A Kentucky eviction notice is a written notice a landlord serves on a tenant to end the tenancy for nonpayment of rent, a lease violation, or without cause, before filing an eviction case in court. The notice must state the reason for eviction and give the tenant a set number of days to pay overdue rent, fix the problem, or move out.[1]
Last Updated: September 2026. This guide is reviewed and updated regularly to reflect current Kentucky law.
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Download a customizable Kentucky eviction notice form below, then review the required time periods, letter types, and eviction steps under state law.
A Kentucky eviction notice is also called a notice to quit, a notice to vacate, or a notice to pay rent or quit, depending on why the tenancy is ending.
Kentucky's eviction notice periods and cure windows come from Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.660. The notice period and, where the law allows a fix, the cure window depend on the reason: nonpayment of rent, a lease violation, a repeat violation, or the end of a periodic tenancy.[1]
| Rent Grace Period | Not Defined |
| Notice of Non-Payment | 7 days |
| Notice of Non-Compliance | 15 days |
| State Laws | Kentucky Revised Statutes, Sections 383.500 to 383.715 |
Landlords use different eviction letters depending on why they are ending the tenancy. The main reasons are unpaid rent, a lease breach, a repeat problem, or no cause at all under a month-to-month or week-to-week lease. Each type carries its own notice period and rules for when a tenant can fix the issue before the case moves to court.[1]
An eviction letter needs specific content: a breach notice specifies the acts and omissions, and a nonpayment notice states the nonpayment and the intent to end the tenancy.[1] The document should name both parties, describe the rental property, state the legal basis for eviction, and give the tenant clear terms for fixing the problem or leaving within the response period. Missing details can delay or defeat an eviction lawsuit.
In practice, missing key facts like the property address or the legal basis invite questions later. A generic letter that ignores the actual lease terms creates unnecessary legal risk.
In practice, landlords deliver an eviction letter in a way the tenant can reasonably receive, such as personal delivery, leaving it at the rental unit, or mailing it, following any delivery method the lease specifies. The response period begins the day the tenant receives the letter, so proper service matters as much as the wording inside it.
Landlords should keep proof of service, such as a photo, a delivery receipt, or a process server's affidavit, in case the dispute becomes an eviction lawsuit. This step also protects the letter's legal effect if the case goes to court. A seven day notice for nonpayment and a fourteen day notice for a lease breach both start running once service is complete.
In the cities and counties that have adopted the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, a landlord may only recover possession through a court action.[2] In practice, the case starts with the written notice, moves to a forcible detainer filing and a hearing, and ends with a court order before anyone is removed. This proceeding is often called a forcible detainer lawsuit, and in practice landlords wait for the notice period to run before filing.
Filling out an eviction letter correctly protects landlords' legal position and gives the tenant fair information. The example below uses a landlord named Ben Carter and a tenant named Anna Baker at a rental property, 123 Main Street, Louisville, KY 40202, to show where each required detail goes.
If a tenant does not pay, fix a lease problem, or move out within the response period, landlords may proceed to court by filing a Forcible Detainer Complaint. The tenant keeps the legal right to a hearing before removal, and only a sheriff acting under a court order may retake the property.
State law does not let landlords force an eviction outside this court process. A tenant who ignores the letter still gets a hearing date, a chance to respond, and a judgment before the sheriff acts on a Warrant for Possession.
A landlord may not force a tenant out without going through this court process. State law limits what a landlord may do outside the legal process to retake the rental unit, cut off utilities such as heat, electricity, running water, hot water, or gas, or take control of the tenant's belongings.[2] This applies to a tenancy in a city, county, or urban county government that has adopted the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act.
Self-help eviction, such as changing the locks or shutting off utilities to force a tenant out, is illegal in Kentucky. Only a sheriff acting under a court-issued Warrant for Possession may remove a tenant.[2]
Other Eviction Notice Forms by State
General information, not legal or tax advice.
Unless noted otherwise, the sources below are from the Ky. Rev. Stat..
