Kentucky Landlord Tenant Laws [2022]: Renter's Rights & FAQs (2024)

FAQs

What a landlord Cannot do in Kentucky? ›

Landlords do not have to pay interest on security deposits. Can security deposits be commingled with other assets in Kentucky? Landlords cannot commingle security deposits with their other funds. Landlords must deposit security deposits in separate accounts held solely for security deposit.

Kentucky Tenant Responsibilities (KRS 383.605)

Tenants must comply with any and all housing and building codes that address health and safety. Tenant must maintain cleanliness of the property. Tenants must dispose of trash in a safe manner. Tenants must keep plumbing as clean as their condition allows.

In Kentucky, a landlord can evict a tenant for failing to pay rent or for violating the lease or rental agreement. A tenant who is facing eviction for one of these reasons might have at least one defense available.

Tenant Rights to Withhold Rent in Kentucky

Tenants may withhold rent or exercise the right to "repair and deduct" if a landlord fails to take care of important repairs, such as a broken heater.

The Landlord And Tenant Act 1985 allows your landlord access to inspect the property, as long as they have given you at least 24 hours' notice and that the proposed visit is at a reasonable time.

URLTA: If the reason the landlord says the tenant has to move is because of non- payment of rent, the landlord must give at least 7 days= notice. For any other reason, they must give 14 days= notice. The notice must be in writing, either hand-delivered or sent by registered/certified mail.

In all states, a landlord can enter the property in an emergency without notice or permission. For example, if a burst pipe in your apartment is leaking into the unit downstairs, your landlord may enter or send someone from the maintenance crew to enter your home if you're not there.

A squatter can claim rights to a property after a certain time residing there. In Kentucky, it takes 15 years of continuous occupation for a squatter to make an adverse possession claim (KY RS § 413.010 et seq). When a squatter claims adverse possession, they can gain legal ownership of the property.

Evicting a tenant in Kentucky can take around three to six weeks, depending on the type of eviction and whether or not the municipality/town/city in which the rental unit is located has adopted the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act.

Kentucky laws dictate that the tenants have to move out within 7 days after the Writ of Restitution is issued. Only the sheriff or the appropriate authorities are allowed to remove the tenant by force. Even if the landlord wins the case, they cannot engage in a self-help eviction.

How do I postpone an eviction in Kentucky? ›

Talk to Your Landlord

You may be able to come to an agreement without going to court. An eviction will cost both of you money (as well as time), and your landlord may be willing to stop the eviction if you agree to certain terms, such as paying rent you owe or stopping behavior that violates the lease.

Landlord Responsibilities in Kentucky

If the landlord does not fix the habitability issue, a tenant may withhold rent or repair and deduct the following month's rent ($100 or up to half the cost of monthly rent). The landlord may not retaliate against the tenant during the time a tenant makes a repair request.

No landlord or their agent can enter the property unless they have sought the tenant's permission and they have given their consent. It is as simple as that.

Did you know for instance, that it is illegal for the Landlord to hold a set of keys to the property? You can hold a set of keys if you get the tenant to sign an agreement to that effect and attach it to the tenancy agreement. That is the only legal way to hold keys.”

Can a tenant refuse entry to a landlord or letting agent? Yes, they can. In 99% of cases a tenant refusing entry to a landlord will usually boil down to convenience, or lack thereof.

Unless there is an emergency, your landlord or their agent must give you at least 24 hours' notice if they intend to visit. It must be at normal times of the day and for legitimate reasons - that is, to check the condition of the property or to do repairs, or for inspections required by law, such as gas safety.

This question is about Kentucky Landlord Tenant Rights

Tenants are not legally forbidden from changing locks, although it is discouraged. Landlords, on the other hand, are explicitly prohibited from changing locks without permission, for any reason whatsoever.

Eviction is a legal process that must be conducted via the courts and requires an attorney. A landlord cannot evict a tenant without going through due process of law. Assuming there is a written lease agreement in place, a breach of the conditions of the lease might lead a landlord to want to cancel the lease.

How much notice does a landlord have to give if not renewing lease? ›

There are certain steps a landlord must take to notify the tenants of the non-renewal. Most states require the landlord to give some kind of written notice to the tenant. The lease renewal notice period is usually 30 to 60 days, depending on the state.

In accordance with tenant and landlord law, you're required to give 24 hours notice before you visit, otherwise your tenants are within their legal rights to refuse you entry (except in very specific circ*mstances). One of the key principles to a tenancy is exclusivity.

At a minimum, landlords must give 48 hours' notice before an inspection, and at the most, two weeks' notice. While you are allowed to take photos, try to avoid including the tenant's personal items in these photographs.

If you don't want your landlord or letting agent to organise viewings you can refuse and they may not enter without your permission.

The only way to remove a tenant from a rental unit is for a landlord to win an eviction lawsuit in court against the tenant. Even then, the landlord does not have the authority to physically remove the tenant from the rental unit. That can only be done by a law enforcement officer with a court order.

Kentucky law allows people who trespass and encroach on other's land for a minimum time period to develop an ownership claim to the property. Your home might be your single most valuable asset.

(1) A person is guilty of abandonment of a minor when, as a parent, guardian or other person legally charged with the care or custody of a minor, he deserts the minor in any place under circ*mstances endangering his life or health and with intent to abandon him. (2) Abandonment of a minor is a Class D felony.

Pursuant to Supreme Court Order, evictions may now be filed. These cases involve disputes between a landlord and tenant(s) due to failure to pay rent or other issues.

By failing to pay their rent, your tenant has broken the terms of their tenancy agreement, meaning you can serve them a Section 8 notice at any point in the tenancy. Your tenant may dispute the eviction, so you need to be ready with evidence of unpaid rent and your efforts to resolve the issue.