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Kentucky Residential Lease Agreement

Kentucky sets no statutory security deposit cap under its URLTA landlord-tenant act. Create a free lease with required disclosures. Attorney review available.

Introduction

A residential lease agreement is a legally binding contract that sets the terms under which a tenant rents a landlord's residential property, covering the rent, the term, the security deposit, each party's responsibilities, and how the tenancy ends. In Kentucky, most landlord-tenant rules come from the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (URLTA), KRS 383.500 to 383.715, but URLTA is not statewide. It applies only in the cities, counties, and urban-counties that have locally adopted it in full, including Louisville-Jefferson County, Lexington-Fayette, and Covington. In those URLTA jurisdictions, Kentucky sets no statutory dollar cap on a security deposit, but the landlord must hold it in a separate account, disclose that account's location, and give the tenant a signed itemized damage listing before the deposit is collected. There is no fixed return deadline, but if the tenant leaves owing no rent and is due a refund, the landlord must send notice to the tenant's last known address, and may keep the deposit if the tenant does not respond within 60 days. Required disclosures include the federal lead-based paint notice for housing built before 1978 and, in URLTA jurisdictions, the landlord or manager's name and address. A landlord must give at least 2 days' notice before entering, except in an emergency, and may only enter at reasonable times. Ending a month-to-month tenancy takes at least 30 days' written notice from either side under KRS 383.695. Kentucky has no statewide rent-control regime; state law reserves rent regulation to the General Assembly and bars cities and counties from controlling rents on private property. Attorney review is available as an option before you sign.

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Key Things to Know

  1. 1

    A residential lease agreement is a binding contract between a landlord and a tenant that sets the rent, the length of the tenancy, the security deposit, and how either side can end it.

  2. 2

    Kentucky's landlord-tenant statute, the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (URLTA, KRS 383.500 to 383.715), is not statewide. It governs only in cities, counties, or urban-counties that have adopted it in full, such as Louisville-Jefferson County, Lexington-Fayette, and Covington; elsewhere, general Kentucky law and the lease's own terms control.

  3. 3

    Kentucky sets no statutory cap on a security deposit amount. In URLTA jurisdictions the landlord must keep the deposit in a separate account, tell the tenant where it is held, and give the tenant a signed itemized listing of any existing damage before taking the deposit.

  4. 4

    There is no fixed number of days to return a Kentucky deposit. Under KRS 383.580, if the tenant leaves owing no rent and a refund is due, the landlord sends notice to the tenant's last known address; if the tenant does not reply within 60 days, the landlord may keep the deposit.

  5. 5

    Required disclosures include the federal lead-based paint notice for any home built before 1978, and, in URLTA jurisdictions, the landlord or property manager's name and address in writing at or before the start of the tenancy.

  6. 6

    Kentucky law (URLTA jurisdictions) requires at least 2 days' notice before a landlord enters the rental unit, except in an emergency, and entry must happen at reasonable times. State law sets no cap on late fees and no mandatory rent grace period, so the lease's own late-fee terms control.

  7. 7

    Ending a month-to-month tenancy takes at least 30 days' written notice from either the landlord or the tenant under KRS 383.695. Kentucky has no local rent control anywhere in the state; only the General Assembly may regulate private rents (KRS 65.875).

Key decisions before you file

Before you file a Residential Lease Agreement in Kentucky, a few decisions shape the document: which option to choose and what each one means. The Residential Lease Agreement guide walks through them.

Open the Residential Lease Agreement guide

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KENTUCKY RESIDENTIAL LEASE AGREEMENT

Note: Kentucky's Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (URLTA, KRS 383.500 to 383.715) applies only in cities, counties, and urban-counties that have locally adopted it in full (for example Louisville-Jefferson County, Lexington-Fayette, and Covington). Where noted below, a rule applies only in an adopting jurisdiction; confirm local adoption before relying on it.

