Requirements taken from official city sources, quoted and dated.
| Program | Healthy Homes Rental Inspection Program (Rental Permit) |
|---|---|
| Issuing department | Kansas City Health Department, Environmental Health Services Division |
All owners of housing rented out in Kansas City, MO: "All owners now or hereafter owning, operating or managing a residential rental property, shall obtain a rental permit for each rental property from the Director". A permit is required for each rental property, while the annual fee is calculated by the number of units. Exemptions under the text of the rules: housing rented for periods of less than 30 consecutive days ("Provisions of this Article do not apply to: a) Housing units that are only rented for periods of less than 30 consecutive days"); duplexes in which one unit is owner-occupied; units inside an owner-occupied single-family home that complies with zoning; and housing occupied by the owner's immediate family (per the definition of Rental Property).
For 2026 (city page): "The annual 2026 permit fee is $25 per unit plus a one-time application of $25". The city's example: a 10-unit complex pays $275 in the first year and $250/year thereafter. Additional charges under the program rules: a re-inspection costs $150 for the first unit and $100 for each additional unit; a late penalty of 10% per month; reinstatement of a suspended permit costs $300. The initial inspection is free.
Annually. "All permits are annual permits and shall be valid from January 1 through December 31"; the fee is due no later than December 31. The permit is not transferable upon a change of owner or manager.
Yes. At application and at annual renewal the applicant must attach a health and safety inspection report meeting the Director's requirements. Beyond that: complaint-based inspections plus a random sample — "In addition to complaint-based inspections, the Director shall determine a percentage of random annual routine inspections to be completed based on the total number of permitted rental properties"; the Director may also order out-of-cycle inspections based on violation history. The exact random-sample percentage is not fixed in the rules — it is set by the Director.
Within 60 days after the permit is issued or renewed, and when a new tenancy begins, the owner must either "furnish a full copy of the permit to each tenant subject to the permit" or, for the entire remaining term of the permit, "post a full copy of the permit at the rental property in a conspicuous location reasonably calculated to come to the attention of each tenant subject to the permit". Separately, the ordinance prohibits retaliation against a tenant for filing a complaint.
"Any person violating any provision of this Article... shall be deemed guilty of an ordinance violation, and upon conviction thereof shall be punished as provided in Section 34-864"; "Failure of any person to obtain a permit or keep the permit in force and effect by proper renewal thereof, where a permit is required, shall constitute a violation of this Article". The amount: "Any person convicted of a violation of any provision of this chapter shall be punished for that violation by a fine of not more than $1,000.00, or by imprisonment of not more than 180 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment. Each day on which a violation occurs is a separate violation." In addition: suspension and revocation of the permit (upon revocation the property is subject to vacation and sealing), a 10% per month late penalty, and suspension when fees go unpaid for more than 90 days.
"A person may not offer for rent a rental unit without a valid rental permit issued by the Director for the rental property of which the rental unit is a part. All owners now or hereafter owning, operating or managing a residential rental property, shall obtain a rental permit for each rental property from the Director." (Healthy Homes Rental Inspection Program Rules & Regulations, Chapter 8.A.1) — Ordinance No. 180248 (initiative petition, approved by vote on August 7, 2018), codified in the Code of Ordinances of Kansas City, Missouri, ch. 34; the program rules cite §§ 34-846(d), 34-864 (penalty), 34-866. The current Rules & Regulations are a Health Department PDF (2024 version).
Source: https://www.kcmo.gov/city-hall/departments/health/environmental-health-services/landlord-information-healthy-homes-rental-inspection-program · checked 2026-08-14
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Example City, ST raised its annual rental licence fee
Was $95 per unit, per year
Now $110 per unit, per year
| City | Licence | Verified |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City, MO | Required | 2026-08-14 |
| San Diego, CA | Required | 2026-08-14 |
| Chicago, IL | Not required | 2026-08-14 |
| Louisville, KY | Required | 2026-08-14 |
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