Kansas protects property owners from unwanted occupants
April 07, 2026
Topeka, Kansas; April 7, 2026: Kansas property owners gained a powerful new tool to protect their homes when Governor Laura Kelly signed HB 2378 into law yesterday. This law establishes an expedited process for removing squatters — who never had authorization to be in the home — allowing property owners to bypass unnecessarily lengthy eviction processes by submitting a notarized affidavit to law enforcement.
“Property rights are meaningless if the government denies homeowners the right to reclaim their property from wrongful possession,” said Jim Manley, State Policy Director with Pacific Legal Foundation. “The right to exclude others from your property is one of the most fundamental rights of ownership. Kansas just made that right real.”
HB 2378 allows property owners to submit a notarized affidavit to local law enforcement attesting that an occupant is unauthorized and not a tenant or a holdover tenant. Law enforcement must then verify the claim and serve a notice to vacate within 24 hours. The law covers residential properties, commercial properties, and mobile homes.
The new law also protects against abuse by establishing criminal penalties for false affidavits and creating a civil cause of action for wrongful removal. Pacific Legal Foundation is advancing similar reforms to uphold property rights across the country.
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About Pacific Legal Foundation
Pacific Legal Foundation is a national nonprofit law firm that defends Americans threatened by government overreach and abuse. Since our founding in 1973, we challenge the government when it violates individual liberty and constitutional rights. With active cases in 34 states plus Washington, D.C., PLF represents clients in state and federal courts, with 18 wins of 20 cases litigated at the U.S. Supreme Court.