What are squatters’ rights in Kansas?
In Kansas, no action to recover real property may be maintained against a person who has been in open, exclusive and continuous possession of it for 15 years, under a claim knowingly adverse or under a belief of ownership. Under the removal of squatters act, in force since July 1, 2026, the owner of a dwelling unit or the owner’s agent may request removal of an unauthorized person by giving a notarized affidavit to a law enforcement agency in the county, stating that the person entered and is remaining unlawfully, is not a tenant or holdover tenant, was asked to vacate, and is not an immediate family member of the owner. After verifying that the affiant is the record owner or authorized agent, and at least 24 hours after receiving the affidavit, a law enforcement officer serves a notice on the unauthorized person to vacate the dwelling unit immediately. Occupancy by a squatter is excluded from the residential landlord tenant act, so removal does not require an eviction action under it, and a person wrongfully removed may sue the affiant for restored possession, damages, and triple the fair market rent. Until that period has run, a person occupying property without permission has no claim to its title. This is K.S.A. 60-503; K.S.A. 58-5401, 58-5403, 58-5404, 58-5407.
| What | Kansas |
|---|---|
| Adverse possession period | 15 years |
| Removing an unauthorized occupant | Law enforcement can remove the occupant without an eviction case |
Source
K.S.A. 60-503; K.S.A. 58-5401, 58-5403, 58-5404, 58-5407
Read the statute in the Kansas Statutes (Kansas Revisor of Statutes): ksrevisor.gov.
Checked against the statute on November 13, 2026.
This is a summary of the published procedure, not legal advice. Courts, local rules and the facts of a tenancy change what applies, and a defect in a notice or a filing can end a case. Have a lawyer review anything before it is served or filed.
How Seayora uses this rule
Seayora does not file, serve or appear in an eviction, and is not anybody’s lawyer. When a tenant has stopped paying, it lays out these steps for the property’s own state and city with the statute beside each one, holds back any step that would come too early, keeps an append-only record of the case — and shows the resident what would end it, legal-aid links included.
Guides on this rule
- Squatters’ Rights by State: Adverse Possession and Removal — How long adverse possession takes in 51 states, what the statutes require, and which states let law enforcement remove a squatter without an eviction case.
Compare this rule in every state
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- Every Kansas rule on one page
The same question in other states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii