Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in Missouri

A landlord may charge a nominal application fee to run a security check on a prospective new tenant, but a landlord cannot wrongfully retain a security deposit. In Missouri, a landlord must return a security deposit in full or provide written proof of damages resulting in the retention of the deposit. Since your friend did not move in, I assume he damaged nothing in his brief visit to the property. If a landlord fails to return a security deposit, he/she is liable for damages. Feel free to contact me if your friend does not get their deposit back.

Sean Santoro/Licensed in KS and MO