Douglas County highlights new free eviction expungement law

Douglas County renters with eviction records now have a no-cost way to ask a court to clear them, but the new Kansas law still leaves landlords, timing and old money judgments in the middle of the process. The change took effect July 1, and county leaders in Lawrence have paired it with local housing aid and free legal defense.

Under Sub. for HB 2357, a tenant in an eviction case governed by the Kansas Residential Landlord and Tenant Act may file an electronic expungement request under the eviction case docket number at no cost. The tenant must serve the landlord by return receipt delivery, and the landlord then has 30 days to object. If no objection is filed, the court may decide without a hearing, and the law creates a presumption that any monetary judgment tied to the tenancy has been satisfied.

The statute gives tenants the clearest path after three years have passed since judgment, the related monetary judgment has been satisfied and no additional eviction judgment has been entered during that three-year period. If another eviction judgment is entered before that window closes, the earlier case cannot be expunged until the later judgment becomes eligible. Evictions with unsatisfied monetary judgments generally cannot be expunged unless the tenant and landlord agree. A public housing authority may request eviction judgment history for the past three years for active applicants for federal housing assistance.

HB 2357 also requires courts to consider mediation in most eviction actions unless the judge finds mediation would not materially help the parties. The Housing Stabilization Collaborative works to reduce housing barriers through rental and utility assistance, landlord engagement best practices and partnerships with local social service agencies.

County commissioners also approved a six-month tenant eviction defense pilot running from June 1 through Dec. 31, 2026, funded with $40,000 already in the 2026 budget for eviction prevention activities. Commissioners split the award between Kansas Legal Services and Kansas Holistic Defenders, giving eligible tenants access to free legal defense services and another route to avoid losing housing.

Kansas judicial research found courts handled about 14,500 eviction filings a year in the three years before the pandemic, while no more than 150 cases went to trial annually. Three-fourths of eviction filings were resolved through procedural errors, and the research called for better tenant education and more alternatives outside the courtroom. In Douglas County, staff continue to point renters and landlords to eviction resources, eviction resolution services, mediation services and court self-help support as the expungement process begins.