Kentucky Eviction Notice Requirements

Kentucky's notice rules depend on where the property is. Cities and counties that have adopted the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, including Louisville-Jefferson County and Lexington-Fayette County, follow KRS 383.660: seven days' written notice to pay unpaid rent, and for a material lease violation a written notice setting a termination date at least 14 days after the tenant receives it. In areas that haven't adopted it, the lease and older statutes govern, so check local rules first.

The notice should be in writing and state the rent owed or the violation, the deadline, and that the rental agreement will end if the tenant does not comply. A month-to-month tenancy ends with 30 days' written notice before the rental date in Uniform Act areas under KRS 383.695, and a tenancy at will ends with one month's written notice elsewhere under KRS 383.195. Keep a copy and a record of how and when the notice was delivered.

If the tenant doesn't pay, cure or leave, the landlord files a forcible detainer case in district court. In Uniform Act areas, a landlord who locks out a tenant or interrupts heat, water, electric, gas or other essential service owes up to three months' rent plus reasonable legal fees, and everywhere in Kentucky a landlord should rely on the court process rather than self-help. Only a court-issued warrant of restitution, carried out by the sheriff or a constable, can remove a tenant.