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Tenant experiences report finds widespread housing instability in Douglas County; groups urge tenant protections and legal help
Summary
A countywide tenant experiences survey released to the Lawrence City Commission documented rent increases, maintenance failures, withheld deposits, eviction impacts and discrimination; authors recommended a tenant bill of rights, limits on junk fees, eviction record sealing, right to counsel and just-cause eviction protections.
The Lawrence City Commission received a presentation of the Douglas County Tenant Experiences report during a work session Tuesday. The report — produced by the KU Center for Community Health and Development with local partners and funded in part by public‑health grants — summarizes responses from more than 1,000 residents about rental search experiences, housing quality, maintenance, harassment and eviction.
The survey found that many renters face high housing costs, repeated rent increases, withheld deposits, housing quality problems and barriers to seeking repairs for fear of retaliation. Respondents reported that securing a rental commonly required multiple applications and months of searching; 67% said they had experienced rent increases and 22% of those reported increases of $200 or more per month. Of respondents who had received eviction notices, 94% reported they had no legal representation; 62% of those evicted lost housing and 20 respondents reported becoming homeless.
Why it matters: The report ties housing instability to other public‑health and…
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