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Landlord's Desk

State law guide · Checked November 14, 2026

Kentucky landlord rules: late fees, deposits and rent increases

Kentucky has no statewide residential landlord-tenant act. The Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, KRS 383.505 to 383.705, applies in a city, county or urban-county government that has adopted it. Here is what chapter 383 of the Kentucky Revised Statutes says, with the section for each rule.

All states

The short version

  • No statute sets a late fee limit or a grace period.
  • No statute sets a maximum security deposit.
  • Where the uniform act has been adopted, deposits go in a separate account used for that purpose, with written damage listings at move-in and move-out.
  • No statute sets a day count for returning a deposit; where the act applies, a landlord who doesn't provide the account and both damage listings can't keep any of the deposit.
  • No statute sets a notice period for raising rent or a cap on increases.

Late fees in Kentucky

Limit
None in the statute. KRS ch. 383
Grace period
None in the statute. KRS ch. 383
Other conditions
None specific to late fees. KRS ch. 383

Security deposits in Kentucky

Maximum deposit
The statute sets no limit. KRS 383.580
Return deadline
No day count in the statute. Where the uniform act applies, a landlord who owes a refund sends the tenant notice of the amount. If the tenant doesn't respond within 60 days, the landlord may keep the deposit. KRS 383.580(7)
Itemized deductions
Required where the uniform act applies, with no deadline. The landlord must give a damage listing before the tenant pays the deposit. At the end of occupancy the landlord inspects and compiles a comprehensive listing of damage, with the estimated dollar cost, for any charge. The tenant may inspect it and sign, or dissent in writing. KRS 383.580(2), (3)
Interest
The statute doesn't require it. KRS 383.580
How it's held
In an account used for that purpose, where the uniform act applies. The bank or other lending institution must be regulated by Kentucky or a federal agency. Prospective tenants must be told the location and number of the account. No bond is required in the statute. KRS 383.580(1)
Penalty
The landlord can't keep any of the deposit if it wasn't held in a separate account or the damage listings weren't provided. A tenant can sue in District Court, limited to items the tenant specifically dissented from in writing. The statute sets no damages multiplier and no attorney's fee award. KRS 383.580(4), (5)

Rent increases in Kentucky

Notice to raise rent
No statute sets a notice period for a rent increase. The closest rule covers ending a month-to-month tenancy: where the uniform act applies, written notice at least 30 days before the periodic rental date. Elsewhere, a landlord ends a tenancy at will or by sufferance with one month's notice in writing. Check your lease for its own notice term. KRS 383.695(2); KRS 383.195
Statewide cap
None in the statute. KRS ch. 383
City rent control
Not addressed by name. A local government can't adopt or enforce an ordinance on landlord or tenant laws that conflicts with state law. Another section bars other local ordinances on the subjects in the uniform act. KRS 383.198; KRS 383.500

This page covers Kentucky state law for ordinary residential rentals. Cities and counties can add their own rules, and subsidized housing and mobile home lots follow different ones. The statute doesn't list which cities and counties have adopted the uniform act. Check with your city or county. The official site serves each section by number, linked in the entries above.

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When we update this page because a Kentucky late fee, security deposit or rent increase rule changed, we'll email you a short, plain-English note.

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Questions landlords ask

Is there a late fee limit for rent in Kentucky?

Not in the Kentucky Revised Statutes' landlord and tenant chapter (KRS ch. 383). No section sets a late fee limit or a grace period.

How long does a Kentucky landlord have to return a security deposit?

No statute sets a day count. Where the uniform act applies, the landlord sends notice of any refund due, and may keep the deposit if the tenant doesn't respond within 60 days (KRS 383.580(7)).

Does Kentucky limit security deposits or require interest?

No. The statute sets no maximum deposit and no interest. Where the uniform act applies, deposits go in a separate account used for that purpose (KRS 383.580(1)).

Free templates you can use in Kentucky

These are plain templates that aren’t tied to one state. Fill in the numbers your statute and lease call for.

Keep Kentucky rent and deposits on one ledger

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This guide is general information, not legal advice. It summarizes state statutes as read on November 14, 2026; laws change and courts interpret them. Check the current statute (Kentucky Revised Statutes, chapter 383) or talk to a local attorney before you act.