Each St. Louis guide answers one question — eviction, deposit, repairs, rent, entry, habitability — with the local office and the Missouri chapter. We do not invent a local deadline.
City and County are different governments
A St. Louis County ordinance or court is the wrong stack for a City address. Missouri law is the floor. The City Building Division inspects many conditions.
What if I got a notice in St. Louis?
Read it for a court name, a case number, or an appearance date. A landlord notice is usually a step. Court papers mean a case has been filed in 22nd Circuit — City of St. Louis. Date it, photograph every page, and call legal aid the same day if a court is named. Do not guess the deadline from a national chart.
What if the unit is not livable?
Write the problem, date it, and keep photos. Open a request with St. Louis Building Division or dial 311. An inspector’s dated notice is often worth more later than unanswered texts. Rent withholding and repair-and-deduct are Missouri questions — ask legal aid before you skip a payment.
What if the deposit did not come back?
The clock, the cap, and the itemization rules live mainly in Missouri law. City of St. Louis and St. Louis County are separate. Use the City stack only if the unit is in the City. Gather the lease, move-out photos, the forwarding address you gave, and any deduction list, then open the Missouri deposit page.
What if the rent went up?
A lease still in term is not the same as month-to-month. Whether St. Louis adds a local cap or just-cause rule is a coverage question — City of St. Louis and St. Louis County are separate. Use the City stack only if the unit is in the City. Keep the letter. Confirm the Missouri chapter and the City office before you treat a percentage you saw online as the law.
What if they keep coming in without notice?
Entry rules in St. Louis start with Missouri law and the lease. Emergencies, repairs, and showings are not always the same notice. Write the date and time. St. Louis Building Division may take a complaint. This desk does not invent an hour-count.
What if heat, water, or the structure fails?
That is a habitability problem. Photograph it, write the date, and open a request with St. Louis Building Division or 311. If it is dangerous tonight — a gas leak, no heat in winter, a collapsed ceiling — treat it as an emergency. Do not skip rent on a rumor.
City of St. Louis or St. Louis County?
They are separate governments. A County ordinance or court is the wrong stack for a City address. Missouri statutes are the floor. The City Building Division inspects many conditions inside the City.
Official St. Louis offices
City of St. Louis and St. Louis County are separate. Use the City stack only if the unit is in the City. The Missouri chapter is Missouri landlord and tenant statutes (Mo. Rev. Stat. §§ 441.005 to 441.920). We name it. We do not paraphrase a number out of it.
St. Louis renter questions
Can my landlord in St. Louis evict me without going to court?
No. Changing locks, shutting off utilities, or dumping belongings is not how possession is completed. 22nd Circuit — City of St. Louis is where those cases are heard. If the paper names a court, a case number, or an appearance date, call legal aid the same day. City of St. Louis and St. Louis County are separate. Use the City stack only if the unit is in the City.
How do I get my security deposit back in St. Louis?
Deposit caps, itemization, and return deadlines are usually Missouri questions — sometimes with a city overlay. Photograph the unit, return keys the way the lease requires, and keep a forwarding address. Confirm the chapter on the Missouri page. This desk does not reprint a dollar cap or a day-count.
Who inspects repairs in St. Louis?
St. Louis Building Division is the local conditions door, and 311 is often how you open a request. Put the repair in writing first and keep photos. Do not skip rent on a rumor — ask legal aid before you change what you pay. City of St. Louis and St. Louis County are separate. Use the City stack only if the unit is in the City.
Does St. Louis have local rent rules on top of Missouri?
City of St. Louis and St. Louis County are separate. Use the City stack only if the unit is in the City.
City of St. Louis or St. Louis County?
They are separate governments. A County ordinance or court is the wrong stack for a City address. Missouri statutes are the floor. The City Building Division inspects many conditions inside the City.
What number should I call in St. Louis?
Danger: 911. Mental-health crisis: 988. Local City services: 311. Court papers: LawHelp.org the same day. St. Louis Building Division does not replace legal aid when a case is filed.
National answers on this desk
Last reviewed 8 September 2026. Legal information, not legal advice. Not a law firm. hello@renterprotection.org