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1997 Landlord-Tenant law provisions

Laws approved in 1997 offer greater protection for tenants renting from unresponsive landlords as well as more options for landlords to get rid of drug dealers and destructive tenants. Among the provisions:

• Authorizes county courts to order quick removal of tenants involved in drug-related criminal activity or violence, even when there is no arrest. Prior written notice is not required to remove a tenant.
• Allows landlords to remove abandoned personal items once they have complied with notice requirements.
• Makes a landlord guilty of forcible entry for willfully interrupting utility service, unless it is done for health and safety reasons.
• Allows a landlord to double the rent when a tenant lets another person take over the premises without the landlord's permission.
• Limits occupancy to two persons per bedroom except for children born during the lease period.
• Allows a tenant, under certain circumstances and after giving a landlord 14 days' notice, to deduct one-half month's rent or up to $300 (whichever is greater) for repair of code violations when a landlord neglects property. This can be done once a year.
• Requires a landlord to give 60 days' notice before terminating leases for mobile home lots when the lease is for less than one year.

State statutes

Chapters 441, 534 and 535 in the Missouri Revised Statutes address landlord-tenant issues.

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