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Early Lease Termination Laws in Kentucky

In Kentucky, a tenant protected by a domestic violence order or interpersonal protective order can end a lease with at least 30 days' written notice, and landlords must try to re-rent an abandoned unit only where the local government has adopted the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Kentucky at a glance

Domestic violence victims
Yes, with a protective order
Written notice effective at least 30 days after the landlord receives it, plus a copy of the order. Rent is owed prorated to the termination date. Applies to leases made or renewed on or after June 29, 2017.
Landlord must re-rent
Limited: where local URLTA is adopted
KRS 383.670 requires reasonable efforts to re-rent, but the URLTA sections apply only in cities and counties that adopted them under KRS 383.500.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Kentucky

Can domestic violence or sexual assault victims end a lease early in Kentucky?

Yes, with a protective order. Domestic violence victims in Kentucky: yes, with a protective order. Written notice effective at least 30 days after the landlord receives it, plus a copy of the order. Rent is owed prorated to the termination date. Applies to leases made or renewed on or after June 29, 2017.

Does a landlord in Kentucky have to try to re-rent the unit after a tenant leaves early?

Limited: where local URLTA is adopted. Landlord must re-rent in Kentucky: limited: where local urlta is adopted. KRS 383.670 requires reasonable efforts to re-rent, but the URLTA sections apply only in cities and counties that adopted them under KRS 383.500.

Where do the Kentucky early lease termination laws come from?

The rules above come from KRS 383.300, KRS 383.670 and KRS 383.500. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

Good to know

If the protective order was obtained before the lease was signed, the tenant must also show a safety concern that arose after the lease was signed.

The person restrained by the order is civilly liable to the landlord for losses from the early termination.

What this means in practice

Read the lease first. Many leases contain an early termination clause, a buyout fee or a sublease option that may be easier to use than a statutory right. A statutory right usually applies even if the lease says nothing about it, and a lease generally cannot waive it.

Statutory early termination rights usually come with conditions. Common ones are written notice to the landlord, a minimum notice period, and proof such as a protective order, police report, military orders or a doctor's statement. Keep copies of everything you send and note the date and method of delivery.

If you leave without a statutory right, you may still owe rent until the unit is re-rented or the lease ends. Where a landlord has a duty to mitigate, it must make reasonable efforts to find a new tenant, and the amount you owe is reduced by rent the landlord collects or reasonably could have collected. Returning keys and documenting the condition of the unit can help limit disputes.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.