Sources checked:
Quick answer. Kentucky: no deposit cap in the law read; 30-day notice to end month-to-month; 48-hour entry notice; $2,500 small claims limit. 14 of 23 items are confirmed on official pages; 9 are marked not confirmed, with the page to check.
Key numbers
- Deposit limit
- No cap in the law read
- Deposit back within
- No general deadline stated
- Month-to-month notice (landlord)
- 30 days
- Entry notice
- 48 hours
- Judgment to writ
- 7 days
- Writ to lockout
- 7 days (from judgment)
- Small claims limit
- $2,500
Security deposit (5 of 6 confirmed)
Law read: KRS 383.580.
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ConfirmedDeposit limit
No maximum in 383.580.
Source: Kentucky General Assembly: KRS 383.580, Security deposits, checked November 2026
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ConfirmedReturn deadline
383.580 sets no general return deadline. It covers a tenant who leaves owing the last month's rent (30 days) and a refund the tenant doesn't respond to within 60 days of the landlord's notice.
Source: Kentucky General Assembly: KRS 383.580, Security deposits, checked November 2026
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ConfirmedItemized list of deductions
At move-out the landlord lists the damage with the estimated cost of each repair; the tenant may inspect and sign or dissent in writing (383.580(3)). A move-in damage list is required too (383.580(2)).
Source: Kentucky General Assembly: KRS 383.580, Security deposits, checked November 2026
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Not confirmedInterest on the deposit
Not confirmed — check Kentucky General Assembly: KRS 383.580, Security deposits. Not confirmed from official text. Check KRS 383.580.
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ConfirmedWhere the deposit is held
In an account used only for deposits at a bank or lending institution regulated by Kentucky; the tenant is told where and the account number (383.580(1)).
Source: Kentucky General Assembly: KRS 383.580, Security deposits, checked November 2026
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ConfirmedPenalty the law states
A landlord who skips the separate account or the move-in and move-out lists may not keep any part of the deposit (383.580(4)).
Source: Kentucky General Assembly: KRS 383.580, Security deposits, checked November 2026
More: Security deposit rules by state · Deposit return deadline calculator
Notice periods (3 of 6 confirmed)
What the official text says about each notice. Cities and counties can add their own notice, just-cause or rent rules. Check local rules too.
| Notice | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Ending month-to-month (landlord) | Written notice at least 30 days before the periodic rental date named in the notice (7 days for week-to-week). Either side may give it. | Source: Kentucky General Assembly: KRS 383.695 (Periodic tenancy), checked November 2026 (KRS 383.695(2)) |
| Ending month-to-month (tenant) | Written notice at least 30 days before the periodic rental date named in the notice (7 days for week-to-week). Either side may give it. | Source: Kentucky General Assembly: KRS 383.695 (Periodic tenancy), checked November 2026 (KRS 383.695(2)) |
| Rent increase notice | Not confirmed — check Kentucky General Assembly: KRS 383.695 (Periodic tenancy). Not in the sections read. Check KRS chapter 383. | |
| Unpaid rent notice | Not confirmed — check Kentucky General Assembly: KRS 383.695 (Periodic tenancy). Not confirmed. Check KRS 383.660. | |
| Entry notice | At least two days' notice; reasonable times; except emergencies or where impracticable. | Source: Kentucky General Assembly: KRS 383.615 (Access), checked November 2026 (KRS 383.615(3)) |
| Late fee limits | Not confirmed — check Kentucky General Assembly: KRS 383.695 (Periodic tenancy). Not in the sections read. Check KRS chapter 383. |
These sections are part of Kentucky's Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (KRS chapter 383). Check whether it applies where the unit is.
More: Notice periods by state · Notice date calculator
Eviction case, in order (5 of 10 confirmed)
- Notice before filing The written notice comes first; its length is in the notice table above.
The unpaid-rent notice period is not confirmed in our files (see the notice table).
- Filing the case Where the case goes and what it costs to start.
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ConfirmedCourt
The District Court of the county where the property is.
the District Court of the county in which the land or tenement, or a principal part thereof, lies.
Source: Kentucky Revised Statutes 383.210, checked November 2026
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Not confirmedFiling fee
Not confirmed — check Kentucky Revised Statutes 383.210. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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- The tenant's answer or appearance
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Not confirmedTime to answer or appear
Not confirmed — check Kentucky Revised Statutes 383.210. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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- Hearing or trial
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ConfirmedHearing after filing
The tenant gets at least three days' notice of the trial (the earliest date here assumes service on the filing day).
at least three (3) days' notice of the time and place
Source: Kentucky Revised Statutes 383.210, checked November 2026
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- Judgment and the writ The order that lets the officer act.
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ConfirmedJudgment to writ
The warrant for possession issues once no appeal is filed by the seventh day after the finding.
Defendant having failed to file an appeal on or before the seventh day after the finding, and upon request of the Plaintiff
Source: Kentucky Court of Justice: AOC-220 Eviction Notice, Warrant for Possession (Rev. 5-14), checked November 2026
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- Lockout Carried out by an officer, not by either side.
