Kentucky Rent Increase Notice
Kentucky's 30-day rent increase rule (KRS 383.695) applies only in cities and counties that adopted the URLTA, such as Louisville and Lexington. Local rent control is banned (KRS 65.875). Attorney review available.
Introduction
Whether Kentucky's 30-day rent increase rule even applies turns on where the rental sits. The 30-day notice lives in the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, and Kentucky put that Act in force only in cities and counties that formally adopted it, such as Louisville and Jefferson County and Lexington and Fayette County. Where the URLTA governs, a landlord raising rent on a month-to-month tenancy gives at least 30 days written notice before the periodic rental date (KRS 383.695(2)); Kentucky has no separate rent-increase statute, so this periodic-tenancy notice does the work. A rent increase notice names the new monthly rent and the date it begins, and on a month-to-month tenancy the higher rent takes hold only after the 30 days run. Because the increase changes a term of the tenancy, the landlord may end the month-to-month tenancy on that notice and offer to continue it at the new rent. On the amount, Kentucky is settled: there is no statewide cap, and local rent control is barred because only the General Assembly may control rents on private property (KRS 65.875). Rent under a fixed-term lease holds until the term ends unless the lease allows a change, and a tenancy that began at the close of a written lease ends on at least 10 days notice (KRS 383.695(3)). A week-to-week tenancy uses at least 7 days (KRS 383.695(1)). DocDraft builds your Kentucky rent increase notice from your facts, with attorney review available before you serve it.
Key Things to Know
- 1
A rent increase notice is a written notice a Kentucky landlord gives a tenant to raise the rent on a residential tenancy, stating the new monthly rent and the date the increase takes effect.
- 2
The 30-day notice lives in the URLTA, which Kentucky put in force only in adopting cities and counties, such as Louisville and Jefferson County and Lexington and Fayette County; confirm the local rule where the unit sits.
- 3
Where the URLTA governs, a month-to-month rent increase takes at least 30 days written notice before the periodic rental date (KRS 383.695(2)).
- 4
Kentucky has no statewide rent cap, and local rent control is barred because only the General Assembly may control rents on private property (KRS 65.875).
- 5
Because the increase changes a term, the landlord may end the month-to-month tenancy on 30 days notice and offer to continue it at the new rent.
- 6
A week-to-week tenancy uses at least 7 days notice, and a tenancy begun at the close of a written lease ends on at least 10 days notice (KRS 383.695(1), (3)).
- 7
Rent under a fixed-term lease holds until the term ends unless the lease allows a change; a notice shorter than the required 30 days does not take effect until a proper period runs.
Key decisions before you file
Before you file a Rent Increase Notice in Kentucky, a few decisions shape the document: which option to choose and what each one means. The Rent Increase Notice guide walks through them.
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Kentucky Requirements for Rent Increase Notice
The 30-day notice of KRS 383.695 lives in the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, which Kentucky put in force only in adopting cities and counties, such as Louisville and Jefferson County and Lexington and Fayette County. Confirm the local rule where the unit sits before setting the effective date of an increase.
Where the URLTA governs, a landlord raising rent on a month-to-month tenancy gives at least 30 days written notice before the periodic rental date (KRS 383.695(2)). The effective date must leave the tenant at least those 30 days.
Kentucky has no statewide rent cap. A landlord may set the new amount once the required 30-day notice is given on a month-to-month tenancy. The URLTA regulates the notice period, not the dollar figure of the increase.
Local rent control is barred in Kentucky because only the General Assembly may enact legislation controlling rents on private property (KRS 65.875). A Kentucky city or county cannot cap the amount of a rent increase. This item is grounded on the 2025 KRS republication and should be re-confirmed against the primary legislature page.
A week-to-week tenancy uses at least 7 days written notice, and a tenancy begun at the close of a written lease ends on at least 10 days written notice (KRS 383.695(1), (3)). Match the notice period to the kind of tenancy before setting the effective date.
Rent set by a fixed-term lease cannot rise during the term unless the lease allows it. A rent increase notice reaches a month-to-month tenancy or takes effect at renewal; the rent is a bargained term of the contract until the term ends.
The increase is made by a written notice given to the tenant (KRS 383.695(2)). Kentucky adds no mailing days, so count at least 30 days from the tenant's receipt to the periodic rental date, and keep proof of how and when it was served.
A rent increase served with fewer than 30 days notice does not begin on the stated date. Under KRS 383.695(2), the change on a month-to-month tenancy is effective only after at least 30 days written notice before the periodic rental date, and a tenant may keep paying the prior rent until then.
Frequently Asked Questions
In Kentucky it is a written notice a landlord uses to raise the rent on a residential tenancy, naming the new monthly rent and the date it begins. Kentucky has no rent-increase statute of its own, so where the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act applies the landlord uses the periodic-tenancy notice under KRS 383.695(2): at least 30 days written notice before the periodic rental date. On a month-to-month tenancy the higher rent takes hold only after that period runs, and the notice revises one term, the rent, going forward.
Where the URLTA is in force, a Kentucky landlord raising rent on a month-to-month tenancy gives at least 30 days written notice before the periodic rental date (KRS 383.695(2)), and the increase starts only after that period runs. A week-to-week tenancy takes at least 7 days (KRS 383.695(1)). Because the URLTA applies only in adopting jurisdictions such as Louisville and Lexington, a Kentucky landlord should first confirm the local rule where the unit sits.
No. Kentucky's Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, including the 30-day notice of KRS 383.695, applies only in cities and counties that adopted it, such as Louisville and Jefferson County and Lexington and Fayette County. Elsewhere the URLTA notice rules may not govern. A Kentucky landlord should confirm whether the Act has been adopted where the unit sits before setting the effective date of a rent increase.
No. Kentucky has no statewide rent cap, so a Kentucky landlord may set the new amount once the required 30-day notice is given on a month-to-month tenancy. Local rent control is also barred, because only the General Assembly may enact legislation controlling rents on private property (KRS 65.875). A landlord may not raise rent for a discriminatory or retaliatory reason, but no percentage limit applies.
Generally no. In Kentucky the rent set by a fixed-term lease holds for the term unless the lease itself allows a change, since the rent is a bargained term of the contract. A rent increase notice reaches a month-to-month tenancy or waits until the lease renews. Under KRS 383.695(3), a tenancy that began at the close of a written lease ends on at least 10 days written notice.
A Kentucky landlord raises the rent through a written notice given to the tenant at least 30 days before the periodic rental date on a month-to-month tenancy (KRS 383.695(2)). Kentucky does not add days for mailing, so count the full 30 days from the tenant's receipt. Keeping a record of how and when the notice was delivered protects the landlord if the increase is later disputed.
A Kentucky rent increase notice should name the landlord and tenant, give the rental address, list the current and new monthly rent, and state the effective date. It should show that the effective date leaves at least the 30 days KRS 383.695(2) requires before the periodic rental date, and explain how rent is to be paid. A clear date and delivery record help show the notice met the Kentucky requirement.
A Kentucky increase served with fewer than 30 days notice does not begin on the stated date. Under KRS 383.695(2), the change on a month-to-month tenancy is effective only after at least 30 days written notice before the periodic rental date. A tenant may treat a short or defective notice as not yet in force and keep paying the prior rent until a proper 30-day period has run.