Kansas Security Deposit Law

Maximum deposit

Landlords may collect no more than one month's rent as a deposit for an unfurnished unit or 1.5 months' rent for a furnished unit, plus up to half a month's rent more if pets are allowed (K.S.A. 58-2550(a)). (K.S.A. 58-2550(a))

One month's rent unfurnished; 1.5 months furnished; plus up to 0.5 month extra if pets are allowed

Return deadline

Landlords who keep part of the deposit must return the balance with an itemized notice within 14 days after determining the deductions, and no later than 30 days after the tenancy ends, the tenant surrenders possession and demands the deposit; if the tenant makes no demand within 30 days, the landlord must mail the balance to the tenant's last known address (K.S.A. 58-2550(b)). (K.S.A. 58-2550(b))

Itemized statement of deductions

Deductions for unpaid rent and damages must be itemized in a written notice delivered to the tenant (K.S.A. 58-2550(b)). (K.S.A. 58-2550(b))

Interest on the deposit

Kansas law does not require landlords to pay interest on security deposits (K.S.A. 58-2550, silent). (K.S.A. 58-2550 (silent on interest))

Penalty for wrongful withholding

A landlord who fails to return the deposit as required owes the amount due plus damages of 1.5 times the amount wrongfully withheld (K.S.A. 58-2550(c)). (K.S.A. 58-2550(c))

Where the deposit is held

Kansas lets a landlord keep a tenant's deposit without any escrow, trust or separate-account requirement, because the deposit statute says nothing about where the money is held (K.S.A. 58-2550). (K.S.A. 58-2550)

Receipt or written notice of the deposit

No Kansas statute obliges a landlord to hand over a deposit receipt or disclose where the deposit is banked (K.S.A. 58-2550). (K.S.A. 58-2550)

Move-in condition checklist

Within five days after the tenant moves in, the landlord (or a representative) and the tenant must jointly inventory the unit and sign a written condition record (K.S.A. 58-2548). (K.S.A. 58-2548)

The written record must cover the condition of the premises and any furnishings or appliances, be signed in duplicate by both parties, and a copy goes to the tenant. The Court of Appeals has held that a missing inventory does not bar the landlord from proving damages (Buettner v. Unruh, 1982).

Pet deposits

When the lease allows pets, a Kansas landlord may take an extra pet deposit of up to half a month's rent, but may not charge extra for a guide, hearing or service dog (K.S.A. 58-2550(a); K.S.A. 39-1102, 39-1107, 39-1108). (K.S.A. 58-2550(a), K.S.A. 39-1102, K.S.A. 39-1107, K.S.A. 39-1108)

The pet deposit is on top of the one-month (unfurnished) or 1.5-month (furnished) cap. Separate statutes bar any extra charge for a guide dog, hearing assistance dog or service dog in rental housing, though the handler is liable for damage the dog causes.

Nonrefundable fees

Kansas law neither bans nor regulates nonrefundable move-in, cleaning or pet fees; the deposit statute only governs money held as a security deposit (K.S.A. 58-2550, 58-2543(m)). (K.S.A. 58-2550, K.S.A. 58-2543(m))

Small-landlord exemptions

Kansas gives no break from its deposit rules based on how many units a landlord owns or whether the owner lives on site; the act only carves out arrangements such as transient hotel or rooming-house stays and employer-provided housing (K.S.A. 58-2541). (K.S.A. 58-2541, K.S.A. 58-2550)

Deposit alternatives and installments

The only Kansas deposit-alternative rule is narrow: a subsidized municipal housing authority that uses its own deposit schedule must let tenants pay the deposit in reasonable installments (K.S.A. 58-2550(a)). (K.S.A. 58-2550(a))

Applies only to federally subsidized municipal housing authorities that set income-based rent and use a bedroom-size deposit schedule. No statute addresses surety bonds, deposit insurance or deposit-waiver fees for private landlords.