Kentucky Month-to-Month Lease Agreement

Jeanne Sanford | April 15, 2025 | 6 min read

Watermarked TurboTenant Kentucky Lease Agreement template

Last updated April 15th, 2025

Kentucky Month-to-Month Rental Agreement

A Kentucky month-to-month lease agreement is a residential rental contract that creates a tenancy-at-will instead of setting a fixed lease term and end date. It renews automatically at the end of each month until canceled by either party and may last for years or serve as a short-term rental arrangement for only a few months.

In this guide, we’ll review Kentucky month-to-month lease agreements, including how they work, key legal requirements, and what landlords and tenants should know before entering into one.

Kentucky Landlord-Tenant Law: Overview of Rights 2024

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Kentucky Lease Agreement

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TurboTenant's Kentucky lease agreement forms the backbone of a solid landlord-tenant relationship.

Kentucky Month-to-Month Lease Laws

A Kentucky month-to-month lease agreement must comply with all federal and state landlord-tenant laws. To that end, we’ll review some key aspects of Kentucky law that landlords should understand, including:

Mandatory lease disclosures
How much notice is required to terminate a month-to-month lease
Rent increases in relation to a month-to-month lease
When you can file for an eviction
The laws around security deposits in the state
Pet deposits and pet rent limits
Late fees and grace period requirements for rent

Required Landlord Disclosures (4)

Whether a Kentucky month-to-month rental agreement or a fixed-term lease, landlords must provide specific information to new tenants as required by federal law and Kentucky landlord-tenant statutes.

1. Lead-based paint: Landlords in Kentucky must disclose any known lead-based paint or lead-based paint hazards for all units built before 1978.

2. Landlord identification: Kentucky landlords must list the name and address of the property owner or the authorized agent who manages the property (KRS § 383.585).

3. Move-in checklist: Landlords must give tenants a full accounting of all existing damage to the rental unit and allow tenants to add any damage they notice that isn’t already listed. At the end of the tenancy, landlords may use the security deposit to cover any additional damage not noted at move-in (KRS § 383.580(2-3)).

4. Security deposit location: Kentucky landlords must inform tenants of the financial institution’s name and the account number where the security deposit is held (KRS § 383.580(1)).

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Required Notice to Terminate Month-to-Month Agreement

Since a Kentucky month-to-month lease agreement has no set end date, state law outlines how either party can end the arrangement.

Required notice for landlord: 30 days

Required notice for tenant: 30 days (KRS § 383.695)

Rent Increase Laws

Kentucky does not have rent control or stabilization laws, so landlords may raise rent as they see fit.

To increase the rent on a Kentucky month-to-month lease agreement, landlords must give tenants at least 30 days of written notice.

Rent Payment Laws

Grace period: Kentucky does not require a mandatory grace period for late rent payments.

Late rent fees: State law does not limit the amount a landlord can charge for late fees.

Tenant’s right to withhold rent: If a landlord refuses to make repairs or provide an essential service, the tenant may deduct a reasonable amount from their rent to pay for the repairs. Essential services include heat, running water, electricity, and gas (KRS § 383.640).

Pet rent laws: There is no limit to the amount a landlord can charge for pet rent in Kentucky.

Security Deposit Rules

Maximum security deposit: There is no cap on security deposits in Kentucky.

Security deposit receipt: Kentucky landlords must give tenants a security deposit receipt that lists the financial institution’s name, account number, and where the funds are held (KRS § 383.580(1)).

Deduction tracking: Landlords may deduct funds from the security deposit to cover unpaid rent or repair costs beyond normal wear and tear (KRS § 383.580).

Returning a tenant’s security deposit: Landlords must return security deposits within 30 days of the lease ending (KRS § 383.580(6)).

Pet deposit rules: There are no limits to what Kentucky landlords can charge for a pet deposit.

Property Access Regulations

Advance notice: Kentucky landlords must give tenants at least 2 days of notice before entering the unit, and entry must occur at reasonable times (KRS § 383.615(3)).

Immediate access: Landlords may enter the property without notice in cases of emergency (KRS § 383.615(2)).

Landlord harassment: If a landlord repeatedly enters the unit without proper notice, the tenant may seek a court order to restrict entry or, in some cases, terminate the lease without penalty (KRS § 383.700(2)).

Rental Agreement Violations

Missed rent payment: If a tenant misses a rent payment, Kentucky landlords may issue a 7-day notice to pay or quit (KRS § 383.660(2)).

Lease violation: If a tenant violates the lease, the landlord may serve a 14-day notice to cure or quit, giving the tenant a chance to fix the issue. If a similar violation happens again within six months, the landlord can issue a 14-day Notice to Vacate without offering another chance to cure (KRS § 383.660(1)).

Self-help evictions: Landlords may not change the locks, shut off utilities, or use any form of self-help eviction, as these actions are illegal.

Lease abandonment: If a tenant breaks the lease early without cause, they may be responsible for the remaining rent. However, Kentucky landlords must make a reasonable effort to re-rent the unit, which can relieve the tenant of further rent obligations (KRS § 383.660).