Kansas Section 8, Records & Right to Counsel
Kansas rules on section 8, records & right to counsel for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-22.
Short answer: No. The Kansas Act Against Discrimination's housing section covers race, religion, color, sex, disability, familial status, national origin, and ancestry only; source of income and housing vouchers are not protected statewide. K.S.A. 44-1016
The rules in Kansas
| Statewide ban on refusing Section 8 / source of income | No. The Kansas Act Against Discrimination's housing section covers race, religion, color, sex, disability, familial status, national origin, and ancestry only; source of income and housing vouchers are not protected statewide. Source: K.S.A. 44-1016 |
|---|---|
| Eviction record sealing | Yes, by petition (new in 2026). A defendant in a residential (RLTA) eviction case may file electronically, at no cost, for expungement under the case number, serving the landlord by return-receipt delivery. The landlord has 30 days to object (then a hearing); without objection the court decides without a hearing and money judgments are presumed satisfied. The court must grant expungement if 3 years have passed since judgment, any money judgment from the tenancy is satisfied, and the tenant has had no other residential eviction judgment in those 3 years (a later judgment delays expungement of the earlier one). Cases with an unsatisfied money judgment are expunged only if both parties agree. Expungement does not erase the debt; public housing authorities may still obtain 3-year eviction history for federal assistance applicants. The Judicial Council is to create a form. In effect since July 1, 2026 (publication in the statute book; approved April 9, 2026; 2026 Kan. Sess. Laws ch. 132). Codified at K.S.A. 2026 Supp. 61-3809. The same act requires courts to consider mediation in RLTA eviction cases (K.S.A. 61-3806(c)) and allows up to a 14-day continuance for mediation (61-3807(b)(2)). |
| Right to a lawyer in eviction | No statewide right to counsel in eviction cases was found. The 2026 eviction reform (Sub. for HB 2357) added expungement and court consideration of mediation, not appointed counsel. |
Related questions
- Can a landlord refuse Section 8?
- Can an eviction be removed from your record?
- Do tenants get a free lawyer for an eviction?
Kansas vs. neighboring states
| State | Statewide ban on refusing Section 8 / source of income | Eviction record sealing | Right to a lawyer in eviction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas | No. The Kansas Act Against Discrimination's housing section covers race, religion, color, sex, disability, familial status, national origin, and ancestry only; source of income and housing vouchers are not protected statewide. K.S.A. 44-1016 | Yes, by petition (new in 2026). A defendant in a residential (RLTA) eviction case may file electronically, at no cost, for expungement under the case number, serving the landlord by return-receipt delivery. The landlord has 30 days to object (then a hearing); without objection the court decides without a hearing and money judgments are presumed satisfied. The court must grant expungement if 3 years have passed since judgment, any money judgment from the tenancy is satisfied, and the tenant has had no other residential eviction judgment in those 3 years (a later judgment delays expungement of the earlier one). Cases with an unsatisfied money judgment are expunged only if both parties agree. Expungement does not erase the debt; public housing authorities may still obtain 3-year eviction history for federal assistance applicants. The Judicial Council is to create a form. K.S.A. 2026 Supp. 61-3809 (Sub. for HB 2357 (2026), sec. 1) | No statewide right to counsel in eviction cases was found. The 2026 eviction reform (Sub. for HB 2357) added expungement and court consideration of mediation, not appointed counsel. K.S.A. 61-3801 et seq.; Sub. for HB 2357 (2026) |
| Colorado | Yes. Colorado's fair housing law bars refusing to rent, setting different terms, using discriminatory ads, or falsely saying a unit is unavailable because of a person's source of income. Source of income means any lawful, verifiable source of money, including wages and any government or private assistance, grant, or loan program such as housing vouchers. Landlords may still check credit if they check every applicant. Exemptions: landlords with three or fewer rental units are exempt from the source-of-income provisions. A landlord with five or fewer single-family rental homes (and no more than five total units) need not accept federal housing choice vouchers for those homes. Applying the income-screening limits in § 38-12-904(1)(c)-(d) is also a source-of-income violation. Since May 29, 2025, it is also an unfair housing practice for a landlord to fail to make reasonable efforts to respond on time to requests for information and documents needed for a tenant's rental-assistance application, or to fail to cooperate in good faith with a tenant applying for rental assistance. If a court finds discrimination based on a tenant's use of a housing subsidy, it must award at least $5,000 in damages, and actual damages must account for a subsidy the tenant lost because of the discrimination. C.R.S. §§ 24-34-501(4.5), 24-34-502(1)(l)-(q), (1.5), (1.7); § 