How Long Does a Landlord Have to Return a Deposit in Kentucky?
In Kentucky, a landlord has No fixed statutory deadline (landlord shall send notification of any refund due when tenant leaves not owing rent) or 30 calendar days (landlord may then remove deposit from account and apply excess to the debt owing (application-to-debt rule, not a return deadline)) or 60 calendar days (if tenant does not respond, landlord may remove and retain deposit free of tenant claims (unclaimed funds rule)) to return a security deposit. The deadline is measured from this trigger: No fixed statutory deadline (landlord shall send notification of any refund due when tenant leaves not owing rent): landlord shall send notification of any refund due when tenant leaves not owing rent; 30 calendar days (landlord may then remove deposit from account and apply excess to the debt owing (application-to-debt rule, not a return deadline)): after the tenant leaves without paying the final month of rent and does not demand return of the deposit; 60 calendar days (if tenant does not respond, landlord may remove and retain deposit free of tenant claims (unclaimed funds rule)): after landlord sends notification of refund amount due. The verified penalty formula is landlord not entitled to retain any portion of the deposit if deposit was not held in the required separate account and initial and final damage listings were not provided under Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.580.
Key facts
| Deadline | No fixed statutory deadline (landlord shall send notification of any refund due when tenant leaves not owing rent) (no fixed statutory number of days after move-out to return the deposit; statute requires notification of refund amount but does not set a calendar return deadline); trigger: landlord shall send notification of any refund due when tenant leaves not owing rent |
|---|---|
| Deadline (branch 2) | 30 calendar days (landlord may then remove deposit from account and apply excess to the debt owing (application-to-debt rule, not a return deadline)); trigger: after the tenant leaves without paying the final month of rent and does not demand return of the deposit |
| Deadline (branch 3) | 60 calendar days (if tenant does not respond, landlord may remove and retain deposit free of tenant claims (unclaimed funds rule)); trigger: after landlord sends notification of refund amount due |
| Penalty formula | landlord not entitled to retain any portion of the deposit if deposit was not held in the required separate account and initial and final damage listings were not provided |
| Bad faith required | No |
| Statute citation | Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.580 |
Statute says
In the event the tenant leaves not owing rent and having any refund due, the landlord shall send notification to the last known or reasonably determinable address, of the amount of any refund due the tenant. In the event the landlord shall not have received a response from the tenant within sixty (60) days from the sending of such notification, the landlord may remove the deposit from the account and retain it free from any claim of the tenant or any person claiming in his behalf.
What this means
Read the deadline, trigger, and penalty together. Match the date you can prove to the trigger above, then compare the landlord's response to the rule in Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.580.
FAQ
Does Louisville have its own security deposit law?
Yes. Louisville Metro Landlord and Tenant Code, security deposits is listed in the city ordinance data for Louisville.
What happens if a landlord misses the Kentucky deposit deadline?
The verified penalty formula is landlord not entitled to retain any portion of the deposit if deposit was not held in the required separate account and initial and final damage listings were not provided under Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.580. Keep the move-out date, forwarding address records, and any itemized statement before you act.
Does a demand letter change the legal deadline?
No. The deadline is still No fixed statutory deadline (landlord shall send notification of any refund due when tenant leaves not owing rent) or 30 calendar days (landlord may then remove deposit from account and apply excess to the debt owing (application-to-debt rule, not a return deadline)) or 60 calendar days (if tenant does not respond, landlord may remove and retain deposit free of tenant claims (unclaimed funds rule)). The deadline trigger is No fixed statutory deadline (landlord shall send notification of any refund due when tenant leaves not owing rent): landlord shall send notification of any refund due when tenant leaves not owing rent; 30 calendar days (landlord may then remove deposit from account and apply excess to the debt owing (application-to-debt rule, not a return deadline)): after the tenant leaves without paying the final month of rent and does not demand return of the deposit; 60 calendar days (if tenant does not respond, landlord may remove and retain deposit free of tenant claims (unclaimed funds rule)): after landlord sends notification of refund amount due. A letter documents the timeline and asks the landlord to resolve the deposit before the next step.
If the deadline passed
Send the letter that starts the clock and keeps the demand tied to the verified Kentucky deadline.
build a Kentucky demand letter
If the landlord stays silent, review landlord ignoring the deadline before choosing the next step.