  1. PARTIES AND PREMISES This Residential Lease Agreement is made on [DATE] between [LANDLORD NAME] (Landlord, sometimes called the lessor) and [TENANT NAME] (Tenant, sometimes called the lessee), for the residential property at [RENTAL ADDRESS], Kentucky (the Premises).

  2. TERM The tenancy is [a fixed term from [START DATE] to [END DATE] / a month-to-month tenancy beginning [START DATE]].

  3. RENT Tenant shall pay rent of $[AMOUNT] per month, due on the [DAY] of each month. Kentucky sets no statutory grace period and no statutory cap on late fees; any late fee or grace period must be stated here: [LATE FEE / GRACE PERIOD TERMS, or state that none applies].

  4. SECURITY DEPOSIT Tenant shall pay a security deposit of $[AMOUNT]. Kentucky imposes no statutory dollar cap on this amount. In a URLTA-adopting jurisdiction, Landlord must hold the deposit in a separate account at [BANK/INSTITUTION NAME], disclose the account number to Tenant, and provide Tenant a signed itemized listing of existing damage before the deposit is collected. Kentucky sets no fixed number of days to return the deposit; if Tenant leaves owing no rent and a refund is due, Landlord will send notice of the refund amount to Tenant's last known address, and may retain the deposit if Tenant does not respond within 60 days (KRS 383.580).

  5. DISCLOSURES Landlord discloses: (a) if built before 1978, the federal Lead-Based Paint disclosure and EPA pamphlet; and (b) in a URLTA-adopting jurisdiction, the name and address of the person authorized to manage the Premises and of the owner or the owner's authorized agent for service of process (KRS 383.585): [NAME AND ADDRESS].

  6. ENTRY In a URLTA-adopting jurisdiction, Landlord shall give Tenant at least 2 days' notice before entering the Premises and may enter only at reasonable times, except in an emergency or where advance notice is impracticable (KRS 383.615). Landlord shall not abuse the right of entry or use it to harass Tenant.

  7. MAINTENANCE AND USE Tenant shall keep the Premises clean and safe and use it only as a residence. Landlord shall maintain the Premises in a fit and habitable condition and keep common areas safe.

  8. TERMINATION Either party may end a month-to-month tenancy with at least 30 days' written notice before the next rental due date (KRS 383.695, URLTA jurisdictions). A week-to-week tenancy may instead be ended with 7 days' notice. Kentucky bars local rent-control ordinances (KRS 65.875), so any rent increase follows this lease's own terms or the 30-day notice above.

SIGNATURES

[LANDLORD NAME], Landlord [TENANT NAME], Tenant Date: [DATE] Date: [DATE]

Note: This is a compact Kentucky lease skeleton grounded in the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, KRS 383.500 to 383.715, applied only where locally adopted. No notary or witness is required to sign a Kentucky residential lease. For the complete, customizable template, see the full Residential Lease Agreement template.

Kentucky Requirements for Residential Lease Agreement

Confirm Whether Your City or County Has Adopted URLTA

Kentucky's Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (URLTA, KRS 383.500 to 383.715) applies only where a city, county, or urban-county has locally adopted it in full, such as Louisville-Jefferson County, Lexington-Fayette, and Covington. Outside an adopting jurisdiction, the URLTA-specific rules in this list do not apply and general Kentucky law and the lease's own terms control instead.

Hold the Deposit in a Separate, Disclosed Account

In a URLTA-adopting jurisdiction, a landlord who collects a security deposit must keep it in an account used only for tenant deposits at a regulated bank or lending institution, and must tell prospective tenants where the account is held and the account number (KRS 383.580).

No Statutory Deposit Cap, but a 60-Day Refund Rule

Kentucky sets no statutory dollar cap on a security deposit. In URLTA jurisdictions, if a tenant leaves owing no rent and a refund is due, the landlord must notify the tenant at their last known address; if the tenant does not respond within 60 days, the landlord may retain the deposit (KRS 383.580).

