Rent increases in Kentucky
Source: KRS 383.695 (URLTA areas); KRS 383.195 (elsewhere); KRS 383.705; KRS 383.500; KRS 65.875 · Checked against the statute
- Notice
- 30 days / 7 days / 1 month
- Statewide cap
- No statewide cap
- During a lease
- Only if the lease allows it
- Local rent control
- Banned by state law
When can a rent increase start in Kentucky?
Choose the state and the date the notice is given.
How much notice is required
Kentucky has no rent-increase statute; the rule follows the notice to end a periodic tenancy. In cities/counties that adopted the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, a month-to-month increase needs written notice at least 30 days before a rent due date (7 days for week-to-week). Elsewhere, one month's written notice is required; that statute does not tie the date to a rent day. (KRS 383.695; KRS 383.195)
No separate rent-increase rule: the periods below are the notice to end a periodic tenancy.
| Applies to | When | Notice |
|---|---|---|
| Month-to-month | — | 30 days |
| Week-to-week | — | 7 days |
| Month-to-month | — | 1 month |
- The notice must be in writing.
- The change can only start at the end of a rental period (on a rent day).
Example: a notice handed over on November 2, 2026 in Kentucky
Earliest date the new rent can start, with rent due on the 1st, worked out from the Kentucky rule above:
- For a month-to-month tenant of 1 year raising rent 5% or a month-to-month tenant of 3 years raising rent 12%: Friday, January 1, 2027
- For a week-to-week tenant raising rent 5%: Tuesday, December 1, 2026
Raising rent during a lease
With a yearly lease, the rent cannot change during the year unless the lease provides for an increase. (Legal Aid Society Tenants' Rights Manual (hosted by KY Cabinet for Health and Family Services))
City and county rent control
Only the General Assembly may pass laws controlling rents on private property, so cities, counties and urban-counties cannot adopt rent control. They may still manage property they have an interest in through a housing authority or similar agency, and run programs under federal grants. (KRS 65.875)
Retaliatory rent increases
In URLTA areas, a landlord may not raise rent after a tenant complains to a code agency or to the landlord under KRS 383.595, or joins a tenant union. A complaint within one year before the increase creates a presumption of retaliation, unless made after notice of the proposed increase. (KRS 383.705)
Also good to know
- The URLTA rules (KRS 383.505–383.705) apply only where a city, county or urban-county government has adopted them; check the local government.
- URLTA areas: a tenancy that began when a written lease ended can be ended by 10 days' written notice (KRS 383.695(3)).
Other Kentucky renting rules in numbers
- Security deposit
- No statutory limit. Return deadline: No fixed deadline.
- Tenant's notice to move out
- 30 days, ending with a rental period (Only in cities/counties that adopted URLTA (KRS 383.500)); Varies (see rule) (Only where URLTA has not been adopted); 10 days (Only in URLTA localities; a tenancy that began when a written lease ended (holdover))
- Notice for unpaid rent
- 7 days (pay or move out)
- How a written notice is delivered (eviction-notice rules)
- Under URLTA, the tenant receives a notice when it is delivered by hand or mailed by registered or certified mail to the address the tenant designated, or else to the last known residence (KRS 383.560(3)(c)); Kentucky Legal Aid says in URLTA areas the landlord may also hand the notice to any adult living in the home. In its general answer for other areas, Kentucky Legal Aid says the landlord can hand the notice to the tenant or another adult living in the home, post it at the home, or mail it by certified or registered mail.
- Notice for other lease violations
- 14 days (fix it or move out)
- Small claims court limit
- $2,500 — where most deposit and rent disputes are filed.
- Repairs
- Time to repair: 14 days. Repair and deduct: allowed with limits; withholding rent: not allowed.
- Deposit kept wrongly
- No multiple damages. A landlord who didn't use a separate account and didn't provide the move-in and move-out lists may not keep any of the deposit. A tenant may sue in District Court, but only over items they disputed in writing on the move-out list.
- Lawful reasons to end a lease early
- Domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking; Unit unlivable or landlord fails to repair; Military service (state law)
Sources
- KRS 383.695 Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- KRS 383.195 Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- KRS 383.705 Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- KRS 383.500 Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- Legal Aid Society Tenants' Rights Manual Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- KRS 65.875 Retrieved October 15, 2026.
Laws change. This page was checked against the sources above on October 15, 2026. It is legal information, not legal advice; for a dispute, contact your state's legal aid. See our methodology.