diff --git a/api/client-server/banning.yaml b/api/client-server/banning.yaml
index 3877f0e9..4030f46b 100644
--- a/api/client-server/banning.yaml
+++ b/api/client-server/banning.yaml
@@ -61,7 +61,8 @@ paths:
                 description: The fully qualified user ID of the user being banned.
               reason:
                 type: string
-                description: The reason the user has been banned.
+                description: The reason the user has been banned. This will be supplied as the 
+                  ``reason`` on the target's updated `m.room.member`_ event.
             required: ["user_id"]
       responses:
         200:
diff --git a/api/client-server/kicking.yaml b/api/client-server/kicking.yaml
index ef43c0ee..bacc806e 100644
--- a/api/client-server/kicking.yaml
+++ b/api/client-server/kicking.yaml
@@ -34,6 +34,10 @@ paths:
         Kick a user from the room.
 
         The caller must have the required power level in order to perform this operation.
+        
+        Kicking a user adjusts the target member's membership state to be ``leave`` with an
+        optional ``reason``. Like with other membership changes, a user can directly adjust
+        the target member's state by making a request to ``/rooms/<room id>/state/m.room.member/<user id>``.
       operationId: kick
       security:
         - accessToken: []
@@ -59,7 +63,9 @@ paths:
                 description: The fully qualified user ID of the user being kicked.
               reason:
                 type: string
-                description: The reason the user has been kicked.
+                description: |-
+                  The reason the user has been kicked. This will be supplied as the 
+                  ``reason`` on the target's updated `m.room.member`_ event.
             required: ["user_id"]
       responses:
         200:
diff --git a/changelogs/client_server.rst b/changelogs/client_server.rst
index c09dea46..32654025 100644
--- a/changelogs/client_server.rst
+++ b/changelogs/client_server.rst
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@ Unreleased changes
     (`#1380 <https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-doc/pull/1380>`_).
   - Describe ``StateEvent`` for ``/createRoom``
     (`#1329 <https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-doc/pull/1329>`_).
+  - Describe how the ``reason`` is handled for kicks/bans
+    (`#1362 <https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-doc/pull/1362>`_).
   - Clarify that clients must leave rooms before forgetting them
     (`#1378 <https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-doc/pull/1378>`_).
   - Clarify the request and result types on ``/search``