Kentucky Deposit return deadline
How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Kentucky?
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
How this works in Kentucky
Kentucky's deposit return rule is part of the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, which only applies where a city or county has adopted it. Where it applies, there is no fixed refund deadline. Instead you notify the tenant of any refund due, and the timing turns on whether the tenant responds.
Worked example for Kentucky
Say your rental is in a county that adopted the URLTA. The tenant moves out owing the last month's rent and never asks for the deposit. Once 30 days have passed, you may take the deposit from the account and apply it to that debt. In a different case, where you send the tenant notice of a refund due on August 31, 2026 and hear nothing, you may keep the deposit if there's no response within 60 days, which is October 30, 2026.
Kentucky timelines and limits
| Where it applies | Cities and counties that adopted the URLTA (KRS 383.500) |
|---|---|
| Tenant leaves owing last month's rent, no demand | May apply the deposit after 30 days |
| Notice of refund due, no tenant response | May keep the deposit after 60 days |
Kentucky FAQ
Does Kentucky have a deposit return deadline?
There is no fixed refund deadline in KRS 383.580. The landlord sends notice of any refund due.
Does this rule apply everywhere in Kentucky?
No. It applies only where a city or county has adopted the URLTA.
What if the tenant skips the last month's rent?
If the tenant doesn't demand the deposit, the landlord may apply it to the debt after 30 days.
Sources for this section: KRS 383.580(6), (7) (checked 2026-10-23)
Same topic in neighboring states
All Kentucky landlord-tenant law · Kentucky landlord FAQ · Security deposit limit · Notice to enter · Required lease disclosures · Required disclosures (mold, lead, radon, bedbug, asbestos, flood zone) · Move-in checklist
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