Louisville, KY local landlord rules
State law also applies. See Kentucky landlord-tenant law and the Kentucky landlord FAQ. State rules: Security deposit limit · Deposit return deadline · Notice to enter · Late fees · Eviction notice (nonpayment) · Rent increase notice.
Quick facts
| Topic | At a glance |
|---|---|
| Rental licensing / registration | Louisville Metro requires owners of rental housing units (any unit available for rent or occupied for consideration, other than short-term rentals) to register them with Louisville Metro (LMCO §§ 119.01, 119.03), except units exempted under § 119.02. Multi-unit facilities may register as a whole. Contact changes must be reported within 10 business days, and new owners must register within 30 days of the transfer. The nonrefundable fee runs from $25 to $250 by zoning. Penalties (§ 119.99): first a notice requiring compliance within 10 days, then a civil penalty per unit or complex of $100, $250 for a second offence within 24 months and $500 for later ones. Each day is a separate offence, and penalties and enforcement costs become a lien on the property. |
Details & sources
Rental licensing / registration
Louisville Metro requires owners of rental housing units (any unit available for rent or occupied for consideration, other than short-term rentals) to register them with Louisville Metro (LMCO §§ 119.01, 119.03), except units exempted under § 119.02. Multi-unit facilities may register as a whole. Contact changes must be reported within 10 business days, and new owners must register within 30 days of the transfer. The nonrefundable fee runs from $25 to $250 by zoning. Penalties (§ 119.99): first a notice requiring compliance within 10 days, then a civil penalty per unit or complex of $100, $250 for a second offence within 24 months and $500 for later ones. Each day is a separate offence, and penalties and enforcement costs become a lien on the property.
Verified Source: Louisville Metro Code of Ordinances §§ 119.01, 119.03, 119.99 (Browser transcription) · last checked 2026-10-15
Back to quick facts ↑Research coverage
0 of 13 topics checked at the local level (state law is covered on the state page). A topic counts as checked only when every subtopic in it is checked or no additional requirement was found after a recorded full read. How coverage works.
| Topic | Status | Subtopics done |
|---|---|---|
| Deposits | Not researched | 0 of 2 |
| Deposit return deadlines | Not researched | None tracked at this level |
| Rent increases and rent control | Not researched | 0 of 1 |
| Late fees | Not researched | None tracked at this level |
| Landlord entry | Not researched | None tracked at this level |
| Repairs and habitability | Not researched | 0 of 1 |
| Screening and application fees | Not researched | None tracked at this level |
| Fair housing and assistance animals | Not researched | 0 of 1 |
| Disclosures | Not researched | 0 of 2 |
| Renewal and termination | Not researched | None tracked at this level |
| Eviction | Not researched | 0 of 3 |
| Registration and licensing | Partially researched | 1 of 3 |
| Short-term rentals | Not researched | 0 of 2 |
Also applies statewide
Kentucky rules that also apply in Louisville:
- Security deposit limit
- Applies only where a city or county has adopted the URLTA (KRS 383.500). No maximum in the URLTA deposit section (it requires a separate account and move-in and move-out damage lists). Verified Source: KRS 383.580 · last checked 2026-10-23 · Full Kentucky security deposit limit page
- Deposit return deadline
- Applies only where a city or county has adopted the URLTA (KRS 383.500). No fixed refund deadline: the landlord must send the tenant notice of any refund due, and may keep the deposit if the tenant doesn't respond within 60 days. If the tenant leaves owing the last month's rent and doesn't ask for the deposit, the landlord may apply it after 30 days. Verified Source: KRS 383.580(6), (7) · last checked 2026-10-23 · Full Kentucky deposit return deadline page
- Notice to enter
- In cities and counties that adopted Kentucky's URLTA, the landlord must give at least 2 days' notice before entering, except in an emergency or where impracticable, and may enter only at reasonable times to inspect, make repairs, supply services or show the unit. Verified Source: KRS 383.615(1), (3) · last checked 2026-10-23 · Full Kentucky notice to enter page
- Late fees
- Kentucky's URLTA sets no cap on late fees (act reviewed by full-text search). It applies only in localities that adopted it. Verified Source: KRS 383.500-.715 · last checked 2026-10-23 · Full Kentucky late fees page
Other Kentucky cities
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