Maries County, Missouri Eviction Risk: Low

Maries County, Missouri eviction laws sits firmly in the low-risk tier of the state's eviction landscape, scoring 3.6/10 and ranking 99th out of 115 Missouri eviction laws counties - meaning 98 counties carry higher eviction risk than Maries. With a total population of 2,024 spread across three incorporated places, this is one of Missouri eviction laws's smallest and most rural counties, and that scale shapes the rental market considerably. Average rent across the county runs $550 per month, placing it well below statewide urban averages, and renters here devote an average of 22.8% of their income to housing costs - a burden level that falls below the federally recognized 30% threshold of housing stress.

The county seat, Vienna (population 661), and the larger community of Belle (population 1,246) together account for the bulk of the county's rental housing stock. Both cities carry the same risk score of 3.4/10. The small unincorporated community of Argyle (population 117) scores slightly lower at 3.1/10, reflecting its minimal rental activity. Despite a 46.4% renter share - notably high for a rural Missouri county - and a 23.5% poverty rate that signals genuine economic strain among renters, the structural features of Missouri eviction laws landlord-tenant law keep the formal eviction risk index low. Missouri eviction laws is a landlord-friendly state: there is no just-cause eviction requirement, no rent cap of any kind, and a state preemption statute that bars any local government from enacting rent control ordinances. Maries County has no local tenant-protection layer of its own.

Under RSMo § 441 (Landlord and Tenant), landlords filing for nonpayment of rent need not serve a cure notice before filing - the rent-and-possession action under RSMo § 535.010 can proceed immediately on default. Material lease violations require a 10-day notice under RSMo § 441.060, while month-to-month tenancies require 30 days notice. Court filing fees run $70 to $180, and an uncontested eviction typically resolves in 21 to 45 days once filed. Contested matters extend to 45 to 120 days. Attorney fees for landlord-side representation generally fall in the $500 to $3,000 range depending on complexity. The habitability floor under RSMo § 441.500 requires landlords to maintain fit and habitable conditions, and the anti-retaliation provision at RSMo § 441.020 prohibits eviction in response to tenant complaints about habitability. The Missouri eviction laws Commission on Human Rights handles fair housing complaints; source-of-income (e.g., housing vouchers) is not a protected class under Missouri eviction laws state law, which is a practical consideration for landlords screening applicants who rely on Section 8 assistance.

Scores reflect the Eviction Risk Map composite model applied to 2024 rental-market conditions in Maries County; the county's 3.6/10 average spans a range of 1.8 to 2.2 across its three tracked communities.