Cal. Civ. Code § 441.220
Rent may be recovered of whom, and how
Operative Text
Rent may be recovered from the lessee or person owing it, or his assignee or undertenant, or the representative of either, by the same remedies given in sections 441.240 to 441.280; but no assignee or undertenant shall be liable for rent which became due before his interest began.
Missouri Revised Statutes § 441.220 establishes who can be held responsible for unpaid rent and through what legal channels. Under this provision, rent may be collected from the original lessee, anyone who owes it, an assignee, an undertenant, or the legal representatives of any of these parties, using the remedies outlined in §§ 441.240–441.280. Importantly, the rule limits liability for assignees and undertenants: they cannot be held responsible for rent that came due before their interest in the property began.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.220, property owners and managers have a defined set of parties from whom they may pursue unpaid rent, including the original lessee, assignees, undertenants, and their legal representatives. Compliant operators generally track when each party's interest in the property begins, since rent obligations for assignees and undertenants only attach from that point forward. Landlords pursuing recovery typically rely on the remedies framework set out in §§ 441.240–441.280 when seeking to collect overdue amounts.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.220 provides important protections for tenants who take over a lease as an assignee or undertenant: they cannot be held liable for rent that was already past due before their interest in the property began. If a landlord attempts to collect pre-existing rent arrears from a new assignee or undertenant, that tenant may have grounds to raise this statutory limitation as a defense. Tenants in this situation may benefit from consulting a tenant-rights organization or legal aid service to understand how the remedies provisions in §§ 441.240–441.280 apply to their circumstances.
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.
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