{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-383.300","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 383.300","heading":"Protections for person  with rental or lease agreement  who  is","body":"protected by domestic violence order or interpersonal protective order.\n(1) (a) This section shall apply only to leases or rental agreements created or\nrenewed on or after June 29, 2017.\n(b) A person who is both a named individual and a protected tenant shall not\nbe eligible for the protections under this section.\n(2) As used in this section:\n(a) \"Named  individual\" means  a person identified in the protective orders\nlisted in paragraph (b) of this subsection as restrained from contact with\nthe protected tenant; and\n(b) 1. \"Protected tenant\" means  a residential rental or leased housing\ntenant, applicant for tenancy, or a tenant with a minor household\nmember,  who is protected by a valid:\na. Domestic  violence order issued pursuant to KRS  403.740\nwhich  restrains the adverse party from any unauthorized\ncontact; or\nb. Interpersonal protective order issued pursuant to KRS  456.060\nwhich  restrains the adverse party from any unauthorized\ncontact.\n2. For purposes of subsections (3) and (4) of this section, \"protected\ntenant\" also means  a residential rental or leased housing tenant,\napplicant for tenancy, or a tenant with a minor household member\nwho  is protected by a valid:\na. Emergency  protective order issued pursuant to KRS 403.730;\nb. Temporary  interpersonal protective order issued pursuant to\nKRS  456.040; or\nc. Pretrial release no contact order issued pursuant to KRS\n431.064.\n(3) (a) A  landlord shall not terminate, fail to renew, refuse to enter into, or\notherwise retaliate in the renting or leasing of a residence because of the\nperson's status as a protected tenant.\n(b) It shall be a defense to an action for possession of a rented or leased\nresidential property if the court determines that:\n1. The tenant is a protected tenant; and\n2. The  notice to vacate is substantially based on acts which violated\nthe tenant's protective order or led to the issuance of a protective\norder listed in subsection (2) of this section, including an action for\npossession based on complaints of noise, disturbances, or repeated\npresence of peace officers.\n(4) (a) 1. After informing the landlord of an intention to install a new lock, a\nprotected tenant, at his or her expense, may install a new lock to his\nor her dwelling by:\na. Rekeying the lock if the lock is in good working condition; or\nb. Replacing  the entire locking mechanism  with a  locking\nmechanism  of equal or better quality than the lock being\nreplaced.\n2. The tenant shall provide a key to the new lock to the landlord upon\nrequest.\n(b) Regardless of any provision in the lease or rental agreement, the landlord\nmay  refuse to provide a key to the new lock to a named individual, even if\nthe named individual is a party to the lease or rental agreement.\n(c) A  named  individual who  has been  excluded from leased or rented\nproperty under this section remains liable for rent.\n(5) (a) For a protected tenant who  obtains a valid protective order listed in\nsubsection (2)(b)1. of this section after entering into a lease or rental\nagreement, the lease or rental agreement may be terminated by providing\nthe landlord with:\n1. Written notice of termination to be effective on a date stated in the\nnotice that is at least thirty (30) days after the landlord's receipt of\nthe notice; and\n2. A copy of the valid protective order.\n(b) For a protected tenant who  obtains a valid protective order listed in\nsubsection (2)(b)1. of this section before entering into a lease or rental\nagreement, the lease or rental agreement may be terminated by:\n1. Providing the landlord with written notice of termination to be\neffective on a date stated in the notice that is at least thirty (30) days\nafter the landlord's receipt of the notice;\n2. Attaching a copy of the valid protective order; and\n3. Demonstrating a safety concern to the landlord that arises after\nexecution of the lease.\n(c) Upon  termination of a lease or rental agreement under this section, the\nreleased protected tenant shall:\n1. Be  liable for the rent due under the lease or rental agreement\nprorated to the effective date of the termination and payable at the\ntime that would have been required by the terms of the lease or\nrental agreement;\n2. Not receive a negative credit entry, a negative character reference,\nor be liable for any other rent or fees due solely to the early\ntermination of the tenancy; and\n3. Not be subject to any damages  or penalties if a lease or rental\nagreement is terminated under this subsection fourteen (14) or more\ndays prior to occupancy.\n(d) Regardless of whether the named individual is a party to a lease or rental\nagreement terminated under this subsection, the named individual:\n1. Is deemed  to have interfered with the terminated lease or rental\nagreement between the landlord and tenant; and\n2. Shall be civilly liable for all economic losses incurred by the landlord\nfor the early lease termination, including unpaid rent, early lease\ntermination fees, commissions and advertising costs incurred in\nreletting the premises, costs to repair damages  to the premises, or\nany reductions in rent previously granted to the protected tenant.\n(6) Regardless of conflicting provisions in a named individual's rental agreement or\nlease, if a named  individual and a protected tenant are cotenants, a landlord\nmay:\n(a) Refuse access to the property by a named  individual unless the named\nindividual is specifically permitted access by court order; and\n(b) Pursue  all available legal remedies against the named  individual,\nincluding:\n1. Termination of the named individual's rental agreement or lease;\n2. Eviction of the named  individual, whether or not a lease or rental\nagreement  between the landlord and the named  individual exists;\nand\n3. Action for damages against the named individual for any unpaid rent\nowed  by the named  individual or any damages  resulting from a\nviolation of a valid protective order listed in subsection (2)(b)1. of\nthis section.\n(7) Notwithstanding the release of a protected tenant or an exclusion of a named\nindividual from a lease or rental agreement under this section, if there are any\nremaining tenants residing in the dwelling unit, the tenancy shall continue for\nthose tenants.\n(8) A  landlord is immune  from civil liability if the landlord in good faith acts in\naccordance with this section.","path":["KRS Chapter 383"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=47052","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:59:14Z","sha256":"b2ab26ee891fed5ceb9238474c4401ecd16c70ff9552870b13026bddc0a11926","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-383.290","next":"us-ky/krs-383.302"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}