Kansas late rent fee: the legal maximum
Kansas sets no statutory cap on late fees. The amount is whatever the lease says, subject to the general rule that it must not be an unconscionable penalty. There is no statutory grace period, so the lease controls when the fee starts.
Reference: 5% of rent at common rents
Kansas has no cap. Five percent of monthly rent is the most common lease figure and the statutory cap in several other states; it is shown for comparison only.
| Monthly rent | 5% reference |
|---|---|
| $1,000.00 | $50.00 |
| $1,500.00 | $75.00 |
| $2,000.00 | $100.00 |
| $3,000.00 | $150.00 |
What the statute says
No statutory cap and no statutory grace period; no statute located. K.S.A. 58-2545(a) lets the parties include any terms not prohibited by law, so late fees must be in the rental agreement and reasonable (secondary sources TurboTenant and Landlord Studio confirm no state limit).
How this applies in practice
- A late fee must be written into the lease. The statute constrains what the lease may say; it does not create a fee on its own.
- With no statutory grace period, the lease decides when the fee starts; many leases allow three to five days.
- Courts treat a late fee as liquidated damages: it must approximate the landlord’s real cost of late payment. Fees far above 5% of rent, or that compound daily without limit, are the ones that get struck down.
- Late fees are separate from interest on unpaid rent and from eviction filing costs, which have their own rules.
Related Kansas rules
- Pay-or-quit notice: 3 days. Notice periods in Kansas.
- Security deposit: 1 month's rent for an unfurnished unit; 1.5 months' rent if the landlord furnishes furniture; plus up to an additional half month's rent if pets are allowed; returned Within 14 days after the landlord determines the deductions, and in no event more than 30 days after termination of the tenancy, delivery of possession and demand by the tenant; if the tenant makes no demand within 30 days, the landlord must mail the balance to the tenant's last known address, with a written itemization of any deductions. Deposit rules in Kansas.
- All rules on one page: Kansas landlord and tenant law.
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum late fee for rent in Kansas?
There is no statutory maximum in Kansas. No statutory cap and no statutory grace period; no statute located. K.S.A. 58-2545(a) lets the parties include any terms not prohibited by law, so late fees must be in the rental agreement and reasonable (secondary sources TurboTenant and Landlord Studio confirm no state limit). The most common lease figure nationally is 5% of monthly rent, and courts in no-cap states generally accept fees in that range while rejecting ones that look like penalties.
Is there a grace period for rent in Kansas?
Not by statute. The lease may set one; if it is silent, a fee can be charged the day after the due date.
Can a Kansas landlord charge a daily late fee?
Nothing in state law forbids it, but the total must remain reasonable. A daily fee that quickly exceeds a few percent of rent risks being struck down as a penalty.
Can a landlord charge a late fee that is not in the lease in Kansas?
No. A late fee is a contract term. If the lease does not provide for one, the landlord cannot impose it, and in Kansas the statutory reasonableness standard applies on top of whatever the lease says.