For the majority of rentals the rent amount will change year to year. Sometimes market forces allow the landlord to raise the rent, and other times the rent must come down a bit to limit vacancy. With renting become more popular in the U.S. since the 2008 recession the issue of how and when to raise rent has become a much-discussed topic, with lawmakers weighing in in some cases. Therefore, it’s important that landlords be aware of the statutory rules surrounding rent changes and follow the letter of the law.
In Kansas a landlord can raise the rent after providing 30 days notice to their tenants. Since the landlord cannot change the rent amount during the tenancy, the required notice is typically provided toward the end of the agreement term, when the tenant will be determining if they will remain in the rental or move. Of course, a landlord can always provide additional notice to their tenants about a rent increase, and it does make sense to provide as much notice as possible. In the event your tenant cannot absorb the rent increase both you and your tenant will want as much time as possible to find alternatives.
Required Notice
When a tenant is preparing to vacate they are required to provide written notice of such, also known as a notice to quit. However, if the landlord provides a document to the tenant which contains tenant’s intention to vacate, and if the document includes any additional terms that are not in the original rental agreement, then a required statement must be included in the document.
Written in no less than ten-point boldface type:
YOUR SIGNATURE ON THIS DOCUMENT MAY BIND YOU TO ADDITIONAL TERMS NOT IN YOUR ORIGINAL LEASE AGREEMENT. IF YOUR LEASE REQUIRES YOU TO GIVE WRITTEN NOTICE OF YOUR INTENT TO VACATE, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO DECLINE TO SIGN THIS DOCUMENT AND TO PROVIDE WRITTEN NOTICE IN ANOTHER FORM.
If the above statement is not included in the document then the tenant is not bound by any additional terms in the document.