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Rent Regulations

Cal. Civ. Code § 441.120

Oral evidence not to show renewal of lease or change — notice to quit

In Force
Verified 10/14/2026 · Next check 10/21/2026
effective 10/14/2026MissouriLease Requirements

Operative Text

Cal. Civ. Code § 441.120
1. In all cases where a tenant holds over after the termination of the time for which the premises were let or leased, under a written contract between the lessor or his agent and the tenant or his agent, in any suit for possession by the party entitled to possession of said premises against such tenant, after the termination of the time for which said premises were let or leased under written contract, oral evidence shall not be admissible that said lease or letting was renewed or extended, or that a new contract was entered into or substituted for the written contract, but the tenant's right to continued possession or the landlord's right to collect rent on said premises after the termination thereof, shall be established by contract in writing; provided, however, this section shall not prevent a recovery of damages by either party for breach of the written contract.

2. In all cases of an oral letting or leasing of real property for any agricultural year, tenancy at will or by sufferance, or for less than one year, if either party shall terminate said tenancy in accordance with the provisions of sections 441.050 and 441.060, in any suit thereafter between said parties, oral testimony shall not be admissible to vary, alter or abrogate the effect of the notice required and given under sections 441.050 and 441.060, but such notice may be varied, altered or abrogated only by written evidence thereof and bearing an actual date subsequent to the date of the notice provided for in said sections.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Missouri Revised Statutes § 441.120 establishes evidentiary rules that govern what kinds of proof can be introduced in court when a tenant remains in a property after a written lease ends or after a notice to quit has been given. Under subsection 1, if a tenancy originated from a written contract, any claim that the lease was renewed, extended, or replaced by a new agreement must itself be supported by written evidence — oral testimony alone cannot establish continued tenancy rights or a landlord's right to collect rent after the written term expires. Under subsection 2, once a proper notice to quit has been given for an oral or short-term tenancy, that notice can only be modified or cancelled by a subsequent written document; oral statements cannot undo or alter the legal effect of the notice.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on October 14, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Property owners and managers operating under § 441.120 generally document any lease renewal, extension, or modification in a signed written agreement rather than relying on verbal understandings, because oral evidence of such arrangements is inadmissible in a Missouri possession suit. When a written lease term ends and the operator wishes to continue the tenancy on new or modified terms, a written addendum or new lease is the instrument that establishes the right to collect rent going forward. Similarly, if a landlord has issued a notice to quit under §§ 441.050 and 441.060 and later agrees to withdraw or modify that notice, compliant operators memorialize that change in a dated written document executed after the original notice.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

Under § 441.120, a tenant who believes a written lease was renewed or replaced by a new agreement should understand that Missouri courts will not consider oral testimony alone to prove that renewal or substitution — only written evidence of the new arrangement carries legal weight in a possession proceeding. If a tenant has received a notice to quit under §§ 441.050 and 441.060 and believes the landlord later agreed to cancel or change that notice, that agreement must be in writing and dated after the original notice to have any effect in court. Tenants facing possession suits may wish to gather any written communications, signed documents, or written correspondence related to lease renewals or notice modifications, and can consult a tenant-rights organization or legal aid office for general information about how these evidentiary rules may apply.

General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.

Generated October 14, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

Effective Timeline

Current
Oct 14, 2026
Click on timeline segments to view historical versions.

References Out

Rules and statutes cited by this regulation

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.050
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.060

References In

Rules and statutes that cite this regulation

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.650
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.650
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.020
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.020
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.050
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.060
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.130
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.240
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.280
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.065
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.240
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.250
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.280
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.290
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.500
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.643
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.500
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.643
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.510
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.500
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.643
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.570
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.590
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.500
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.643
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.630
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.570
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.570
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.500
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.643
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.500
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.640
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.500
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.643
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.500
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.643
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.500
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.643
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.530
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.740
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.750
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.770
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.830
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.740
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.750
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.740
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.750
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.740
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.820
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.020
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.060
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.050
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.060

Related Rules

§ 244.280
Tenant to be given copy of lease
§ 151.35
SEVERABILITY
§ 165.12
SEVERABILITY

Source Information

Source:https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=441.120
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