at about two months' rent, requires a 30-day return with an itemized list, gives the tenant a right to be present at the move-out inspection on reasonable notice, and allows doubled damages for wrongful withholding, so confirm the current terms. Hot, humid summers, hail, and cold winters produce seasonal wear, and a large stock of older brick housing brings plaster and tuckpointing issues that are owner costs.
Tips for Missouri buyers
- Offer the tenant a specific move-out inspection time in writing so the right to be present is clearly satisfied.
- Keep exterior masonry and roof issues off the statement; they are owner maintenance in almost every case.
- Columbia's late-summer university turnover needs pre-booked cleaners and painters.
Ranges are hedged planning estimates derived from a national typical range and a local index, not quotes. A typical single deposit on a market-rate residential rental is commonly around one month's rent, which puts most deposits somewhere in this range; actual amounts vary widely with local rents, unit size, pets, and state caps, and this is a working reference rather than a survey figure.
Price your project
- Deposit Deduction Depreciation Calculator: Estimates how much of a carpet, paint, blind, or appliance replacement a landlord can fairly deduct from a security deposit once the item's age and normal wear are taken into account.
- Security Deposit Refund Statement Calculator: Adds up the deposit held, any interest owed, and each itemized deduction to show the exact refund due to the tenant or the balance the tenant still owes.
- Late Deposit Return Penalty Exposure Calculator: Shows landlords how many days remain before a state return deadline and what missing it could cost when a statute allows forfeited deductions or multiplied damages.