What do Kansas landlord tenant laws say about repairs, entry and deposits?

Kansas landlord tenant day counts and deposit limits, with sources

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What repairs is a landlord responsible for in Kansas?

Section 58-2553(a) of the Kansas Statutes Annotated, read 2026-10-29 on ksrevisor.gov, lists the landlord's duties under one opening condition: “Except when prevented by an act of God, the failure of public utility services or other conditions beyond the landlord's control, the landlord shall: (1) Comply with the requirements of applicable building and housing codes materially affecting health and safety. If the duty imposed by this paragraph is greater than any duty imposed by any other paragraph of this subsection, the landlord's duty shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of this paragraph; (2) exercise reasonable care in the maintenance of the common areas; (3) maintain in good and safe working order and condition all electrical, plumbing, sanitary, heating, ventilating and air-conditioning appliances including elevators, supplied or required to be supplied by such landlord;” (Kansas Statutes Annotated 58-2553) Items (4) and (5) of the same subsection go on to waste receptacles, running water, hot water and heat.

The duty to maintain in good and safe working order, which holds except when prevented by an act of God or other conditions beyond the landlord's control, shifts to the tenant only on the terms of the next two subsections. Under 58-2553(b), the landlord and tenants of premises for not to exceed four households having common areas may agree in writing that the tenant performs the duties of paragraphs (4) and (5) and specified repairs, only in good faith. Under 58-2553(c), for a dwelling unit other than a single family residence, specified repairs move to the tenant only through a separate written agreement signed by the parties and supported by adequate consideration, among the other terms that subsection lists.

For a heat, hot-water or running-water repair at a rental, a property manager can describe the job once on InstaBids and compare written bids side by side.

How long does a landlord have to make repairs in Kansas?

Section 58-2559(a)(1), read 2026-10-29, sets no finish-by date; after the tenant's written notice of a material noncompliance it counts fourteen (14) days for the landlord to start: “(1) If the breach is remediable by repairs or the payment of damages or otherwise, and the landlord adequately initiates a good faith effort to remedy the breach within fourteen (14) days after receipt of the notice, the rental agreement shall not terminate.” (Kansas Statutes Annotated 58-2559)

The clock starts with the tenant's notice under the material noncompliance rule of 58-2559(a): the tenant may deliver a written notice to the landlord specifying the acts and omissions constituting the breach, naming a periodic rent-paying date not less than thirty (30) days after receipt. If the same or a similar breach occurs after the fourteen-day period, the tenant may deliver a further written notice to the landlord, and the rental agreement then terminates as that notice provides.

When a tenant's written repair notice comes in, a property manager can post that repair on InstaBids, add photos and get written bids on the same scope.

How much notice does a landlord have to give before entering in Kansas?

Section 58-2557(a), read 2026-10-29, names no hour count; it gives the landlord the right to enter at reasonable hours, after reasonable notice: “The landlord shall have the right to enter the dwelling unit at reasonable hours, after reasonable notice to the tenant, in order to inspect the premises, make necessary or agreed repairs, decorations, alterations or improvements, supply necessary or agreed services, or exhibit the dwelling unit to prospective or actual purchasers, mortgagees, tenants, workmen or contractors.” (Kansas Statutes Annotated 58-2557)

The one case without consent is in 58-2557(b): “The landlord may enter the dwelling unit without consent of the tenant in case of an extreme hazard involving the potential loss of life or severe property damage.” (Kansas Statutes Annotated 58-2557) Section 58-2557(c) closes the section: “The landlord shall not abuse the right of access or use it to harass the tenant.”

For a repair that needs entry to a rented unit, a property manager can post the job on InstaBids with photos, with no contractor home visits before a bid is picked.

How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Kansas?

Section 58-2550(b), read 2026-10-29, sets two limits in one sentence for a landlord who proposes to retain any portion of the deposit: “If the landlord proposes to retain any portion of the security deposit for expenses, damages or other legally allowable charges under the provisions of the rental agreement, other than rent, the landlord shall return the balance of the security deposit to the tenant within 14 days after the determination of the amount of such expenses, damages or other charges, but in no event to exceed 30 days after termination of the tenancy, delivery of possession and demand by the tenant.” (Kansas Statutes Annotated 58-2550)

The same subsection opens with what the deposit may be applied to upon termination of the tenancy: accrued rent and damages from the tenant's noncompliance with 58-2555 and the rental agreement, all as itemized by the landlord in a written notice delivered to the tenant. Under 58-2550(c), if the landlord fails to comply with subsection (b), the tenant may recover that portion of the security deposit due together with damages equal to 1½ the amount wrongfully withheld.

Before move-in, 58-2550(a) caps the amount: a landlord may not demand or receive a security deposit for an unfurnished dwelling unit in excess of one month's periodic rent.

