Can a domestic violence victim end a lease early in Missouri?

In Missouri, a tenant who is, has been or is in imminent danger of becoming a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking is not liable for rent for the period after moving out if the tenant notified the landlord and gave any documentation the landlord requested, though the landlord may charge a reasonable termination fee. The statute sets no notice period. The tenant qualifies by giving the landlord a statement of the domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking and, if the landlord asks, documentation in one of two forms: a document signed by an employee of a victim service provider or by a health care or mental health professional the victim sought help from, stating under penalty of perjury that the individual believes the incident occurred, and also signed by the victim; or a record of a federal, state or local law enforcement agency (including a police report), a court or an administrative agency. Release from rent is an affirmative defense the court must find by a preponderance of the evidence in a landlord’s action under chapter 441, 534 or 535. The same section bars denying tenancy, evicting or finding a lease violation because a person is a victim, unless the person allowed the individual named in the documentation into the premises or the landlord reasonably believes that individual poses a threat to other occupants or the property. Submitting false information may be a basis for denial of tenancy, eviction or a lease violation. The section applies only to residential properties. This is Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.920.

WhatMissouri
Ending the lease earlyNo rent after moving out; a reasonable fee may apply

What the statute says

“… a tenant shall have an affirmative defense and not be liable for rent for the period after which the tenant vacates the premises owned by the landlord if, by a preponderance of the evidence, the court finds that the tenant was a victim …”

Quoted word for word from the section’s text.

Source

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.920

Read the statute in the Missouri Revised Statutes (Missouri Revisor of Statutes): revisor.mo.gov.

Checked against the statute on November 15, 2026.

This is a summary of a published statute, not legal advice. Rules change, local ordinances can add to them, and the terms of a specific lease may differ. Check the citation and speak to a lawyer before acting.

How Seayora uses this rule

Seayora keeps every lease’s term, rent and signers in one record and dates every change to it. This page states the state’s rule so a lease’s own early-termination and sublet clauses can be checked against it before the lease is signed.

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