The Kansas City Tenant Bill of Rights, codified through Ord. 220011 (2022), prohibits landlords from refusing applicants because the tenant pays rent using Section 8 vouchers, Social Security, veterans' benefits, or other lawful non-employment income.
Ord. 220011 amended the KCMO Civil Rights Code to add lawful source of income as a protected class in housing transactions. Landlords cannot publish ads stating no vouchers, refuse to negotiate, or apply tougher screening criteria solely because rent will be paid via subsidy. The Civil Rights Division of the City accepts and investigates complaints, with conciliation, hearings, and ultimately civil penalties available. The protection works alongside federal Fair Housing Act prohibitions on race and disability discrimination and aligns Kansas City with a growing list of jurisdictions including Saint Louis and several MO counties.
A finding of source-of-income discrimination can result in damages to the applicant, civil penalties paid to the City, mandatory training, and remedial leasing, plus potential parallel state or federal Fair Housing claims.
Kansas City, MO
Housing Authority of Kansas City administers Section 8 vouchers, and landlords participating must pass HUD Housing Quality Standards inspections; the city's ...
Kansas City, MO
The Kansas City Tenant Bill of Rights prohibits landlord retaliation against tenants who report code violations, request repairs, or assert protected rights,...
See how Kansas City's source-of-income discrimination rules stack up against other locations.
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