Kansas: Security Deposit Return Deadlines & Deductions

Requirements one by one

Governing law

Kansas's security deposit rules live in one section of the Kansas
Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, K.S.A. § 58-2550.

Deadline to return the deposit

The statute doesn't set one flat number. If the landlord is keeping any
part of the deposit, it "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" (§ 58-2550(b)). That's a real three-part trigger for the outer
30-day boundary — the tenancy has to be over, you have to have handed back
possession, AND you have to have actually demanded the deposit. If you
never make that demand within 30 days of the tenancy ending, the landlord
is instead required to simply "mail that portion of the security deposit
due the tenant to the tenant's last known address."

Itemized statement required?

Yes, whenever the landlord proposes to keep any part of the deposit for
anything other than rent — the statute requires the deductions to be
"itemized by the landlord in a written notice delivered to the tenant"
(§ 58-2550(b)).

What can be deducted

The deposit may be applied "to the payment of accrued rent and the amount
of damages which the landlord has suffered by reason of the tenant's
noncompliance with K.S.A. 58-2555... and the rental agreement"
(§ 58-2550(b)). § 58-2555 spells out the tenant's own duties — keeping the
unit clean and safe, using fixtures and appliances reasonably, and being
"responsible for any destruction, defacement, damage, impairment or
removal of any part of the premises" caused by the tenant or anyone the
tenant allowed onto the property. Notably, neither section ever uses the
phrase "wear and tear" — that framing comes from secondary sources
paraphrasing the statute, not the statute's own words.

Maximum deposit amount

Kansas caps the deposit on a tiered scale: "one month's periodic rent" for
an unfurnished unit, up to "1½ months' rent" if the rental agreement lets
the tenant use the landlord's own furniture, plus "an additional security
deposit not to exceed ½ of one month's rent" if pets are allowed
(§ 58-2550(a)). A subsidized municipal housing authority may instead use
its own income-based deposit schedule, with a required deferred-payment
option.

Interest on the deposit?

No. The statute doesn't require a landlord to pay interest on a held
deposit.

Penalty for a late/bad-faith withholding

"If the landlord fails to comply with subsection (b) of this section, the
tenant may recover that portion of the security deposit due together with
damages in an amount equal to 1½ the amount wrongfully withheld"
(§ 58-2550(c)). Kansas courts have held there's no discretion to reduce
that statutory penalty once noncompliance is shown (Love v. Monarch
Apartments, 13 Kan. App. 2d 341 (1989)) — but a landlord who substantially
complies with the section isn't liable for it at all (A & S Rental
Solutions, Inc. v. Kopet, 31 Kan. App. 2d 979 (2003)).

Separate account or bond required?

No. Nothing in § 58-2550 requires a landlord to hold a deposit in a
segregated account, an interest-bearing account, or a bond.

What trips people up

The 30-day deadline needs a demand from you, not just a move-out.
Because the outer boundary only kicks in once you've terminated the
tenancy, delivered possession, AND demanded the deposit, don't assume the
clock is already running the moment you hand over the keys — make a clear,
written demand.

The deposit cap depends on what's in your lease, not just the rent.
A furnished unit or one with a pet allowed can lawfully carry a bigger
deposit than an unfurnished, pet-free unit — check your lease terms
against the tiered cap before assuming you were overcharged.

Don't expect the statute's own words to say "wear and tear." Kansas's
deduction standard is written in terms of the tenant's own duty of care
under § 58-2555, not that common phrase — secondary sources use it as a
gloss, but you won't find it if you read the statute itself.

Common questions

My landlord hasn't sent anything and it's been over 30 days since I
moved out — what do I do? Confirm you've made a demand for the deposit;
the 30-day outer deadline needs termination, delivery of possession, and a
demand, all three. Once that deadline is missed, you can recover the
deposit plus 1.5 times any amount wrongfully withheld.

Can my landlord charge more than one month's rent as a deposit? Only
if the unit is furnished with the landlord's own furniture (up to 1.5
months) or you have a pet (up to another half-month on top of whichever
base cap applies).

Do I get interest on my deposit while it's held? No. Kansas's statute
doesn't require it.

Statutes and sources

• K.S.A. § 58-2550(a) — tiered deposit cap (unfurnished, furnished, pets).
  https://ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch58/058_025_0050.html (accessed 2026-07-06)
• K.S.A. § 58-2550(b) — permitted deductions, itemization duty, and the return deadline.
  https://ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch58/058_025_0050.html (accessed 2026-07-06)
• K.S.A. § 58-2550(c) — 1.5x statutory damages for noncompliance.
  https://ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch58/058_025_0050.html (accessed 2026-07-06)
• K.S.A. § 58-2555 — tenant's duty of care underlying permitted damage deductions.
  https://ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch58/058_025_0055.html (accessed 2026-07-06)