Missouri residential lease agreement

Missouri's landlord and tenant chapters set no limit on application or screening fees and no refund rule for them.

Mo. Rev. Stat. chapter 441 Mo. Rev. Stat. chapter 534 Mo. Rev. Stat. chapter 535

• Cities and counties may not restrict your use of income-qualifying methods, credit scores or reports, eviction or property damage history, or criminal history under your own customarily applied criteria, or stop you from asking for that information. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.043.2(2) See Rent control and local rules on the Missouri page
• Section 441.043 restricts county and city ordinances. Its protection of customary screening criteria does not replace the state housing-discrimination rules or the duty to consider a reasonable accommodation where required. Review those duties before applying a screening criterion to an applicant. Mo. Rev. Stat. 441.043.2(2) Mo. Rev. Stat. 213.040.1, .2 See Fair housing on the Missouri page

Missouri law makes it unlawful to refuse to rent, set different terms, or advertise a preference because of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, disability or familial status, and requires you to allow reasonable modifications at the tenant's expense and make reasonable accommodations in rules and policies for a person with a disability. You may not deny tenancy, evict or find a lease violation because an applicant or tenant is, has been, or is in imminent danger of becoming, a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking, if they otherwise qualify.

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 213.040.1, .2 Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.920.2

• Apart from its advertising rule, the state act does not cover a private owner of no more than three single-family houses renting one without a broker or advertising, or rooms or units in a building of up to four units where the owner lives in one. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 213.040.13
• For a modification in a rental, you may, where reasonable, condition permission on the tenant agreeing to restore the interior to its prior condition, reasonable wear and tear excepted. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 213.040.2(1)
• The subsection 2 protection against denial of housing, eviction or a lease-violation finding has exceptions if the tenant allowed the person named in the documentation into the premises, or you reasonably believe that person threatens other occupants or the property. The applicant or tenant provides a statement of the domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking; you may request supporting documentation. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.920.2, .4
• A limit of two persons per bedroom is presumed reasonable, except for a child born to the tenants during the lease. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.060.2
• The disability protections also cover a person who resides or intends to reside in the home and a person associated with the buyer or renter. Do not limit the review to whether the named applicant personally has a disability; a household member or associated person can be the reason the statutory protection applies. Mo. Rev. Stat. 213.040.1(6), (7)
• If supporting documentation is requested, one option is a document signed by both the victim and an employee of a victim service provider, health care professional or mental health professional from whom the victim sought related assistance. The professional states under penalty of perjury a belief that the incident occurred and meets the statutory definition. Alternatively, a federal, state or local law-enforcement, court or administrative-agency record about the incident qualifies. Mo. Rev. Stat. section 441.920.4

At or before the start of the tenancy, give the tenant in writing the name and address of the person authorized to manage the property and of an owner, or a person authorized to act for the owner, for service of process and for receiving notices and demands, and keep it current. If you know the property is or was used to produce methamphetamine, you must disclose that in writing to a prospective tenant, whether or not anyone was convicted.

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.185 Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.236

• Someone who fails to make the owner and manager disclosure becomes an agent of each landlord for service of process and notices, and for performing the landlord's duties and collecting rent. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.185.3 See Owner and manager identity on the Missouri page
• To withhold carpet cleaning costs actually spent under an agreed carpet cleaning term, the lease must also tell the tenant they may be liable for actual carpet cleaning costs beyond ordinary wear and tear. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300.4(2) See Returning the deposit on the Missouri page

Missouri's landlord and tenant chapters do not require a flood disclosure for a residential lease.

Mo. Rev. Stat. chapter 441 Mo. Rev. Stat. chapter 534 Mo. Rev. Stat. chapter 535

• The landlord and tenant chapters were read whole and contain no flood rule. Mo. Rev. Stat. chapter 441 Mo. Rev. Stat. chapter 534 Mo. Rev. Stat. chapter 535

In writing, at or before the start of the tenancy, give the tenant the name and address of the person authorized to manage the property and of an owner or a person authorized to act for the owner for service of process and for receiving notices and demands. Keep the information current; the duty binds any later landlord, owner or manager.

