Yesterday, Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe signed into law House Bills 595 and 596, bringing significant changes that will impact landlords, tenants, property managers, investors, and real estate professionals across the state. This newly enacted legislation strengthens private property rights and tightens requirements for agency relationships in real estate transactions, two key areas anyone involved in Missouri real estate should pay close attention to.
For landlords and investors, HB 595 limits how local governments can regulate rental housing. Specifically, the law prohibits cities and counties from setting rent control measures, imposing restrictions on how landlords screen tenants, or mandating specific lease terms such as “right of first refusal” to tenants. It also bans local ordinances from preventing landlords from considering factors like a tenant’s source of income, credit score, rental history, or criminal background when making leasing decisions. In short, this legislation reinforces the right of private property owners to establish their own screening criteria and rent structures, free from local government intervention.
Meanwhile, for real estate agents and homebuyers, the changes in HB 595 and HB 596 modify how brokerage relationships must be handled. Under the new law, brokers representing buyers or tenants must have a written agency agreement in place before engaging in any real estate activity. Previously, the law allowed for this agreement to be signed before or during the transaction process, creating room for ambiguity. This change places a greater responsibility on agents and their brokers to establish clear, documented relationships upfront. Frankly, this is how it always should have been done and was done by most good buyer’s agents, so I’m glad to see it now be law.
Additionally, the law clarifies that exclusive brokerage agreements must spell out essential services that brokers are obligated to provide. This includes presenting offers and counteroffers, assisting with negotiations, and answering questions related to contracts. The intent here is to make sure clients receive a consistent and professional level of service, and that there is full transparency in the role and duties of an agent:
These legal updates arrive at a time when the real estate industry is already under pressure from shifting federal policies and class-action lawsuits over buyer agent compensation. Missouri’s new requirements put a spotlight on documentation and clarity in agency relationships while pushing back against what state lawmakers see as local overreach into landlord-tenant matters. Whether you’re a landlord screening tenants or a buyer’s agent preparing to work with a new client, understanding and complying with these new requirements is no longer optional—it’s the law.
The new law will go into effect August 28, 2025 and can be seen in its entirety below. If you have questions about this, or would like more information, feel free to reach out to me and I’ll be happy to help.
