Kentucky security deposit law (30 to 60 days)

Short answer

Kentucky sets no statutory limit on the security deposit a landlord may collect, and the deposit must be returned within 30 to 60 days. Wrongful withholding exposure is forfeit deductions; deposit plus fees. The controlling text is Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.580, verified July 2026; confirm the current statute before acting, since legislatures amend deposit law and cities layer stricter rules on top.

No statutory limit. The return rule is 30 to 60 days. The controlling text is Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.580.

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Kentucky's return deadline

30 to 60 days.

Kentucky runs a two-step clock. You must send an itemized list of deductions, and a tenant who disputes it has the right to inspect. If the tenant does not respond to your notice within the statutory window the process can run 30 to 60 days, so the itemized notice is what sets everything in motion.

The itemized statement rule

An itemized written list of damages is required, and you must give the tenant a chance to inspect before deducting. Skipping the separate-account disclosure or the itemization can cost you the right to deduct.

Where the deposit must be held

Deposits must be held in a separate account used only for that purpose, and you must tell the tenant where the account is. A landlord who does not maintain the separate account can forfeit the right to keep any of the deposit.

Exposure for wrongful withholding

Forfeit deductions; deposit plus fees.

A landlord who fails to hold the deposit separately, disclose the account, or provide the itemized list can lose the right to withhold and owe the full deposit plus, in a suit, attorney fees. The separate-account rule is the one landlords most often overlook.

Kentucky has no statutory deposit maximum

No statutory limit.

Compare Kentucky with neighboring states

Indiana: no statutory limit; return rule: 45 days.
Ohio: no statutory limit; return rule: 30 days.
West Virginia: no statutory limit; return rule: 60 days.
Virginia: two months' rent; return rule: 45 days.
Tennessee: no statutory limit; return rule: no fixed statutory deadline.
Missouri: two months' rent; return rule: 30 days.
Illinois: no statutory limit; return rule: 30 or 45 days.

Verified against Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.580 and official state sources in July 2026. Before withholding money, check the current statute text or ask a local landlord-tenant attorney. General information, not legal advice.

Questions landlords actually ask

Does Kentucky cap residential security deposits?: No statutory limit
What is the security deposit return deadline in Kentucky?: 30 to 60 days. Kentucky runs a two-step clock. You must send an itemized list of deductions, and a tenant who disputes it has the right to inspect. If the tenant does not respond to your notice within the statutory window the process can run 30 to 60 days, so the itemized notice is what sets everything in motion.
What itemization does Kentucky require?: An itemized written list of damages is required, and you must give the tenant a chance to inspect before deducting. Skipping the separate-account disclosure or the itemization can cost you the right to deduct.
What is the wrongful-withholding exposure in Kentucky?: Forfeit deductions; deposit plus fees. A landlord who fails to hold the deposit separately, disclose the account, or provide the itemized list can lose the right to withhold and owe the full deposit plus, in a suit, attorney fees. The separate-account rule is the one landlords most often overlook.