Kansas Tenant Rights Laws

Created by FindLaw's team of legal writers and editors | Last reviewed December 19, 2017

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If you live in Kansas, you know that there's no place like home. However, problems with your landlord can easily throw your life into turmoil. As a Kansas renter, it's a good idea to be familiar with the laws put in place to protect you. Read on to learn more about Kansas tenants' rights laws.

Kansas Tenants Rights Laws at a Glance

Kansas state law includes a variety of provisions that control the landlord/tenant relationship. These include important information about:

Kansas tenants are also covered by multiple levels of legal protection against discrimination. The Kansas anti-discrimination laws are consistent with the federal Fair Housing Act and prohibit landlord discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, color, familial status, and disability. Local governments, including Topeka and Wichita, also have fair housing ordinances, but not all of them protect families with children and people with disabilities.

The below chart provides details of Kansas's tenants' rights laws at a glance.

Statutes

Security Deposits
  • Landlords can't charge more than one month's rent as a security deposit for an unfurnished unit, and one and one-half months' rent for a furnished unit
  • Landlord may apply to the security deposit any unpaid rent at the time the tenant moves out
  • If landlord proposes to retain any portion of the security deposit for any other reason, itemization of the charges must be provided to tenant within 14 days of the determination of the charges, not to exceed 30 days from the termination of the tenancy
  • If landlord fails to comply with security deposit return requirements, the tenant may legally recover the security deposit as well as damages equal to one and one-half times the amount unlawfully withheld

Paying Rent
  • The amount of rent can be set in the lease, and absent such a lease provision rent shall be set at the fair market value for use and occupancy of the unit

Living Conditions
  • Landlord is responsible for maintaining premises in habitable condition
  • Landlord can enter unit for any reason after providing tenant with "reasonable notice" and arranging a "reasonable time"
  • Landlords can enter unit without notice only if there is an emergency
  • Landlords are prohibited from abusing the right of access or using it to harass tenant

Discrimination
  • Federal and Kansas state laws prohibit landlord discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, color, familial status and disability
  • Several Kansas cities have local fair housing ordinances, but not all of them protect families with children and people with disabilities

Ending or Renewing a Tenancy
  • If landlord fails to maintain unit in habitable condition after repeated tenant requests, tenant can break lease after giving 30 days' notice
  • If tenant materially fails to comply with rental agreement, landlord can terminate lease by providing 30 days' notice
  • If tenant fails to pay rent, landlord can provide 3 days' notice to pay or quit

Retaliation
  • The state of Kansas and some Kansas cities (including Topeka) have laws prohibiting landlords from evicting a tenant or arbitrarily raising rent or refusing services in a retaliatory manner

Note: State laws are always subject to change through the passage of new legislation, rulings in the higher courts (including federal decisions), ballot initiatives, and other means. While we strive to provide the most current information available, please consult an attorney or conduct your own legal research to verify the state law(s) you are researching.

Kansas Tenant's Rights: Related Resources

Get a Free Evaluation of Your Landlord/Tenant Case

If you believe that your landlord has acted illegally, don't wait to take action. Inform yourself of your legal rights as a tenant, and consider seeking legal help. FindLaw can help connect you with an experienced landlord/tenant attorney for your free initial case evaluation.

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