Kentucky Housing Resources & Tenant Rights

Kentucky is unusual: its tenant law, the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (URLTA), applies only in the roughly 19–20 cities and counties that adopted it — including Louisville/Jefferson, Lexington/Fayette, Covington, and Newport. Everywhere else, your written lease and the forcible-detainer statutes control, with far fewer protections. So the first question is always: did your city adopt URLTA? The Kentucky Housing Corporation runs vouchers across the balance of the state, there is no source-of-income protection (a 2024 law repealed Louisville’s and Lexington’s), and rent control is banned. This page covers where to apply, the tenant-law framework, and where to get help.

Major Kentucky public housing authorities

The Kentucky Housing Corporation (KHC) runs a statewide Housing Choice Voucher program in the balance of the state — the many rural counties without a local authority (HUD code KY901; HCV customer service 877-552-7368). The largest local authorities are:

• Louisville Metro Housing Authority (LMHA) — PHA KY001, (502) 569-3400; the largest, with an HCV list that has been closed
• Housing Authority of Lexington — PHA KY004, (859) 281-5060; some senior lists open at times
• Housing Authority of Covington — PHA KY002, (859) 292-2145 (its Section 8 vouchers run through the Covington CDA)
• Housing authorities in Bowling Green, Owensboro, and Paducah also serve their metros

Use HUD’s PHA directory and read how to find your PHA. For tax-credit apartments, search HUD’s LIHTC database.

Does URLTA apply to you? (check this first)

Kentucky’s tenant protections depend entirely on where you live. The Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (KRS 383.500–383.715) governs your tenancy only if your city or county formally adopted it — that includes Louisville/Jefferson County, Lexington/Fayette County, Covington, Newport, Bellevue, Dayton, Florence, Georgetown, Shelbyville, Oldham County, Pulaski County, and a handful of others. In those places you get set notice periods, deposit-account rules, and a lockout ban. Everywhere else, URLTA does not apply, and your written lease plus the general forcible-detainer statutes control — so read your lease carefully and confirm your county’s status.

Emergency rent & utility help in Kentucky

• LIHEAP — administered through the Community Action Kentucky network; the hotline is 1-800-246-4221, and you apply at your local Community Action Agency; see utility assistance programs
• KHC and local programs — KHC offers “Kentuckians in Need” and Tenant-Based Rental Assistance; Louisville Metro runs an eviction-prevention program
• Dial 211 for the current list of rent and deposit funds, plus emergency rental assistance

Kentucky tenant law: key protections at a glance

Security deposits

Kentucky sets no cap on the deposit. In URLTA jurisdictions, the landlord must hold your deposit in a separate account and disclose where it is held, and must give an itemized list of any damages before withholding (KRS 383.580); a landlord who ignores those rules can forfeit the right to keep the deposit. Refunds are generally due within 30 days (with a 60-day mechanic in some cases). Read how to recover your security deposit.

Eviction process & how long it takes

In URLTA cities, nonpayment starts with a 7-day notice (KRS 383.660) and lease violations get a 14-day cure period; in non-URLTA areas there is no statutory notice and your lease controls. After the notice, the landlord files a forcible detainer complaint in District Court, and the process is fast — often about three to four weeks from notice to hearing and writ. In URLTA areas, self-help lockouts are illegal, and a locked-out tenant can recover possession or terminate the lease plus up to 3 months’ rent and attorney fees (KRS 383.655). Get help from Kentucky Legal Aid or one of the state’s four legal-aid programs, and read how to avoid eviction.

Source of income & recent law changes

Kentucky has no source-of-income protection, and localities can no longer create one. Louisville (2020) and Lexington (2024) had passed ordinances barring voucher discrimination, but HB 18 (2024) preempted them statewide when the Legislature overrode the Governor’s veto, repealing both. So refusing a Housing Choice Voucher is legal again everywhere in Kentucky. See our source-of-income protections guide.

Nearby states

Comparing states or planning a move? Kentucky’s neighbors handle notice, deposits, and vouchers differently:

• West Virginia tenant rights — no notice required for nonpayment
• Indiana tenant rights — a 10-day notice and eviction record sealing
• Ohio tenant rights
• Tennessee tenant rights — URLTA only in larger counties
• Virginia tenant rights

Where to get help in Kentucky

Tenant help & legal aid: four regional programs cover the state — the Legal Aid Society in Louisville (502-584-1254), Kentucky Legal Aid in the south and west (1-877-782-4219), AppalReD Legal Aid in eastern Kentucky (1-866-277-5733), and Legal Aid of the Bluegrass in the north (859-431-8200).

Discrimination complaints: the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights (502-595-4024) enforces fair-housing law; Louisville and Lexington also have local human-rights commissions.

Vouchers & local PHAs: apply to KHC (balance of state) or your city authority.

211 helpline: dial 2-1-1 for rent, utility, and shelter help statewide.

Next Steps

Not sure where to start? Our Where to Start tool maps Kentucky programs to your situation in about two minutes.

First, check whether your city adopted URLTA — it determines your notice periods and deposit rights. If you have a notice, call Kentucky Legal Aid (1-877-782-4219) and read eviction prevention.