Missouri lockouts and utility shutoffs: what 441.233 forbids a landlord

What does 441.233 prohibit?

Subsection 1 covers the physical side. Except as provided in section 441.065, a landlord or its agent who removes or excludes a tenant or the tenant's personal property from the premises without judicial process and court order, or causes that removal or exclusion, or causes the removal of the doors or locks to the premises, is deemed guilty of forcible entry and detainer as described in chapter 534.

Subsection 2 covers services. A landlord or its agent who willfully diminishes services to a tenant by interrupting or causing the interruption of essential services, including but not limited to electric, gas, water or sewer service to the tenant or the premises, is deemed guilty of forcible entry and detainer. The statute adds that this does not apply if the landlord takes the action for health or safety reasons.

Both subsections apply to the landlord's "agent," so a property manager, a maintenance person or a contractor who acts on your instruction puts you in the same position. Do not tell anyone to change a lock or shut off a meter to speed up a nonpayment case.

Common moves that cross the line

• Changing the locks the day rent is late.
• Removing the door, or the lock cylinder, "for repairs" that were not needed.
• Putting the tenant's belongings in the hallway or on the curb.
• Turning off water or power you pay for because the tenant is behind.
• Telling a tenant to be out by a date and then clearing the unit with no court order.

The words "willfully" and "health or safety reasons" matter in subsection 2. A short, announced shutoff to repair a broken pipe or fix a gas leak is not the same as turning off service to pressure a tenant. Document the reason, the time it was off, and the fix.

What is the lawful way to get a unit back?

Use the court. Our guide to how to evict a tenant in Missouri walks through it. Only the court order, carried out through the proper process, lets you remove a tenant who does not leave. A tenant who really has left is a different case, and section 441.065 gives a specific route for that, with a thirty-day unpaid rent condition, a posted and mailed notice and a ten-day reply window. Read Missouri abandoned property law before you clear anything.

Example a made-up landlord is owed $2,400 and wants the tenant out by Sunday, November 15, 2026. If the landlord changes the locks that morning with no court order and the tenant has not left or abandoned the unit under 441.065, the landlord has excluded the tenant without judicial process. If the landlord instead files, gets a judgment and has it carried out, the removal is lawful.

What are the consequences?

Section 441.233 deems the landlord "guilty of forcible entry and detainer as described in chapter 534." We did not read chapter 534 for this post, so we do not state its remedies or penalties here. The label alone is enough to treat the risk as serious: do not rely on this page for the amount of damages, and read chapter 534 or ask a Missouri attorney before you act. Keep a record that shows you used only lawful steps.

How to handle a real emergency or a tenant who has left

Two situations come up often. The first is a real emergency, such as a burst pipe, a gas smell or a failed electrical panel. Subsection 2 does not apply when the landlord acts for health or safety reasons, so you can shut off a supply long enough to make the repair. Tell the tenant first if you can, keep the interruption as short as the work allows, and write down the time it went off and the time it came back.

The second is a tenant who seems to be gone. Do not enter and clear the unit on a hunch. The abandonment route needs a reasonable belief that the tenant left for good, thirty days of unpaid rent, a posted and mailed notice, and ten days with no reply. If the tenant answers in writing, you are back to the court process. Until a court order or a completed abandonment procedure is in hand, treat the unit and everything in it as the tenant's.

Where does DoorKeeping fit?

DoorKeeping stores the lease, the rent ledger, work orders and a copy of every notice you send, so the dates are on file if a court or a tenant asks. You still write, serve and track the notice yourself, and anything with a legal step waits for your one-tap approval. This is general information, not legal advice: check the current statute, and ask a local attorney if the tenant disputes what you did.

Sources

1. Missouri Revised Statutes 441.233, Landlord's unlawful removal or exclusion of tenant, liability; interruption of services (Missouri Revisor of Statutes), read Oct 31, 2026
2. Missouri Revised Statutes 441.065, Abandonment of rental premises, when, procedure (Missouri Revisor of Statutes), read Oct 31, 2026

Questions

Can a Missouri landlord change the locks for unpaid rent?

No. Removing or excluding a tenant without a court order, or removing doors or locks, is deemed forcible entry and detainer under 441.233.

Can a Missouri landlord shut off utilities to make a tenant leave?

No. Willfully interrupting essential services is covered by 441.233, unless it is done for health or safety reasons.

Is there an exception to the Missouri lockout rule?

Section 441.065 allows removal of property after the premises are deemed abandoned, following its notice steps.