Thought Leadership

New Kansas City Right to Counsel Ordinance to Provide Free Legal Representation for Tenants Facing Eviction

January 13, 2022 Advisory

Starting in the summer of 2022, residential tenants facing eviction in the Kansas City metropolitan area will have the right to free legal counsel, and landlords are required to notify their tenants of this right.

On Dec. 9, 2021, the Kansas City, Missouri, City Council voted to approve the right to counsel ordinance that will create a program to fund legal representation for all of the city’s tenants facing eviction, regardless of an individual tenant’s income level. The estimated annual $2.5 million program is set to take effect by June 1, 2022.

The program will cover all petitions and complaints filed by Kansas City landlords relating to property located within the City of Kansas City, which includes the jurisdictions of Jackson County, Missouri; Clay County, Missouri,; Platte County, Missouri; and Cass County, Missouri.

Under the ordinance, landlords are required to provide written notice of the program to all current tenants. For future tenants, landlords must provide written notice of the program as part of the required disclosures given to a tenant before a new lease is signed. The written notice to both current and prospective tenants must inform tenants of their rights under the program to obtain free legal representation upon a later potential eviction. Landlords are prohibited from pursuing any type of retaliation against tenants who obtain legal representation from the program.

Landlords should be aware that, under the program, tenants will have legal representation from the day the suit is filed until the case is either dismissed or a final judgment in the matter is entered. Kansas City landlords who have represented themselves in eviction proceedings should consider the risks of proceeding without counsel against their now-represented tenants, especially if the matter becomes contested and various rules of procedure and evidence are invoked. Landlords should also familiarize themselves with the notification requirements under the ordinance and confirm the necessary processes and procedures are in place to comply. 

Armstrong Teasdale attorneys represent residential and commercial landlords in a wide range of landlord-tenant matters, including advising and negotiating lease agreements and evictions. Please contact your regular AT lawyer or one of the authors listed below for counsel regarding your specific situation.

Contact Us
  • Worldwide
  • Chicago, IL
  • Denver, CO
  • Edwardsville, IL
  • Jefferson City, MO
  • Kansas City, MO
  • Las Vegas, NV
  • Miami, FL
  • New York, NY
  • Orange County, CA
  • Philadelphia, PA
  • St. Louis, MO
  • Washington, D.C.
  • Wilmington, DE
Worldwide
abstract image of world map
Chicago, IL
100 North Riverside Plaza
Suite 1500
Chicago, IL 60606-1520
Google Maps
Chicago, Illinois
Denver, CO
4643 S. Ulster St.
Suite 800
Denver, CO 80237
Google Maps
Denver, Colorado
Edwardsville, IL
115 N. Second St.
Edwardsville, IL 62025
Google Maps
Edwardsville, Illinois
Jefferson City, MO
101 E. High St.
First Floor
Jefferson City, MO 65101
Google Maps
Jefferson City, Missouri
Kansas City, MO
2345 Grand Blvd.
Suite 1500
Kansas City, MO 64108
Google Maps
Kansas City, Missouri
Las Vegas, NV
7160 Rafael Rivera Way
Suite 320
Las Vegas, NV 89113
Google Maps
Las Vegas, Nevada
Miami, FL
355 Alhambra Circle
Suite 1200
Coral Gables, FL 33134
Google Maps
Photo of Miami, Florida
New York, NY
7 Times Square, 44th Floor
New York, NY 10036
Google Maps
New York City skyline
Orange County, CA
19800 MacArthur Boulevard
Suite 300
Irvine, CA 92612
Google Maps
Philadelphia, PA
2005 Market Street
29th Floor, One Commerce Square
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Google Maps
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
St. Louis, MO
7700 Forsyth Blvd.
Suite 1800
St. Louis, MO 63105
Google Maps
St. Louis, Missouri
Washington, D.C.
1717 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Suite 400
Washington, DC 20006
Google Maps
Photo of Washington, D.C. with the Capitol in the foreground and Washington Monument in the background.
Wilmington, DE
1007 North Market Street
Wilmington, DE 19801
Google Maps
Wilmington, Delaware