When the Landlord Retaliates
K.S.A. 58-2572 — no rent increase or cut in services for a code complaint or a tenants' union
- The tenant complained to a code enforcement agency of a violation materially affecting health and safety.
- The tenant complained to the landlord that the landlord's duties were not met.
- The tenant organized or joined a tenants' union or similar organization.
Who handles this in Kansas: Kansas Legal Services, apply for help and Kansas Legal Services; and legal aid programs, lawyer referral and the state offices, listed in the Kansas directory.
After any of those, a landlord may not retaliate by raising the rent or cutting services. A tenant retaliated against has the remedies for a lockout, up to one and a half months' rent or the actual damages, and a defense to an eviction.
What is not retaliation. A landlord may still raise rent in good faith to cover higher utility rates, property taxes or operating costs, if the lease allows. A landlord may still evict when the tenant is behind on rent, the tenant caused the code violation, or fixing it means remodeling that would leave the unit unusable.
Sources for this section (2)
- K.S.A. 58-2572 — Certain retaliatory actions by landlord prohibited; remedies; increased rent, when; action for possession, when
- K.S.A. 58-2563 — Unlawful removal or exclusion of tenant; diminished services; damages; security deposit
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Kansas attorney.