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Landlord guide, Kentucky (KY)

Kentucky eviction process: the landlord’s steps from notice to removal

The eviction process in Kentucky starts with the 7-day notice to pay rent: 7 calendar days for unpaid rent (KRS 383.660(2); KRS 383.500). Then the landlord files in the district court, where the case is called forcible detainer; the court hears it, and after judgment a court officer carries out the removal.

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Notice for unpaid rent
7 calendar days
KRS 383.660(2); KRS 383.500
Court
district court
KRS 383.210, 383.215, 383.245, 383.255
Time to appeal
7 days
KRS 383.210, 383.215, 383.245, 383.255
Checked against the statutes
1 November 2026

Step by step

The eviction process Kentucky landlords follow, step by step

Notice and court names are given as they read on Kentucky’s own forms, and timing details are quoted from the statute.

  1. 1

    Step 1

    Serve the notice

    Unpaid rent: the 7-day notice to pay rent, 7 calendar days (KRS 383.660(2); KRS 383.500).

    Paying everything owed inside the period ends the case, by statute.

    Another breach of the lease: the 14-day notice to cure, 14 calendar days (KRS 383.660(1)).

    No reason, month to month: 30 days’ notice (KRS 383.695(2)).

    What the statute adds, in English

    This applies only where the city or county has adopted the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, such as Louisville and Lexington. Elsewhere no statute sets a nonpayment notice period, so the lease governs, and a tenancy at will needs one month's written notice under KRS 383.195.

  2. 2

    Step 2

    File the eviction in court

    File in the district court, where the case is called forcible detainer (KRS 383.210, 383.215, 383.245, 383.255).

  3. 3

    Step 3

    Go to the hearing

    In the statute, in English

    at least 3 days' notice to the tenant of the trial

  4. 4

    Step 4

    Judgment and appeal

    If the court rules for you, the tenant has 7 days to appeal.

  5. 5

    Step 5

    Removal by a court officer

    An officer of the court carries out the removal, on the court’s order.

    In the statute, in English

    warrant of restitution issues on request if no appeal is filed by the seventh day after judgment

Kentucky eviction process timeline

Notice before filing
7 calendar days
Time to answer
Not confirmed
Hearing
Quoted in step 3
Time to appeal
7 days
Removal
Quoted in step 5

Only some steps have a number in the statute, so no honest total exists: after filing, the court sets the pace.

Can you change the locks yourself?

No. Kentucky bans self-help eviction (KRS 383.655; KRS 383.690), so only the court process can remove a tenant.

In Uniform Act jurisdictions the landlord may not retake the unit or cut heat, water, electricity, gas or other essential service, and the tenant may recover up to three months' rent plus attorney fees. Outside those jurisdictions the forcible detainer action is the recognised route and there is no equivalent statute.

The court process is the safe course in every state.

Write the Kentucky eviction notice

Fill in the notice for Kentucky in the generator, then read the rest of the state’s landlord law before you serve it.

Open the Kentucky eviction notice generator

Where Dardaris comes in

Most evictions start as one late payment. Dardaris sees it on day one.

It notices the missed rent the day it is due, sends the tenant a reminder, and if nothing comes, drafts the Kentucky notice with its 7 calendar days. You read it and sign; nothing goes out without you.

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The statutes

Kentucky eviction laws, with the statute behind each step

Kentucky eviction laws, with the statute behind each step
StepWhat the law saysStatute
Notice for unpaid rent7-day notice to pay rent7 calendar daysPaying in full within the period stops itThis applies only where the city or county has adopted the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, such as Louisville and Lexington. Elsewhere no statute sets a nonpayment notice period, so the lease governs, and a tenancy at will needs one month's written notice under KRS 383.195.KRS 383.660(2); KRS 383.500
Notice for a lease breach14-day notice to cure14 calendar daysThe tenant can fix the breach within the periodOnly in jurisdictions that adopted the Uniform Act. The lease ends on a date at least 14 days after receipt unless the tenant remedies the breach, and a repeat of the same breach within six months allows termination on 14 days' notice with no cure.KRS 383.660(1)
Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy30 daysUnder the URLTA, 30 days before a rental date. Where it has not been adopted, one month's written notice (KRS 383.195).KRS 383.695(2)
How a notice is servedhand delivery to the tenantregistered or certified mail to the place the tenant designated, or else to the tenant's last known residenceKRS 383.560(3)(c)
Court and actiondistrict courtforcible detainerKRS 383.210, 383.215, 383.245, 383.255
Time to answerNot confirmed from the statuteNot confirmed from the statute
Hearingat least 3 days' notice to the tenant of the trialKRS 383.210, 383.215, 383.245, 383.255
Time to appeal7 daysKRS 383.210, 383.215, 383.245, 383.255
Removalwarrant of restitution issues on request if no appeal is filed by the seventh day after judgmentKRS 383.210, 383.215, 383.245, 383.255
Self-help (lockouts, utilities)BannedIn Uniform Act jurisdictions the landlord may not retake the unit or cut heat, water, electricity, gas or other essential service, and the tenant may recover up to three months' rent plus attorney fees. Outside those jurisdictions the forcible detainer action is the recognised route and there is no equivalent statute.KRS 383.655; KRS 383.690

Read against the official texts below on 1 November 2026. The month-to-month period was checked on 29 September 2026.

Questions landlords ask about eviction in Kentucky

How long does an eviction take in Kentucky?

The notice for unpaid rent runs 7 calendar days before you can file. After that the court sets the pace, so there is no honest total: the hearing, the judgment and the removal follow the court’s calendar and the timing rules quoted on this page.

What notice does a Kentucky landlord serve for unpaid rent?

The 7-day notice to pay rent, which gives the tenant 7 calendar days (KRS 383.660(2); KRS 383.500). Paying everything owed inside the period ends the case, by statute.

Can a landlord change the locks in Kentucky?

No. Kentucky bans self-help eviction (KRS 383.655; KRS 383.690), so only the court process can remove a tenant. The exact limits are quoted on this page.

Where is an eviction filed in Kentucky?

In the district court, where the case is called forcible detainer (KRS 383.210, 383.215, 383.245, 383.255).

How does a landlord end a month-to-month tenancy in Kentucky?

With 30 days’ notice (KRS 383.695(2)). If the tenant stays on after that, the eviction process on this page applies.

Can the tenant appeal an eviction in Kentucky?

Yes. The tenant has 7 days after the judgment to appeal.

The eviction process in other states

All 50 states compared

General information, not legal adviceEviction law changes, and a court can read a statute differently from this summary. Check the current text and your local court’s rules, or ask a lawyer licensed in the state, before you serve a notice or file.

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