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.185.1, .2

• If the owner's or agent's address is a post office box, process and notices may be served by first class mail with two extra copies. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.185.1(2)
• A person who fails to make the disclosure becomes an agent of each landlord for service and notices, and for performing the landlord's duties and collecting rent. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.185.3
• If you buy a rented home, you may sue for rent and possession under the prior owner's lease only after notifying the tenant in writing of the transfer and how and when it happened, attached to a copy of the recorded deed (in first class counties, a notarized affidavit signed by both owners may replace the deed). Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.081

You may not demand or receive a security deposit of more than two months' rent. A security deposit is any money or property, whatever it is called, that the tenant gives you to secure performance of the rental agreement, including damage to the unit; money labeled as a deposit for a pet on the premises is not a security deposit under this section.

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300.1, .8

• Because a pet deposit is not a security deposit under this section, it does not count toward the two-month limit. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300.8
• Section 441.043 generally preempts local limits on security deposits. It preserves regulation of public property and specified subsidized-rent arrangements; check the property's ownership and program before treating preemption as universal. The statewide deposit cap remains a separate rule. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.043.2(3), .3 See Rent control and local rules on the Missouri page

Within 30 days after the date the tenancy terminates, you must either return the full deposit or give the tenant a written itemized list of the damages you are withholding for, together with the balance. Mailing the statement and any payment to the tenant's last known address meets this duty. If you wrongfully withhold any part of the deposit, the tenant recovers twice the amount wrongfully withheld.

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300.3, .6

• You may withhold only amounts reasonably necessary to cover unpaid rent due under the rental agreement, to restore the unit to its condition at the start of the tenancy (ordinary wear and tear excepted), or to cover your actual damages when the tenant failed to give adequate notice to terminate, provided you make reasonable efforts to mitigate. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300.4
• If the lease sets carpet cleaning amounts and also tells the tenant they may be liable for actual carpet cleaning costs beyond ordinary wear and tear, you may withhold the agreed amounts you actually spend on carpet cleaning and those excess actual costs; within 30 days after the tenancy ends, give the tenant a receipt for the actual carpet cleaning costs. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300.4(2)
• Give the tenant reasonable written notice, at their last known address or in person, of the date and time of the move-out inspection, hold it at a reasonable time, and let the tenant attend. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300.5
• You may still sue for actual damages beyond the deposit, and the tenant may not apply the deposit to rent in place of paying it. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300.7

Hold every security deposit for the tenant in a bank, credit union or depository institution insured by an agency of the federal government. Any interest the deposit earns belongs to you. Missouri does not require you to pay interest to the tenant.

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300.2

• A housing authority or other government landlord is not subject to this holding rule. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300.2

Missouri does not require a move-in checklist or condition report. The deposit rule measures damage against the unit's condition at the start of the tenancy, so a dated record of that condition is your evidence if you later withhold for damage.

Mo. Rev. Stat. chapter 441 Mo. Rev. Stat. chapter 534 Mo. Rev. Stat. chapter 535

• Deductions for damage are limited to restoring the unit to its condition at the start of the tenancy, ordinary wear and tear excepted. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300.4(2) See Returning the deposit on the Missouri page
• Make a room-by-room record while the unit is empty when practical: note existing marks, worn finishes, appliance condition and missing items, with dated overview and close-up photos. Give both sides a copy, record disagreements rather than leaving them blank, and keep later repair requests with the original record. At move-out, compare the same rooms and surfaces and keep any proposed charge tied to the documented change and actual work. A checklist does not turn ordinary wear into chargeable damage. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300.4(2)

Missouri's landlord and tenant chapters set no cap on late fees and no grace period; the lease controls. If rent is not paid at the time agreed, you may recover possession through the rent and possession process.

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.010 Mo. Rev. Stat. chapter 441 Mo. Rev. Stat. chapter 534 Mo. Rev. Stat. chapter 535

• In a rent and possession case you may also claim other unpaid sums the lease requires, other than property damage, but those sums are not rent for that case, and a judgment for them alone does not give you possession. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.020
• If a home is destroyed by an act of God or other natural or man-made disaster the tenant did not cause, the tenant owes no rent for the rest of the lease term. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.645 See Ending a fixed-term lease early on the Missouri page
• The separate $20 or 20 percent late-fee provision applies to self-service storage facilities. It is not a late-fee limit for a residential lease: that law defines its rental agreements around storage space and prohibits using the leased space as a residence. Mo. Rev. Stat. 415.405, 415.410.1, 415.417 Storage definitions Residential-use prohibition

If a check you received is dishonored or returned unpaid and you do not refer it to the prosecuting attorney, you may collect, on top of the face amount of the check, a reasonable service charge of not more than $25 plus the actual charge your bank made for the return.