Give a Signed Itemized Damage Listing Before Taking a Deposit

Before collecting a security deposit, a landlord in a URLTA-adopting jurisdiction must present the prospective tenant with a comprehensive itemized listing of any existing damage and its estimated repair cost, signed by both parties (KRS 383.580).

Disclose the Landlord or Manager's Name and Address

In a URLTA-adopting jurisdiction, the landlord (or anyone authorized to sign the lease for the landlord) must disclose in writing, at or before the tenancy begins, the name and address of the person managing the premises and of the owner or the owner's authorized agent for service of process (KRS 383.585).

Give the Federal Lead-Based Paint Disclosure

For any rental unit built before 1978, the landlord must give the tenant the federal Lead-Based Paint disclosure and the EPA lead-hazard pamphlet before the lease is signed, as required nationwide under 42 U.S.C. Section 4852d.

Give 2 Days' Notice Before Entering

In a URLTA-adopting jurisdiction, a landlord must give the tenant at least 2 days' notice of intent to enter and may enter only at reasonable times, except in an emergency or where advance notice is impracticable, and may not abuse the right of entry or use it to harass the tenant (KRS 383.615).

Follow the 30-Day Notice for Month-to-Month Termination; No Local Rent Control

Either party may end a month-to-month tenancy with at least 30 days' written notice before the next periodic rental date (KRS 383.695, URLTA jurisdictions). Kentucky has no rent-control regime anywhere in the state; only the General Assembly may regulate private rents, and local rent-control ordinances are barred (KRS 65.875).

Frequently Asked Questions

A Kentucky lease should identify the landlord and tenant, the rental address, the rent amount and due date, the term (fixed or month-to-month), and the security deposit terms. In cities and counties that have adopted URLTA, it should also reflect the landlord or manager's name and address, the separate account holding the deposit, and the 2-day entry-notice rule. Because URLTA is local, confirm whether your city or county has adopted it before assuming these rules apply.

Kentucky sets no statutory dollar cap on a residential security deposit anywhere in the state. In URLTA-adopting jurisdictions such as Louisville-Jefferson County and Lexington-Fayette, the landlord must hold the deposit in a separate account, disclose its location and account number, and give the tenant a signed itemized listing of existing damage before collecting it.

Yes. You can generate a Kentucky lease agreement template for free using this tool, filling in the rent, term, deposit, and party details. Attorney review is available afterward as an optional add-on if you want a licensed attorney to look over the finished lease before you sign.

No. A Kentucky residential lease agreement does not need to be notarized or witnessed to be valid. It becomes binding once the landlord and tenant sign it. Keeping a signed copy for each party is good practice, but neither URLTA nor general Kentucky landlord-tenant law requires notarization.

Generally no, in jurisdictions that have adopted URLTA. A landlord must give the tenant at least 2 days' notice before entering and may only enter at reasonable times, except in a genuine emergency or where advance notice is impracticable. The landlord also cannot abuse the right of entry or use it to harass the tenant.

Every landlord nationwide, including in Kentucky, must give the federal lead-based paint disclosure for housing built before 1978. In cities and counties that have adopted URLTA, the landlord must also disclose in writing, at or before the tenancy starts, the name and address of the person managing the property and of the owner or the owner's authorized agent.

Under KRS 383.695, either the landlord or the tenant can end a month-to-month tenancy by giving the other at least 30 days' written notice before the next periodic rental date. A week-to-week tenancy instead requires 7 days' notice, and a tenant holding over after a written lease expires can be given 10 days' notice. These periodic-tenancy rules apply in URLTA-adopting jurisdictions.

Kentucky law sets no statutory cap on late fees and no required grace period before rent is considered late, so whatever the lease itself specifies for late fees generally controls. Separately, in URLTA jurisdictions a landlord must give 7 days' written notice to pay rent or vacate before terminating for nonpayment, but that is an eviction-notice period, not a late-fee grace period.