Housing assistance in Kansas
Most Kansas rentals are covered by the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (K.S.A. 58-2540 et seq.), which caps deposits at one month's rent for unfurnished units and sets a 3-day pay-or-quit notice. Energy help (LIEAP) is run by the Kansas Department for Children and Families with one application window each winter, and weatherization is run by Kansas Housing Resources Corporation through local providers. State law bars cities and counties from controlling rents, and the Kansas City, Kansas Housing Authority is the state's largest housing authority.
Where to apply for rental assistance and vouchers
Section 8 vouchers and public housing are run by local public housing agencies (PHAs). Each keeps its own waiting list, so apply to every agency serving places you could live. The state housing finance agency funds affordable apartments and homebuyer programs but usually does not take voucher applications.
Ask each agency: Is the waiting list open? How do I apply, and how will you contact me? Never pay to apply or to move up a list. See how to apply for Section 8 and how waiting lists work.
Programs and free legal help in Kansas
Energy and utility bills
- Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) Kansas Department for Children and Families
A once-a-year benefit toward winter heating costs for households with income at or below 150% of the federal poverty level, including renters whose heat is included in the rent. Apply online through the DCF Self-Service Portal or with a paper form from a DCF Service Center during the yearly application period. DCF said the 2026 period had ended and the next one would be announced.
Free legal help
- Kansas Legal Services Kansas Legal Services
A statewide nonprofit giving free legal help and mediation to low-income Kansans, including in eviction and landlord-tenant cases. It also offers free guided forms, such as a small-claims form to get a security deposit back. Apply by phone Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or online.
Call 316-267-3975
Repairs and weatherization
- Weatherization Assistance Program Kansas Housing Resources Corporation
Free energy audits and upgrades, such as insulation, weatherstripping and furnace repair or replacement, for homeowners and renters at or below 200% of federal poverty guidelines (households on SSI, TANF or LIEAP qualify automatically). Apply through your local provider or online.
No statewide emergency rent program? Most rent help is local. Call 211 and ask which county, charity, or community action programs are taking applications now. See emergency rental assistance.
Key tenant laws in Kansas
Statewide rules for most private rentals. Cities, counties, subsidized housing, and your lease can add protections, and some rules have exceptions. Read the linked law before relying on a deadline.
- Security deposit limit
Up to 1 month's rent for an unfurnished unit, or 1.5 months' rent if furnished. A landlord who allows pets may charge up to an extra half month's rent. Subsidized municipal housing authorities may use their own schedule based on bedroom size.
- Deposit return deadline
Deductions must be itemized in a written notice. The balance is due within 14 days after the landlord determines the deductions, and never later than 30 days after the tenancy ends, the tenant moves out and the tenant asks for it. A landlord who does not comply owes the amount due plus damages of 1.5 times the amount wrongfully kept. Tenants may not use the deposit as last month's rent unless the lease allows it.
- Notice before an eviction for unpaid rent
3 days' written notice to pay or the lease will be terminated, counted as three straight 24-hour periods from hand delivery or posting. If the notice is mailed, the tenant gets 2 more days. For other material lease violations, the landlord must give 14 days to fix the problem, with termination at least 30 days after notice.
- Landlord entry notice
The landlord may enter at reasonable hours after reasonable notice, which the statute does not define. Kansas Legal Services says this is often 24 hours. No consent is needed for an extreme hazard involving possible loss of life or severe property damage, and a landlord may not use entry to harass the tenant.
- Rent increases and rent control
State law preempts local rent control: no county, city or township may adopt or enforce an ordinance controlling the rent charged for privately owned residential property. An owner may voluntarily agree to rent limits in exchange for local grants or incentives, but limits cannot be required as a condition of permits or zoning approval.
- If the landlord won’t make repairs
No statutory repair-and-deduct or rent withholding; Kansas Legal Services warns that tenants who withhold rent can be evicted. For a serious breach, the tenant can give written notice ending the lease on a rent date at least 30 days later; the lease will not end if the landlord starts fixing the problem within 14 days. Tenants can also sue for damages and an order requiring repairs, or counterclaim in an eviction case (the court may require rent to be paid into court). Repair-and-deduct is allowed only by separate agreement with the landlord.
This is general information, not legal advice. If you have a notice or court papers, contact legal aid right away. See facing eviction, security deposit rights, and repairs and habitability.
Phone lines that serve Kansas
- Shelter, rent help, and local services211
- HUD-approved housing counseling800-569-4287
- Housing discrimination complaints (HUD)800-669-9777
- Energy assistance referral (LIHEAP)866-674-6327
- Veterans at risk of homelessness877-424-3838
- Domestic violence hotline800-799-7233
More local contacts: HUD’s Kansas resource page.
Next steps
Sources
Checked October 10, 2026. Laws, programs, and agency websites change; confirm details with the agency or court before relying on them. Report a correction.
- K.S.A. 58-2550 Security depositsKansas Office of Revisor of Statutes
- K.S.A. 58-2564 Material noncompliance by tenant; nonpayment of rentKansas Office of Revisor of Statutes
- K.S.A. 58-2557 Landlord's right to enterKansas Office of Revisor of Statutes
- K.S.A. 12-16,120 Prohibiting rent controlKansas Office of Revisor of Statutes
- K.S.A. 58-2559 Material noncompliance by landlordKansas Office of Revisor of Statutes
- K.S.A. 58-2561 Action for possession; counterclaim; rent paid into courtKansas Office of Revisor of Statutes
- Tenant Issues and Rights for Kansas RentersKansas Legal Services
- Kansas Legal ServicesKansas Legal Services
- Energy Assistance (LIEAP)Kansas Department for Children and Families
- Weatherization AssistanceKansas Housing Resources Corporation
- KCK Housing AuthorityKansas City, Kansas Housing Authority
- Topeka Housing AuthorityTopeka Housing Authority
- Lawrence-Douglas County Housing AuthorityLawrence-Douglas County Housing Authority