Shelby County, Kentucky: Small Claims for a Security Deposit

Limits: $2,500 (District Court small claims division (statewide) only). Court: Shelby County District Court - Small Claims Division.

Filing facts

State small claims limits	$2,500 (District Court small claims division (statewide) only)
Statewide filing fee	Set by the court; call the clerk or check the court page. State court directory
E-filing	Not verified
Time limit to sue in Kentucky	5 years.
State deposit return deadline	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. 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. 30 calendar days after the tenant leaves without paying the final month of rent and does not demand return of the deposit. landlord may then remove deposit from account and apply excess to the debt owing (application-to-debt rule, not a return deadline). 60 calendar days after landlord sends notification of refund amount due. if tenant does not respond, landlord may remove and retain deposit free of tenant claims (unclaimed funds rule).
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.
Deposit statute	Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.580

Where to file

Shelby County District Court - Small Claims Division

Courthouse city: Shelbyville

Some counties have more than one small claims court, and venue rules differ by state; check which court hears your claim on the court's official page or with the clerk.

State court directory

Court site located; the court's server blocks automated checks

See how to file in Kentucky for the state filing procedure.

Rent and deposits in Shelby County

County median gross rent: $998 per month.

County median gross rent by bedroom count
Bedrooms	Monthly rent
1 bedroom	$738
2 bedrooms	$974
3 bedrooms	$1,124
4 bedrooms	$1,545

Rent estimates for the other bedroom sizes were suppressed or not published by the Census Bureau.

Illustrative deposit example computed from the county median rent: one month of the Census two-bedroom median is $974; two months is $1,948. This is an example computed from the county median, not a legal cap or a survey of deposits. The calculations below use the one-month deposit of $974.

State legal maximum deposit in Kentucky: No statewide statutory maximum under KRS 383.580.

Total households in Shelby County: 17,850.

Renter households: 4,632 (25.9% of all households).

Renters spending more than half their household income on rent: 9.1%. A delayed deposit refund can leave these households with less money for their next rent payment.

County rent and household source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates, tables B25064, B25031, B25003, B25070. Accessed 2026-09-21.

Will my deposit claim fit the limit?

Using the county Census figure: two-bedroom median gross rent for Shelby County, $974 per month.

The deposit range does not include penalties, interest, or other amounts you may claim.

Compared with $2,500 (District Court small claims division (statewide) only), the whole deposit range fits.

A claim above the applicable limit must either be reduced to that limit or go to a different court.

Towns this court serves

A deposit claim is usually filed where the property sits or where the landlord is.

Pleasureville
Shelbyville
Simpsonville

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census place-to-county relationship file.

Free help in Shelby County

Legal Aid Society
free civil legal help for low-income Kentuckians, including eviction and landlord/tenant disputes and uninhabitability and code violations
Phone: (800) 292-1862

Statewide help

Kentucky Tenant Union
statewide tenant union organizing neighbors to bargain with landlords and fight for safe, affordable housing
Brighton Center, Incorporated
HUD-approved rental housing counseling and rental housing workshops
Phone: (859) 491-8303
Louisville Urban League
HUD-approved rental housing counseling and rental housing workshops
Phone: (502) 566-3362

These are independent organisations, not DemandLetterLab.

From letter to filing

Send a Kentucky security deposit demand letter stating the deposit amount supported by your records.
Before you file: review the deposit return deadlines above and allow the typical response window of 30 days after your letter.
Time limit to sue in Kentucky: 5 years.
Check the court's filing instructions. Keep your lease, payment records, photos, letter, and proof of delivery ready.

This template uses Kentucky law. Your county decides where you file, not which law applies.

Choose how to send your letter

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$49, done for you.

We write the letter from the facts you send, mail it by USPS Certified Mail with tracking, and send you the tracking number and a PDF record of what was sent.

Mailed within 2 business days of your completed form, or a full refund.

Document preparation and mailing, not legal advice. We do not assess your claim, choose a strategy, or promise a recovery.

Write and mail my letter for $49

$29, you send it.

A print-ready PDF of the Kentucky letter template, ready to download after payment.

Certified-mail instructions: what to ask for at the counter and what it costs.
Kentucky small-claims details: the limit, the deadline to sue, and where to file.

You fill in the template, print it, and pay postage. The same letter template is also available free by email below. The kit adds the print-ready PDF, mailing guide, and local details in one place.

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Free Kentucky template, built from verified state data

Methodology: every statute verified against primary sources. See how verification works.

I rented [rental property address] from [lease start date] to [move-out date]. I paid a security deposit of $[amount]. I returned the keys on [date] and gave you my forwarding address in writing on [date]. Under Kentucky law (Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.580), a landlord must return the deposit or send a written, itemized list of deductions.

FAQ

How much does it cost to file in Shelby County?

Statewide filing fee: Set by the court; call the clerk or check the court page. State court directory

How long do I have to sue?

Time limit to sue in Kentucky: 5 years.

Where do I file?

Shelby County District Court - Small Claims Division. Courthouse city: Shelbyville. Check the court's instructions for the right filing location.