Cal. Civ. Code § 535.081
Rent recovery, successor in title, notice required — notice may be attached to notarized affidavit (counties of the first classification)
Operative Text
The right of a successor in title to recover rents pursuant to section 535.070 requires adequate and timely notice to the tenant. Except in counties of the first classification as determined pursuant to section 48.020, for the purposes of this section, "adequate and timely notice" means that the purchaser shall notify tenants in writing of the fact that title to the property has been transferred, and of the means of the transfer and the date of the transfer and the notice shall be attached to a copy of the deed which has been recorded. In counties of the first classification as determined pursuant to section 48.020, in lieu of a copy of the deed which has been recorded, the notice required by this section may be attached to a notarized affidavit executed by both the prior owner of the property and the successor in title, which notarized affidavit shall state that the property has been transferred to the successor in title and the date on which the transfer occurred.
Missouri Revised Statutes § 535.081 establishes that when a property changes ownership, the new owner (successor in title) must give tenants proper written notice before being entitled to collect rent under § 535.070. The notice must describe the fact of the transfer, the method of transfer, and the date it occurred, and must be accompanied by a copy of the recorded deed. In counties of the first classification (as defined by § 48.020), the recorded deed copy may be replaced by a notarized affidavit signed by both the prior owner and the new owner confirming the transfer and its date.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.081, property owners who acquire title through a purchase or other transfer generally provide tenants with written notice that includes the fact of the transfer, how it occurred, and when it took effect. Outside first-classification counties, compliant operators attach a copy of the recorded deed to that notice. In first-classification counties under § 48.020, operators may instead attach a notarized affidavit co-signed by both the prior owner and the successor in title, which states that the transfer occurred and identifies the date — satisfying the 'adequate and timely notice' standard required before rent collection rights attach.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.081 gives tenants the right to receive written notice when their rental property changes hands, and a successor in title's ability to collect rent under § 535.070 depends on that notice being adequate and timely. If a new owner attempts to collect rent without having provided the required written notice — including the transfer details and the required deed copy or notarized affidavit — tenants may have grounds to raise that failure as a defense in a rent-recovery proceeding. Tenants who believe proper notice was not given may wish to consult a tenant-rights organization or legal aid provider familiar with Missouri landlord-tenant law to understand the options available to them.
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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