Kentucky Eviction Laws
Kentucky rules on eviction for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-22.
Short answer: URLTA areas: 7 days' written notice to pay or the lease terminates. Non-URLTA areas: no statutory pre-filing notice period for nonpayment was found; terms are governed by the lease. KRS 383.660(2)
The rules in Kentucky
| Notice for unpaid rent | URLTA areas: 7 days' written notice to pay or the lease terminates. Non-URLTA areas: no statutory pre-filing notice period for nonpayment was found; terms are governed by the lease. Statewide FED statutes (KRS 383.200-.285) do not set a nonpayment notice period. Source: KRS 383.660(2) |
|---|---|
| Notice for lease violations | URLTA areas: written notice specifying the breach; lease terminates on a date at least 14 days after receipt if not remedied (statute says 'remedied in fifteen (15) days'). A repeat within 6 months allows termination on 14 days' notice without cure. Non-URLTA areas: no statute. The statute internally refers to both 14 and 15 days; quoted as written. Source: KRS 383.660(1) |
| Lockouts & utility shutoffs | URLTA areas: if the landlord unlawfully removes or excludes the tenant or willfully interrupts heat, water, hot water, electric, gas or other essential service, the tenant may recover possession or terminate and recover up to 3 months' rent plus reasonable attorney fees. Statewide: a landlord's entry on the possession of a tenant at will or by sufferance is a forcible entry, remediable through a forcible entry and detainer action in District Court. No explicit statewide utility-shutoff statute found outside URLTA. |
How an eviction case works in Kentucky
Eviction cases are heard in: Kentucky District Court of the county where the property lies (forcible detainer).
- Give any required notice (URLTA: 7-day nonpayment or 14-day lease-violation notice; non-URLTA: one month's notice to end a tenancy at will, or as the lease provides)
- File a forcible detainer complaint in District Court; a warrant/summons issues to the sheriff or constable
- Tenant must receive at least 3 days' notice of the trial date
- Trial by the court unless a party demands a jury; judgment for restitution of the premises or for the defendant
- Either party may appeal within 7 days; an appealing tenant must deposit back rent and continuing rent with the circuit clerk
- If no appeal is filed within 7 days, the court on request issues a warrant of restitution directing the sheriff or constable to put the landlord in possession
Landlords: how to evict a tenant in Kentucky — steps, costs, timeline and forms.
Eviction court and fees by county
- Jefferson County (Louisville)
- Fayette County (Lexington)
- Warren County
- Kenton County (Covington)
- Hardin County (Elizabethtown)
Free calculators
- Notice Deadline Calculator — Enter the date a notice was delivered and see the date it runs out under your state's law.
Templates
Related questions
- Can a landlord evict you without going to court, change the locks or shut off utilities?
- How long does an eviction take?
- How much notice does a landlord have to give before an eviction?
Kentucky vs. neighboring states
| State | Notice for unpaid rent | Notice for lease violations | Lockouts & utility shutoffs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | URLTA areas: 7 days' written notice to pay or the lease terminates. Non-URLTA areas: no statutory pre-filing notice period for nonpayment was found; terms are governed by the lease. KRS 383.660(2) | URLTA areas: written notice specifying the breach; lease terminates on a date at least 14 days after receipt if not remedied (statute says 'remedied in fifteen (15) days'). A repeat within 6 months allows termination on 14 days' notice without cure. Non-URLTA areas: no statute. KRS 383.660(1) | URLTA areas: if the landlord unlawfully removes or excludes the tenant or willfully interrupts heat, water, hot water, electric, gas or other essential service, the tenant may recover possession or terminate and recover up to 3 months' rent plus reasonable attorney fees. Statewide: a landlord's entry on the possession of a tenant at will or by sufferance is a forcible entry, remediable through a forcible entry and detainer action in District Court. KRS 383.655; KRS 383.200(2)(b), 383.210 |
