Kentucky late rent laws (2026)

The Kentucky timeline, with dates

Here is the order of events when rent due on the 1st goes unpaid, using Kentucky's numbers and an example notice served on the 5th.

1. The 1stRent is due (the example due date used throughout this page).
2. Late feeNo statewide statute caps late fees or requires a grace period; a late fee should be written into the lease and reasonable.
3. The 5th (example)You serve the notice: 7-day written notice to pay rent or the rental agreement terminates (URLTA areas) (Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.660(2)).
4. Not before the 12thThe 7-day period runs out. The exact last day depends on how the statute counts days and on how the notice was delivered.
5. Earliest filingIf rent is still unpaid once the notice period has fully run, you can file an eviction case.

The dates are the earliest the numbers allow, not a promise: how days are counted, weekends, and the way the notice is delivered can all push them later. Read Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.660(2) before you serve anything.

The notice for unpaid rent

7-day written notice to pay rent or the rental agreement terminates (URLTA areas). Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.660(2) (via Nolo)

Among the 31 states we have verified, 16 require less notice (3 of them none at all), 3 others use the same 7 days as Kentucky, and 11 require a longer one. Among states that require a notice, the median is 7 days.

Late fees and the grace period

No statewide statute caps late fees or requires a grace period; a late fee should be written into the lease and reasonable. Azibo 50-state table

Kentucky has no statutory dollar or percentage cap. 12 of the 31 verified states cap late fees by statute, and 10 set a grace period before one can be charged.

What else to know in Kentucky

Notes from our review: Kentucky's URLTA (KRS 383.505-383.715) applies only where a city/county has adopted it; the rule outside those areas was not verified.

Cities and counties can add their own rules on top of the state’s. At “covered properties” under the federal CARES Act — generally those with a federally backed mortgage or federal subsidies — a 30-day notice to vacate for nonpayment is required in every state.

Kentucky and its neighbors

Notice periods across the 31 verified states

Sources

• Notice for unpaid rent: Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.660(2) (via Nolo)
• Late fees and grace period: Azibo 50-state table
• Status: secondary sources only — the statute text itself has not been read yet.

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