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 570.120.6(2)

• This limit applies notwithstanding any other law, so a higher fee in the lease does not raise it. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 570.120.6

Missouri sets no notice period or limit for a rent increase. During a fixed term the lease controls. A month-to-month tenancy can be ended by written notice that takes effect on a rent-paying date at least one month after the tenant receives it.

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.060.4 Mo. Rev. Stat. chapter 441 Mo. Rev. Stat. chapter 534 Mo. Rev. Stat. chapter 535

• Cities and counties may not regulate the amount of rent charged for privately owned residential rental property. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.043.1 See Rent control and local rules on the Missouri page

No Missouri statute in the landlord and tenant chapters sets a notice period or rules for a landlord entering a rented home. The lease controls.

Mo. Rev. Stat. chapter 441 Mo. Rev. Stat. chapter 534 Mo. Rev. Stat. chapter 535

• Removing or excluding a tenant without judicial process and a court order is forcible entry and detainer, so entry must never become a lockout. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.233.1 See Lockouts and utility shutoffs on the Missouri page

Missouri's landlord and tenant chapters set no general list of repair duties for landlords. The statutory repair remedy is repair and deduct for a condition that violates a local housing or building code. Court decisions and city housing codes, which can add duties, were not read for this page.

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.234 Mo. Rev. Stat. chapter 441 Mo. Rev. Stat. chapter 534 Mo. Rev. Stat. chapter 535

• A covenant to repair does not make a tenant rebuild or repair a building destroyed by a fire the tenant did not cause or neglect, unless the tenant specially agreed to rebuild after fire. No suit may be brought against a tenant in whose home a fire accidentally begins, and that tenant owes no recompense for the damage, so do not withhold the deposit for it. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.010
• A qualifying tenant may repair a code violation affecting habitability, sanitation or security and deduct the cost from rent. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.234 See Tenant repair remedies on the Missouri page

A tenant who has lawfully lived in the home for six consecutive months, paid all rent and charges due in that time, and received no written notice of an uncured lease or house rule violation may use repair and deduct. The condition must detrimentally affect habitability, sanitation or security and violate a local housing or building code, and its reasonable repair cost must be less than $300 or half the periodic rent, whichever is greater, but never more than one month's rent. If you do not fix it within 14 days after the tenant's written notice, or as promptly as an emergency requires, the tenant may have the work done in a workmanlike manner and, after giving you an itemized statement with receipts, deduct the actual and reasonable cost from rent.

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.234.1, .2

• If you give the tenant a written statement disputing the need for the repair within the notice period, the tenant may not deduct unless, before the work, they get written certification from the local government that the condition violates the housing or building code; you then have 14 days from the later of the certification or the tenant's notice. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.234.2
• The tenant may not deduct more than one month's rent in total in any 12 months, or repair at your expense a condition caused by the deliberate or negligent act of the tenant, their family or someone on the premises with their consent. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.234.3
• The remedy does not replace the tenant's other legal remedies, and no lease may waive it. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.234.2

Missouri's landlord and tenant chapters do not require particular locks or rekeying between tenants.

Mo. Rev. Stat. chapter 441 Mo. Rev. Stat. chapter 534 Mo. Rev. Stat. chapter 535

• A qualifying tenant may use repair and deduct for a code violation that affects the security of the premises. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.234.2 See Tenant repair remedies on the Missouri page

Missouri's landlord and tenant chapters do not mention smoke or carbon monoxide alarms. State fire safety rules and city codes were not read for this page, so check them.

Mo. Rev. Stat. chapter 441 Mo. Rev. Stat. chapter 534 Mo. Rev. Stat. chapter 535

• The landlord and tenant chapters were read whole and contain no alarm rule. Mo. Rev. Stat. chapter 441 Mo. Rev. Stat. chapter 534 Mo. Rev. Stat. chapter 535

Missouri's landlord and tenant chapters contain no rule against retaliating against a tenant. The Missouri Human Rights Act's retaliation section is written for employers, employment agencies, labor organizations and places of public accommodation. Federal fair housing law was not read for this page.

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 213.070 Mo. Rev. Stat. chapter 441 Mo. Rev. Stat. chapter 534 Mo. Rev. Stat. chapter 535

• You may not evict or find a lease violation because a tenant is, has been, or is in imminent danger of becoming a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.920.2 See Fair housing on the Missouri page

You may not remove or exclude a tenant or the tenant's belongings without judicial process and a court order, or remove the doors or locks; doing so is forcible entry and detainer. Willfully interrupting essential services such as electric, gas, water or sewer service is also forcible entry and detainer, unless you do it for health or safety reasons.