For move-out cleaning and damage repairs before a deposit is settled, a property manager can post the job on InstaBids and compare written bids side by side.

When can a tenant end a lease over repairs in Kansas?

Section 58-2559(a), read 2026-10-29, ties the tenant's written notice to a material noncompliance: “Except as otherwise provided in this act, if there is a material noncompliance by the landlord with the rental agreement or a noncompliance with K.S.A. 58-2553 materially affecting health and safety, the tenant may deliver a written notice to the landlord specifying the acts and omissions constituting the breach and that the rental agreement will terminate upon a periodic rent-paying date not less than thirty (30) days after receipt of the notice.” (Kansas Statutes Annotated 58-2559) The rental agreement does not terminate on that written notice to the landlord if the landlord adequately initiates a good faith effort to remedy the breach within fourteen (14) days after receipt of the notice, and under 58-2559(a)(2) the tenant may not terminate for a condition caused by an act or omission of the tenant or any person or animal or pet on the premises with the tenant's permission or consent.

Apart from repairs, under 58-2570(b) the landlord or the tenant may terminate a month-to-month tenancy by a written notice naming a periodic rent-paying date not less than 30 days after the receipt of the notice, except that not more than 15 days' written notice by a tenant is necessary where the tenant is in the military service of the United States and termination is necessitated by military orders. Under 58-2570(a), the landlord or the tenant may terminate a week-to-week tenancy by a written notice given at least seven days prior to the termination date specified in the notice.

For a repair named in a tenant's noncompliance notice, such as a plumbing or electrical fix, a property manager can post it on InstaBids and get written bids.

Who does Kansas landlord tenant law cover?

Section 58-2541, read 2026-10-29, lists seven arrangements that are not governed by this act unless created to avoid the application of this act; the list opens with (a): “Unless created to avoid the application of this act, the following arrangements are not governed by this act: (a) Residence at an institution, public or private, if incidental to detention or the provision of medical, geriatric, educational, counseling, religious or similar service;” (Kansas Statutes Annotated 58-2541) The other six are occupancy under a contract of sale by the purchaser, occupancy by a member of a fraternal or social organization, transient occupancy in a hotel, motel or rooming house, occupancy by an employee of a landlord whose right to occupancy is conditional upon employment in and about the premises, occupancy by an owner of a condominium unit or a holder of a proprietary lease in a cooperative, and occupancy under a rental agreement covering premises used primarily for agricultural purposes.

Whatever the rental arrangement, a property manager who needs a unit repair or turnover job done can describe it once on InstaBids and get multiple written bids.

Kansas statutes a property manager works to

What to put in a written repair scope for a Kansas rental

• The repair in plain words, with photos, tied to the 58-2553(a) duty it meets: the landlord shall maintain in good and safe working order and condition the electrical, plumbing, sanitary, heating, ventilating and air-conditioning appliances supplied by such landlord, except when prevented by an act of God or other conditions beyond the landlord's control.
• The date the tenant's written notice was received and the start date of the work, since the rental agreement shall not terminate if the landlord adequately initiates a good faith effort to remedy the breach within fourteen (14) days after receipt of the notice (58-2559(a)(1)).
• The access window for the workmen or contractors, since the landlord has the right to enter the dwelling unit at reasonable hours, after reasonable notice to the tenant, to make necessary or agreed repairs (58-2557(a)).
• At move-out, damages charged to the deposit, itemized by the landlord in a written notice delivered to the tenant (58-2550(b)); where the landlord proposes to retain a portion, the date of the determination of the amount, since the landlord shall return the balance of the security deposit within 14 days after it, in no event to exceed 30 days after termination of the tenancy, delivery of possession and demand by the tenant (58-2550(b)).

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Calling contractors one by one, or one written scope?

The 58-2559(a)(1) window, fourteen (14) days after receipt of the notice for the landlord to adequately initiate a good faith effort to remedy the breach, leaves little room for calling contractors one by one. With one written scope that names the repair and the date the notice was received, you describe it once, contractors bid in writing on that scope, and you choose who gets your number.

Property managers can post a rental job on InstaBids today.

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Sources

• Kansas Statutes Annotated 58-2541, read 2026-10-29: www.ksrevisor.gov
• Kansas Statutes Annotated 58-2559, read 2026-10-29: www.ksrevisor.gov
• Kansas Statutes Annotated 58-2550, read 2026-10-29: www.ksrevisor.gov
• Kansas Statutes Annotated 58-2557, read 2026-10-29: www.ksrevisor.gov
• Kansas Statutes Annotated 58-2570, read 2026-10-29: www.ksrevisor.gov
• Kansas Statutes Annotated 58-2553, read 2026-10-29: www.ksrevisor.gov