| Illinois | Written demand giving not less than 5 days after service to pay; if unpaid, landlord may end the lease and file for eviction. To keep partial payments from invalidating the notice, it must state that only FULL PAYMENT waives the right to terminate. 735 ILCS 5/9-209 | 10 days' written notice to quit after default in any lease term (other than rent). 735 ILCS 5/9-210 | Self-help eviction not allowed: a landlord must go to court and may not evict by turning off utilities, locking the tenant out, changing locks, or removing belongings; only a sheriff may physically evict. Illinois AG fact sheet 'The Eviction Process' |
| Indiana | Not less than 10 days' notice to pay or vacate, unless the parties agreed otherwise or the tenant pays in full within the notice period. IC 32-31-1-6, 32-31-1-7 | No statute — Indiana law sets no notice period for ending a tenancy over a lease violation other than unpaid rent; the lease terms govern. No notice is needed at all when a fixed-term lease ends on its stated date, a tenant at will commits waste, or the tenant is a tenant at sufferance (IC 32-31-1-8). IC 32-31-1-1 to 32-31-1-22 (chapter checked); IC 32-31-1-8; IC 32-31-7-7 | Except by court order, landlord may not change locks, remove doors/windows/fixtures/appliances, or interrupt or shut off electricity, gas, water or other essential services (emergencies, good-faith repairs and necessary construction excepted), and may not seize or withhold tenant property to enforce rent. Tenant may petition for an emergency possessory order; the court must hold a hearing within 3 business days and may order possession restored, plus damages at a later hearing. IC 32-31-5-5, 32-31-5-6; IC 32-31-6-3, 32-31-6-5, 32-31-6-6, 32-31-6-9 |
| Missouri | No fixed pay-or-quit notice period. Landlord must demand the rent; if it is unpaid, landlord may file a rent-and-possession statement. The one-month termination notice of 441.060 is not required before filing. RSMo 535.020 | 10 days' notice to vacate for breach of a written lease condition, unauthorized assignment/sublet, or waste (violations of 441.030), and for illegal use under 441.020 (gambling, bawdyhouse, controlled substances). The statute provides no right to cure. RSMo 441.030, 441.040, 441.020 | Prohibited. A landlord who removes or excludes a tenant or the tenant's property without judicial process and court order, or removes doors or locks, is guilty of forcible entry and detainer. The same applies to willfully interrupting essential services (electric, gas, water, sewer) unless done for health or safety reasons. Tenant can sue under Ch. 534, which awards double damages and double monthly rents/profits until restitution. RSMo 441.233; 534.330 |
| Ohio | 3-day written notice to leave the premises before filing an eviction (forcible entry and detainer) action. The residential notice must conspicuously state: "You are being asked to leave the premises. If you do not leave, an eviction action may be initiated against you. If you are in doubt regarding your legal rights and obligations as a tenant, it is recommended that you seek legal assistance." Ohio Rev. Code § 1923.04 | For a tenant's failure to meet obligations under § 5321.05 that materially affects health and safety, the landlord may give written notice specifying the problem and a termination date at least 30 days after receipt; if not remedied, the rental agreement ends. The 3-day notice to leave (§ 1923.04) is then required before filing. Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.11 | Landlord may not recover possession by cutting off utilities or services, excluding the tenant (lockout), or threatening unlawful acts, and may not seize the tenant's belongings to collect rent without a court order. Landlord is liable for all damages plus reasonable attorney's fees. Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.15 |
| Tennessee | 14 days. URLTA counties: written notice that the lease will end unless the rent is paid within 14 days after the tenant receives the notice. The tenant can cure by paying. Notice may be waived only by a waiver in 12-point or larger bold type in the lease, and the 5-day late-fee grace period still applies. Non-URLTA counties: 14 days' notice for rent that is due and in arrears, upon demand. The lease does not end if the tenant pays before the date in the notice. T.C.A. 66-28-505(a)(2), (b); 66-28-201(c); 66-7-109(a) | URLTA counties: (1) a breach that can be fixed by paying money or repairs: 14 days to cure, or the lease ends; (2) any other material breach: termination no less than 14 days after the tenant receives notice; (3) the same breach again within 6 months: 7 days' written notice; (4) violent acts, real and present danger, hazardous or unsanitary conditions, or an unauthorized occupant