Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in Missouri

Re: landlord\tenant

You have an action for the breach of the covenant of quiet enjoyment and the warranty of habitability. Every landlord inherently warrants that property rented for residential purposes will be habitable. If a property is not habitable in terms of safety, security, or code violations, then the landlord breaches this warranty. In effect, by failing to fix the property, he is evicting you. You have the ability to sue for "constructive eviction." Your damages are the amount by which the property has diminished in value to you. So, if you pay $500 per month rent, and the property is simply not habitable, the property may only be worth $100 or $200 per month in that condition.

You should send a certified letter to the landlord notifying him of the violation of the warranty and your demand that the property be fixed.

Good luck.