Landlords and property managers use Kansas Rental Application forms to collect relevant information about potential tenants.
Employment verification, income, rental history, and a background check can help you predict a tenant’s ability to fulfill their responsibilities.
Once a tenant meets your qualifications, you can use our Kansas Rental Lease Agreement form to begin a successful rental.
Kansas Rental Application Fees
Application fees help landlords cover the cost of selecting quality tenants.
How Much Can Landlords Charge for Rental Application Fees in Kansas?
No Kansas statute limits the amount of rental application fees an applicant must pay a landlord. It is up to the landlord to designate the rental application fees in Kansas as refundable or non-refundable.
What is the Maximum Pet Deposit a Kansas Landlord Can Require?
Under Kansas law, the landlord cannot charge more than one-half of one month’s rent for the pet deposit. Applicants cannot face additional charges or be denied residence due to using a service animal under the federal Fair Housing Act.
What Are the Guidelines for Kansas Security Deposits?
Kansas law, specifically Kansas Statute § 58-2550, states that a security deposit for a furnished property cannot exceed one and one-half month’s rent. A security deposit cannot exceed one month’s rent for an unfurnished property.
Landlords can charge an additional deposit for pets up to one-half month’s rent, but the total deposit cannot exceed two months’ rent.
At the end of a lease term, this law also requires you to provide a written notice to the tenant of any damages beyond normal wear and tear that you intend to deduct from their security deposit.
You then have 14 days to return the remaining deposit. After 30 days, a tenant may be able to recover the deposit and additional damages.
Authorization for Kansas Background Check
Credit and criminal background checks can identify potential red flags for late rent payments, property damage, and reckless behavior.
Landlords must perform checks per state and federal laws, and many landlords opt to contract these services to a third party.
While this screening process helps you avoid renting to a bad tenant, you must obtain authorization to investigate.
The background check authorization form serves three primary purposes for Kansas landlords:
- Gathering Information — You will need a tenant’s full name, social security number, and address to conduct a thorough background search.
- Disclosures to Tenants — Applicants must know how landlords will use their information and which checks will the property owners perform.
- Applicant Authorization — The potential tenant gives their written permission to you to conduct a background check.
It is wise to have a comprehensive look at an applicant’s history before entering into a legally binding contract.
How To Conduct an Eviction Record Search in Kansas
A potential tenant’s history of evictions may help you determine if they are a good fit for your property. Some paid services compile this information, but you may also access Kansas court records online.
To conduct your eviction record search online:
- Navigate to the Kansas District Court Public Access Portal.
- Select “Smart Search.”
- Enter the applicant’s name in the designated format.
- Complete identity verification.
- Click “Submit.”
Carefully reviewing each applicant’s history helps avoid tenants likely to be non-compliant under the Kansas eviction statute.
Other Resources for Landlords in Kansas
Kansas landlords have additional options for evaluating tenants and ensuring their rental applications comply with state and federal laws.
Kansas Fair Housing Laws
Like federal law, the Kansas Act Against Discrimination prohibits landlords from denying a rental application based on race, religion, sex, disability, national origin or ancestry, familial status, or color.
Kansas Sex Offender Registry
Kansas law does not restrict where registered sex offenders can live. Using the Kansas Sex Offender Registry to research an applicant’s status can prevent safety risks and contribute to determining their suitability to rent.
How to Write a Rental Application
Follow the steps below to write a rental application in Kansas.
Step 1 – Fill in Property Address Information
Write the date of the rental application and the address of the rental property.
Step 2 – Collect Basic Rental Applicant Information
This section provides the applicant(s) basic identifying information about themselves.
Step 3 – Collect Applicant’s Residence History
In this section, the applicant(s) provides their residence history including addresses, dates of residency, and reasons for moving.
Step 4 – Gather Applicant’s Employment History
This section is for the applicant(s) to provide current and previous employment information and other sources of income.
Step 5 – Gather Applicant’s Financial History
This section is for the applicant(s) to provide bank account and credit card information.
Step 6 – Collect References
The applicant(s) provides personal references’ names and contact information in this section.
Step 7 – Additional Questions and Verification
This section contains additional questions to determine more information about the applicant such as smoking or pets.
Sample Kansas Rental Application Form
Below is an example of a standard Kansas rental application form. You may download this free form or use our document builder to create a customized Kansas rental application that covers all the details unique to your real estate needs.