Abstract This paper deals with the kinetics of microbial cell growth, utilization of organic substrates and methane production in upflow anaerobic filters in two and three separated stages (UAF‐2SS and UAF‐3SS) treating sanitary landfill leachates, under three temperatures (20, 27, and 34°C), fed with volumetric organic loads (VOLs) for UAF‐2SS (1.8, 2.25, 2.76, 3.45, 3.71, 4.64 kgCOD (chemical oxygen demand)/m 3 /d) and UAF‐3SS (1.7, 2.25, 2.44, 2.6, 3.15, 3.45, 3.5, 4.57, 4.64, 6.31, 11.61, 14.18, 17.48 kgCOD/m 3 /d). Kinetic parameters were obtained at temperature (20–34°C), pH (8.8–9.1), each one of three stages within the UAF‐2SS and UAF‐3SS reactors containing methanogenic bacteria ( Methanococcus sp., and Methanobacterium sp.) and Clostridium sp.: Maximum substrate utilization rate ( r m,s ) resulted in 10 2 mg COD/L/h, maximum microbial cell growth rate ( μ m ) varied 10 2 –10 3 CFU (colony forming units)/mL/h, methane (CH 4 ) production rate ( r m,CH4 ) tended to vary 10 0 –10 1 mg CH 4 /d and the maximum production coefficient ( Y ) varied 0–10 2 CFU/mL/h/mgCOD/L/h.