who refuses to leave: termination 3 days after the tenant receives written notice. Non-URLTA counties: 14 days for damage beyond normal wear and tear (curable) or for violent or dangerous behavior; 30 days for all other lease defaults; 3 days for violent acts, drug-related criminal activity, or dangerous behavior (except tenants who are mentally or physically disabled). T.C.A. 66-28-505(a); 66-28-517(a); 66-7-109(a), (b), (d) | URLTA counties: if a landlord unlawfully removes or excludes the tenant, or willfully cuts essential services required by the lease, the tenant may recover possession or end the lease. In either case the tenant may recover actual damages, punitive damages when appropriate, and reasonable attorney's fees. If the lease ends, the landlord must return all prepaid rent and deposits. All counties: a person may enter and take possession of property only where the law gives a right of entry, and then only peaceably. Entering a home occupied by another and holding it by force, threats or intimidation, removing the occupant's belongings, or entering peaceably and then keeping the occupant out by force or terror is a forcible entry and detainer. Outside URLTA counties, no statute sets a specific damages remedy for a lockout or utility shutoff. T.C.A. 66-28-504; 66-28-517(d); 29-18-101 to 29-18-103 |
| Virginia | 14-day written pay-or-quit notice. Va. Code 55.1-1245(F) | Remediable breach: 21 days to remedy, lease terminates not less than 30 days after notice if not remedied. Non-remediable breach: termination not less than 30 days after notice; immediate termination for non-remediable criminal or willful acts threatening health or safety. Repeat breach of like nature: 30-day termination notice without cure. Va. Code 55.1-1245(A)-(E) | Willful unlawful removal/exclusion of a tenant or interruption of an essential service without court authority: tenant may recover actual damages plus statutory damages of $5,000 or four months' rent, whichever is greater, and reasonable attorney fees; court may order return to the unit and restoration of services. Va. Code 55.1-1243.1 |
| West Virginia | No pre-filing notice required by statute. Landlord may file a verified petition for summary relief for rent arrears directly in magistrate or circuit court. W. Va. Code § 55-3A-1(a) | No pre-filing notice required by statute for summary relief based on breach of a warranty or leasehold covenant, or on deliberate/negligent damage to the property. W. Va. Code § 55-3A-1(a) | Not verified yet |
City rules that may add to state law
More Kentucky rental law
- Kentucky Security Deposit Law
- Kentucky Notice to Vacate Rules
- Landlord Entry Rules in Kentucky
- Kentucky Repairs & Tenant Remedies
- Kentucky Rent Increase & Late Fee Laws
- Breaking a Lease in Kentucky
- Squatters' Rights in Kentucky
- Kentucky Rental Fee Rules
- Kentucky Section 8, Records & Right to Counsel
- Kentucky Mold, Pests, Heat & AC Rules
- Kentucky Privacy, Guests & Animal Rules
- Kentucky Landlord Selling the House
- Kentucky Lockouts, Utility Shutoffs & Retaliation
- Kentucky Subletting, Lease Endings & Tenant Death
- All Kentucky landlord-tenant rules
- Free legal help in Kentucky
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Kentucky Eviction Laws FAQ
How much notice does a landlord have to give before evicting for unpaid rent in Kentucky?
URLTA areas: 7 days' written notice to pay or the lease terminates. Non-URLTA areas: no statutory pre-filing notice period for nonpayment was found; terms are governed by the lease. (KRS 383.660(2))
How much notice is required to evict for a lease violation in Kentucky?
URLTA areas: written notice specifying the breach; lease terminates on a date at least 14 days after receipt if not remedied (statute says 'remedied in fifteen (15) days'). A repeat within 6 months allows termination on 14 days' notice without cure. Non-URLTA areas: no statute. (KRS 383.660(1))
Can a landlord change the locks or shut off utilities in Kentucky?
URLTA areas: if the landlord unlawfully removes or excludes the tenant or willfully interrupts heat, water, hot water, electric, gas or other essential service, the tenant may recover possession or terminate and recover up to 3 months' rent plus reasonable attorney fees. Statewide: a landlord's entry on the possession of a tenant at will or by sufferance is a forcible entry, remediable through a forcible entry and detainer action in District Court. (KRS 383.655; KRS 383.200(2)(b), 383.210)
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.