24-34-502(1)(r), § 24-34-505.6(6)(a), (8) (added by HB 25-1240) | Yes, automatic suppression. Every eviction (forcible entry and detainer) court record is suppressed from the moment the case is filed. The parties, their attorneys, judges, court staff, and people with a court order can see it, and courts may not publish party names online. The record becomes public only if the court enters an order granting the landlord possession, unless both parties agree to keep it suppressed. Cases that are dismissed, settled, or won by the tenant stay suppressed. Since August 6, 2025, a defendant who is a victim-survivor of domestic violence, domestic abuse, stalking, or unlawful sexual behavior may move to suppress, or keep suppressed, any eviction record, including a judgment for possession and records predating the law. The court must grant the motion if the tenant provides qualifying documentation and states that public access risks the safety of the tenant or a household member. C.R.S. § 13-40-110.5 (subsection (3) as amended by HB 25-1168) | No statewide right to a lawyer in eviction cases. The state funds eviction legal help through the Eviction Legal Defense Fund. The state court administrator makes grants to qualifying nonprofit legal aid organizations to advise and represent indigent tenants (income at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines) facing eviction, but this is not a guaranteed right to counsel. C.R.S. § 13-40-127 |
| Missouri | No. Missouri has no statewide ban on refusing voucher holders. Since 28 Aug 2025, cities and counties (including charter governments) are also barred from enacting, keeping, or enforcing ordinances that stop landlords from refusing tenants whose rent is paid partly with federal or other housing assistance. Local ordinances protecting recipients of veterans' benefits remain allowed. RSMo 441.043.2(1), .4 (as amended by L. 2025 H.B. 595 & 343) | No statute found. No section of RSMo Chapters 441, 534 or 535 provides for sealing, masking, or expunging eviction court records. RSMo Ch. 441, 534, 535 (section lists reviewed) | No statewide right to counsel in eviction cases found. RSMo Ch. 441, 534, 535 (no counsel provision) |
| Nebraska | No. The Nebraska Fair Housing Act covers race, color, religion, national origin, disability, familial status, sex, and military or veteran status, but not source of income or housing vouchers. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 20-318 | No statute. Bills to create a 'Residential Tenant Clean Slate Act' to seal certain eviction records have failed: LB92 (109th Legislature) was indefinitely postponed on Jan. 7, 2026. LB92 (109th Leg.) bill history; no sealing provision in Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 76-1401 to 76-1449 | No statewide right to counsel in eviction cases found. Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 76-1440 to 76-1447 (possession actions; no counsel provision) |
| Oklahoma | No. Oklahoma's fair housing law protects race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, familial status, and disability. It does not cover source of income or voucher use. 25 O.S. § 1452(A) | No statute. Oklahoma's forcible entry and detainer statutes have no provision for sealing or expunging eviction records. 12 O.S. §§ 1148.1-1148.16 (no sealing provision) | No statewide right to counsel in eviction cases. 12 O.S. §§ 1148.1-1148.16; 41 O.S. §§ 101-136 (no counsel provision) |
City rules that may add to state law
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Compare section 8, records & right to counsel in all 50 states and DC →
Kansas Section 8, Records & Right to Counsel FAQ
Is it illegal for a landlord to refuse Section 8 vouchers in Kansas?
No. The Kansas Act Against Discrimination's housing section covers race, religion, color, sex, disability, familial status, national origin, and ancestry only; source of income and housing vouchers are not protected statewide. (K.S.A. 44-1016)
Can an eviction record be sealed or removed in Kansas?
Yes, by petition (new in 2026). A defendant in a residential (RLTA) eviction case may file electronically, at no cost, for expungement under the case number, serving the landlord by return-receipt delivery. The landlord has 30 days to object (then a hearing); without objection the court decides without a hearing and money judgments are presumed satisfied. The court must grant expungement if 3 years have passed since judgment, any money judgment from the tenancy is satisfied, and the tenant has had no other residential eviction judgment in those 3 years (a later judgment delays expungement of the earlier one). Cases with an unsatisfied money judgment are expunged only if both parties agree. Expungement does not erase the debt; public housing authorities may still obtain 3-year eviction history for federal assistance applicants. The Judicial Council is to create a form. (K.S.A. 2026 Supp. 61-3809 (Sub. for HB 2357 (2026), sec. 1))
Do tenants have a right to a free lawyer in eviction cases in Kansas?
No statewide right to counsel in eviction cases was found. The 2026 eviction reform (Sub. for HB 2357) added expungement and court consideration of mediation, not appointed counsel. (K.S.A. 61-3801 et seq.; Sub. for HB 2357 (2026))
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.