What can a landlord deduct from a security deposit in Kentucky?

Under Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.580 (security deposits); Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.500 (local adoption of URLTA), allowed deductions generally include charges for damage to the unit identified in the move-out comprehensive listing required by subsection (3), measured against the move-in listing required by subsection (2). Normal wear and tear is not deductible.

Founding price — $39 per case·Ends in 2:00:00

Kentucky security deposit law

Security Deposit Laws in Kentucky

Q: How many days does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Kentucky?

Kentucky does not set a fixed number of days in Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.580 (security deposits); Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.500 (local adoption of URLTA) — see the deadline notes below for what the statute actually requires.

Your landlord has no fixed statutory deadline under Kentucky law to return your security deposit, or you may be owed more than what they withheld. If they keep more than they're legally allowed, you can dispute it.

We go after every dollar of your deposit — and we don't stop until it's resolved.Letter ready in 30 min · Ships today.

Not satisfied? Full refund, no questions asked.

Step 2 of 3

When did you move out?

This is the one that matters. Your clock starts the day you handed back the keys — not the day your landlord replies.

Statute-verified in 50 U.S. jurisdictions and counting — everywhere else, a specialist prepares your case by hand until verification clears.

Statutes verified against official sources

USPS Certified Mail with return receipt

Every letter reviewed before it mails

Kentucky security deposit return timeline

Deadline to return

no fixed statutory deadline

Statute

Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.580 (security deposits); Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.500 (local adoption of URLTA)

Two things a Kentucky renter needs to know. (1) KRS 383.580 CONTAINS NO RETURN DEADLINE AT ALL. All seven subsections were read; there is no provision requiring the landlord to return the deposit within any number of days. The '30 days' republished across rental-law sites is subsection (6), a different rule entirely: it lets a landlord who is owed unpaid last month's rent, where the tenant did not demand return, remove the deposit after thirty days and apply it to the debt. The '60 days' is subsection (7), the window for the TENANT to respond to a mailed notice of refund due before the landlord may keep it. NEITHER IS A LANDLORD DEADLINE. What Kentucky gives the tenant instead is a FORFEITURE rule: under subsection (4) no landlord may retain ANY portion if it was not held in a separate account per subsection (1) AND the move-in and move-out damage listings required by subsections (2) and (3) were not provided. That, not a deadline, is the lever. (2) LOCAL OPTION — KRS 383.500 authorizes cities, counties and urban-county governments to enact URLTA as set forth in KRS 383.505 to 383.705, and if adopted it must be adopted in its entirety and without amendment. KRS 383.580 sits inside that range, so it applies ONLY in jurisdictions that have adopted URLTA (Louisville/Jefferson, Lexington/Fayette, Covington, Florence, Newport, Georgetown among roughly 19). A renter outside an adopting jurisdiction likely has NO statutory deposit remedy. Confirm which city or county you rented in before you rely on any of this.

What can a landlord legally deduct in Kentucky?

Allowed

✓Charges for damage to the unit identified in the move-out comprehensive listing required by subsection (3), measured against the move-in listing required by subsection (2)

Not allowed

✗Anything at all where the deposit was not held in a separate account AND the initial and final damage listings were not provided (subsection (4))
✗Any item the tenant specifically dissented from in writing, unless established in court

What if your landlord keeps your deposit wrongfully in Kentucky?

NO statutory damages multiplier and NO attorney's-fee provision exists in KRS 383.580. Claims that Kentucky offers '2x damages' are UNSUPPORTED by the text. The tenant's remedy is subsection (5): a tenant who disputes the accuracy of the final damage listing may bring an action in District Court — but the claim is LIMITED to items the tenant specifically dissented from in writing under subsection (3), and if the tenant failed to sign the listing or specifically dissent, 'the tenant shall not be entitled to recover any damages under this section.' A Kentucky tenant who did not sign or dissent in writing at move-out may have forfeited the claim. The real leverage is the subsection (4) forfeiture.

How TenantNex helps

1. Tell us your move-out date, deposit amount, and landlord's address — two minutes.
2. We generate a demand letter citing Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.580 (security deposits); Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.500 (local adoption of URLTA) and your exact deadline.
3. We mail it to your landlord via USPS Certified Mail with return receipt.
4. You track delivery on your case page, with day-7 and day-14 follow-up.

$39 per case — founding price, one flat fee, no subscription.

Kentucky tenant rights resources

HUD — tenant rights and resources
Find your state's consumer protection / Attorney General office
Key statute: Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.580 (security deposits); Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.500 (local adoption of URLTA) — verified against the official text on 2026-09-04.

Every fact on this page is verified against Kentucky's official statutory text as of 2026-09-04. TenantNex is not a law firm and this is not legal advice. For complex disputes, consult a licensed attorney in Kentucky.

Prefer it in writing?

We'll email you a free breakdown of what Kentucky law says you're owed.

See what you're owed

FREE · 30 seconds

Your money is due back

State law applies

Kentucky law sets this deadline — your landlord must return your deposit or itemize deductions by then.

If they wrongfully withhold

up to 2× your deposit

Add your deposit amount above for the exact figure.

Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.580 (security deposits); Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.500 (local adoption of URLTA) — verified against the official statute 2026-09-04

Secure checkout · Letter ready in 30 min · Full refund if not satisfied

Used by renters in 3 states — 13 people in the past two weeks found out exactly what they're owed this way.

We don't stop at mailing it. If your landlord doesn't respond, we follow up at day 7 and day 14 — and help you build the evidence and paperwork for small claims if it comes to that. Real result: we helped Kathleen A. (Ohio) recover her full $3,000 deposit this way.

Pay once. We handle the rest.

One case, one price — the letter, the certified mailing, the tracking, and the follow-up. No subscription, no recurring anything.

You pay onceWe prepare & review your letterUSPS Certified to your landlordYou track it to their door

Option	Price	Effort	Follow-up
Do it yourself	—	All of it	You chase
TenantNex	$39	Done for you	We chase
Small-claims services	$149–448	—	—
Hire an attorney	$300–2,000+	—	—

An attorney starts at $300. Filing services charge $149 for the letter alone. We prepare the whole claim for $39.

One-time launch price

Recover

$39

Founding price — one time

We run your claim until you are paid — or you are ready to file.

Step 1 — certified demand letter citing your state statute, deadline and penalty
Mailed USPS Certified with return receipt, tracked to your landlord’s door
Step 2 — day-14 notice of intent to file, the one most landlords act on
Step 3 — your small-claims packet: the right form for your county, filled in
Where to file, what it costs, and how to serve your landlord
Evidence checklist, with your certified receipt as Exhibit A
Counter-response letter if your landlord disputes or underpays
Attorney referral if it is still unresolved after 21 days

See the full deposit demand letter guide →

Two minutes on what actually works

All videos →

What TenantNex is — and isn't

TenantNex is not a law firm. We prepare and send correspondence using publicly available state statutes. We do not provide legal advice, legal representation, or guarantee any outcome. For complex legal matters, consult a licensed attorney in your state.