Ever have trouble getting the air conditioning fixed in your sizzling Louisville apartment? Or rented a house in Lexington to some wild Wildcat undergrads? Either way, you may have been wondering about the Bluegrass State’s landlord-tenant laws, and what you had the right to do (or not do) under the law. Here's an introduction to leases and rental agreements laws in Kentucky.
Leases and Rental Agreement Law
Each state has lease and rental agreement laws that regulate the landlord-tenant relationship. While these can vary depending on where you live, they are generally similar in the ways the laws standardize the time limits for leases, what to do when a lease runs out, and protect minority against housing discrimination. Some states have enacted stricter tenant rights laws, and, like Kentucky, have adopted the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act.
Leases and Rental Agreements in Kentucky
Kentucky’s code regarding leases and rental agreement does not regulate the amounts landlords may charge for deposits, which can be forfeited to the landlord if the tenant does not respond within 60 days to the landlord’s notice of refund. And landlords are not required to pay interest on a security deposit. When a lease expires in Kentucky, the holdover tenancy will normally become a month-to-month lease. The table below highlights the specifics of Kentucky’s lease and rental agreements laws.
| Code Section | Kentucky Revised Statutes 344.360: Unlawful Housing Practices; Kentucky Revised Statutes 383.010, et seq.: Landlord and Tenant; |
| Terms of Leases | Holdover converts to month-to-month tenancy |
| Deposits | No limit on deposit; interest on deposit not required; landlord must send notice to last known/determinable address that tenant has a refund due; if tenant does not respond within 60 days, it becomes landlord's property |
| Discrimination | No discrimination on basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status, disability; housing for older persons exempted; landlord may refuse to rent to unmarried couple |
| Uniform Residential Landlord & Tenant Act Adopted? | Yes |
Leases and Rental Agreements Laws: Related Resources
Real estate laws aren’t always the easiest to understand. You can contact a Kentucky landlord-tenant attorney near you if you would like legal advice regarding a lease or rental agreement matter, of if you would just like to understand your rights and responsibilities under Kentucky law. You can also visit FindLaw’s section on Leases and Rental Agreements for additional articles and information on this topic.