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.233

• The only exception to the lockout rule is a home that is abandoned under the statutory procedure. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.233.1 Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.065 See Abandoned property on the Missouri page
• A successful forcible entry and detainer complainant gets the premises back and double the damages found, plus double the monthly rental value until restitution. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 534.310 Mo. Rev. Stat. § 534.330.1

You or the tenant may end a month-to-month tenancy with written notice stating that it ends on a periodic rent-paying date at least one month after the other side receives the notice.

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.060.4(1)

• A tenancy at will, by sufferance or for less than one year may be ended by the person entitled to possession with one month's written notice to vacate. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.060.1
• A tenancy from year to year ends with written notice given at least 60 days before the end of the year. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.050
• A rental of a house, apartment or other building that is not made in a writing signed by the parties is a month-to-month tenancy, unless it is a rental of real estate for agricultural purposes other than gardening. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.060.3
• No notice to quit is needed for a tenancy that ends on a set date, or when the parties agreed to dispense with notice. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.070
• A tenant who gives written notice to leave on a date and stays afterward owes double rent for the time they remain. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.100
• For an oral tenancy, a tenancy at will, or one for less than a year, a termination notice can be changed or withdrawn only by a writing dated after the notice; oral testimony cannot vary it. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.120.2

Missouri has no general statute letting a tenant end a fixed-term lease early. Two statutes change the result in particular cases: a tenant who was, or was in imminent danger of becoming, a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking, and who notified you and gave any documentation you requested has a defense to rent for the period after moving out, and a tenant whose home is destroyed by an act of God or other disaster they did not cause owes no rent for the rest of the term.

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.920.3 Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.645

• You may charge a reasonable termination fee to a tenant who ends the lease early under the victim protection section. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.920.6 See Fair housing on the Missouri page
• When a tenant fails to give adequate notice to terminate, you may withhold your actual damages from the deposit only if you make reasonable efforts to mitigate. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300.4(3) See Returning the deposit on the Missouri page
• In a landlord action under chapters 441, 534 or 535, the victim-related rent protection is an affirmative defense. The court must find by a preponderance of the evidence that the tenant was a victim or in imminent danger of becoming one, notified the landlord and supplied any requested statutory documentation. The rent protection concerns the period after the tenant vacates. Mo. Rev. Stat. section 441.920.3-.4 See Fair housing on the Missouri page

Before filing for rent and possession you must demand the rent, and it must remain unpaid. A demand is good any time after the rent falls due. Missouri sets no statutory waiting period after the demand, but if your written lease declares it forfeited after rent goes unpaid for a specified time, no summons issues until that time has passed. The one-month termination notice is not required before a rent and possession case.

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.020 Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.060 Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.050

• If, on the date a money judgment is given, the tenant pays you or the court all rent in arrears and all costs, the case stops; paying the judgment and costs after trial but before the judgment becomes final stays execution for possession. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.160 See Eviction process on the Missouri page

If a tenant assigns the lease without your written consent, violates a condition of a written lease, commits waste, or allows gambling devices, a brothel or illegal drug possession, sale or distribution on the premises, you may give ten days' notice to vacate and then recover possession by the procedure the law provides. The statute gives no right to cure.

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.040 Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.030 Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.020

• The assignment, lease condition and waste rule applies to a tenant for a term of two years or less, at will or by sufferance. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.030
• Allowing illegal gaming, a brothel or illegal drug possession, sale or distribution makes the lease void, and you have the same remedies as against a tenant holding over. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.020
• In a drug case you must prove the illegal use, but you are not liable for damages from relying on written notice from law enforcement that the premises were used that way. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.040

For unpaid rent, file a verified statement with an associate circuit judge after demanding the rent. The summons sets a court date no more than 21 business days after it is issued (unless you consent in writing to a later date) and must be served at least 4 days before that date. If you win, the judgment covers possession and the rent due, and the officer delivers possession within 5 days after receiving the execution. A tenant holding over after the lease ends is removed through an unlawful detainer case after a written demand for possession.