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ConfirmedWrit to lockout
The judgment orders the tenant to leave within seven days; either side may appeal in that time.
Defendant(s) are ordered to vacate said property within seven days of the entry of this Judgment.
Source: Kentucky Court of Justice: AOC-217 Forcible Detainer Judgment (Rev. 4-23), checked November 2026
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ConfirmedWho carries out the lockout
The warrant is directed to the sheriff or a constable.
To the Sheriff or any other Constable of
Source: Kentucky Court of Justice: AOC-220 Eviction Notice, Warrant for Possession (Rev. 5-14), checked November 2026
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- Along the way Paying to stop the case, counsel and diversion programs.
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Not confirmedPaying to stop the case
Not confirmed — check Kentucky Revised Statutes 383.210. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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Not confirmedRight to counsel (statewide)
Not confirmed — check Kentucky Revised Statutes 383.210. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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Not confirmedDiversion or mediation (statewide)
Not confirmed — check Kentucky Revised Statutes 383.210. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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Example: a case filed Monday, March 1, 2027
The earliest date of each stage the confirmed rules allow, from our eviction timeline estimator. Earliest under the statute; courts' calendars often take longer.
| Stage | Earliest date |
|---|---|
| Case filed | Monday, March 1, 2027 |
| Hearing or trial | Thursday, March 4, 2027 |
| Judgment | Thursday, March 4, 2027 |
| Writ or warrant of possession | Thursday, March 11, 2027 |
| Earliest lockout | Thursday, March 11, 2027 |
More: Eviction process timeline by state · Eviction timeline estimator
Deposit disputes: small claims
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ConfirmedSmall claims limit (for a deposit dispute)
$2,500: the most a small claims case can ask for.
Money or personal property valued at $2,500 or less, not counting interest and court costs. No more than 25 claims per calendar year for an individual, or per business location.
Source: Kentucky Court of Justice: Small Claims Handbook (P-6, rev. January 2025), checked November 2026
More: Kentucky small claims court
Still to confirm
- Interest on the deposit: check Kentucky General Assembly: KRS 383.580, Security deposits
- Rent increase notice: check Kentucky General Assembly: KRS 383.695 (Periodic tenancy)
- Unpaid rent notice: check Kentucky General Assembly: KRS 383.695 (Periodic tenancy)
- Late fee limits: check Kentucky General Assembly: KRS 383.695 (Periodic tenancy)
- Filing fee: check Kentucky Revised Statutes 383.210
- Time to answer or appear: check Kentucky Revised Statutes 383.210
- Paying to stop the case: check Kentucky Revised Statutes 383.210
- Right to counsel (statewide): check Kentucky Revised Statutes 383.210
- Diversion or mediation (statewide): check Kentucky Revised Statutes 383.210
Kentucky kit
Kentucky Landlord Compliance Kit
This page as a printable checklist with every source link and check date, a move-in and move-out deposit checklist with the Kentucky return deadline, a notice calendar, an eviction timeline sheet, and an Excel workbook with a tenant notice log, a deposit tracker that works out the return date, and a rent ledger.
Kits for any state: Security Deposit Kit for Landlords and Tenants ($15) · Landlord-Tenant Notice Organizer ($15) · Eviction Case File Organizer ($15)
General information, not legal advice. We are not lawyers, and MCC Solutions is not a law firm. The same rules apply whichever side of the lease you are on; this page describes them and doesn't take a side. Rules change, cities and counties can add their own, a lease can add terms, and the official source has the final word.
Common questions
How much can a security deposit be in Kentucky?
No maximum in 383.580.
How long does a Kentucky landlord have to return a deposit?
383.580 sets no general return deadline. It covers a tenant who leaves owing the last month's rent (30 days) and a refund the tenant doesn't respond to within 60 days of the landlord's notice. What goes with it: At move-out the landlord lists the damage with the estimated cost of each repair; the tenant may inspect and sign or dissent in writing (383.580(3)). A move-in damage list is required too (383.580(2)).
How much notice ends a month-to-month tenancy in Kentucky?
From the landlord: Written notice at least 30 days before the periodic rental date named in the notice (7 days for week-to-week). Either side may give it. From the tenant: Written notice at least 30 days before the periodic rental date named in the notice (7 days for week-to-week). Either side may give it.
How much notice before a landlord enters a rental in Kentucky?
At least two days' notice; reasonable times; except emergencies or where impracticable.
How long does an eviction case take in Kentucky?
Hearing after filing: At least 3 days. Judgment to writ: 7 days. Writ to lockout: 7 days (from judgment). These are the stated rules; the court's calendar often takes longer.
Can a Kentucky deposit dispute go to small claims court?
The small claims limit in our data: $2,500: the most a small claims case can ask for. The court's own page explains what kinds of cases it hears.
What notice comes before an unpaid-rent case in Kentucky?
Not confirmed in our data files. Check Kentucky General Assembly: KRS 383.695 (Periodic tenancy) (https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=35756).
Related: Landlord rules by state · Kits for landlords