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.020 Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.030.1 Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.040.1 Mo. Rev. Stat. § 534.030.1

• Service by posting on the dwelling and ordinary mail must happen at least 10 days before the court date, and if the tenant defaults after that kind of service you get no money judgment. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.030.2, .3
• The tenant has 10 days after the judgment to move to set it aside or apply for a trial de novo; otherwise the judgment for possession becomes final. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.030.4
• An appeal or an application for a trial de novo stays execution only if the tenant posts a bond within 10 days covering damages, costs and rent due, and pays later rent into court. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.110
• In an unlawful detainer case, execution to restore possession issues no sooner than 10 days after judgment, and the winning landlord recovers double the damages and double the monthly rental value until restitution. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 534.350 Mo. Rev. Stat. § 534.330.1
• If the officer does not deliver possession within seven days after receiving the writ, you may, within 60 days of the judgment and in the presence of a law enforcement officer shown the judgment and without breach of the peace, change the locks and remove property, and must file the officer's written acknowledgment within five days. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.060.5
• A tenant for a fixed term who willfully holds over after the term ends and after your written demand for possession owes double the yearly value of the property for the time held. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.080
• Choose the court papers for the claim you are bringing; a rent-and-possession case and an unlawful-detainer case are distinct routes. Ask the clerk for the current forms and filing instructions for the county where the case belongs. Boone County's published rent/possession petition is one local example, not a statewide filing packet. Prepare the lease, demand or termination notice, delivery records, payment ledger with credits, and any photographs or messages supporting the disputed issue. Read the summons for the hearing details and keep later payments or agreements with the case record. Missouri Courts: Boone County rent/possession form, local example Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.020

A home is treated as abandoned only if you reasonably believe the tenant has moved out and does not intend to return, rent has been due and unpaid for 30 days, you post the statutory notice on the premises and mail it to the tenant's last known address by both first class and certified mail, return receipt requested, and the tenant neither pays nor answers in writing within 10 days after both the posting and the mailing. You may then remove or dispose of property left behind without liability to the tenant.

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.065

• The notice must state that rent has been unpaid for 30 consecutive days, that you believe the tenant has moved out, and that you may declare the property abandoned and remove the tenant's possessions unless the tenant writes to you within 10 days, and it must give your name and street address. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.065(3)
• After a court-ordered eviction, you are not liable for property left behind except for willful, wanton or malicious acts, but property clearly labeled as a third party's requires a certified mail notice and five business days for the owner to recover it. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.040.2, .3

Small claims court hears civil claims up to $5,000, not counting interest or costs. You may present your own case without a lawyer, and a business may appear through an officer or authorized employee.

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 482.305 Mo. Rev. Stat. § 482.310

• You may not file or pursue a claim that was assigned to you, or file one if you have already filed more than 12 other small claims in Missouri in the same calendar year. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 482.330

You may prohibit or limit marijuana use, cultivation and display on property you own, lease or manage, but a lease signed after the constitutional amendment took effect on December 8, 2022 may not prohibit a tenant from lawfully possessing marijuana and consuming it by means other than smoking.

Mo. Const. art. XIV, § 2.3(4)

• This rule is in the Missouri Constitution, so it applies whatever the lease says. Mo. Const. art. XIV, § 2.3(4)

Missouri has a separate verified-petition procedure for qualifying unlawful occupants of residential property. It excludes people with tenant protections. Do not treat a current or former tenant as a squatter simply because rent is unpaid.

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 534.602

• Eligibility includes an owner or authorized agent, unauthorized occupants who refused a direction to leave, and property not leased for three consecutive months. Current or former tenants, authorized guests and the owner's immediate family do not qualify. Related pending litigation also prevents this procedure. Check every statutory requirement before filing. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 534.602
• The court may issue an immediate order on sufficient evidence. A hearing normally follows within 48 hours of filing; the sheriff enforces the order. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 534.602
• Wrongful removal can lead to restored possession, personal-property damages, $1,000 statutory damages and court costs. A disputed right to occupy needs careful review. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 534.602
• For a vacant home, keep dated inspection records, ownership and permission documents, photographs and reports of unauthorized entry. Secure genuinely vacant premises and report suspected crimes; do not use preventive measures to force out an occupant with disputed rights. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 534.602

Cities and counties in Missouri may not regulate the amount of rent for privately owned residential rental property. They also may not stop you from refusing to rent to a person because their lawful income for rent includes a federal or other housing assistance program, restrict your use of income-qualifying methods, credit scores or reports, eviction or property damage history, or criminal history under your own customarily applied criteria, limit security deposits, or give tenants an automatic right of first refusal. No county or city may impose an eviction moratorium unless state law specifically allows it.

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.043.1, .2 Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.012

• A city or county may still regulate its own property, make voluntary rent agreements for subsidized rentals, and limit rent for properties assisted with community development block grant funds. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.043.3
• A city or county may bar discrimination against a tenant or applicant solely because they receive veterans' benefits. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.043.4