Under KRS § 383.580, your landlord had about 30 days after you give a forwarding address to return your security deposit or itemize deductions. If they blew that deadline, Kentucky law can make them owe damages plus your fees.
Kentucky's security-deposit statute, KRS § 383.580, gives your landlord about 30 days after you give a forwarding address after your tenancy ends to either return your full deposit or send you an itemized list of lawful deductions. This is a hard deadline — not a suggestion.
If your landlord let that window pass without returning your money and without a proper written accounting, they have almost certainly violated the statute — and in most states that alone forfeits their right to keep a single dollar.
This is the leverage most renters don't know they have. Under Kentucky law, a landlord who wrongfully withholds a deposit can be liable for a landlord who fails to hold the deposit separately or give the required listings forfeits the right to retain it.
Answer a few questions and we'll generate a letter citing KRS § 383.580, your exact deadline, and the penalty your landlord now faces — ready to sign and send.
Build my demand letter →Under KRS § 383.580, your landlord generally has about 30 days after you give a forwarding address after your tenancy ends to return your deposit or provide an itemized statement of any deductions. Missing that deadline usually forfeits their right to keep any of it.
Kentucky law provides for a landlord who fails to hold the deposit separately or give the required listings forfeits the right to retain it. For example, you can pursue your full $1,500 back — plus the penalties and fees described above. That exposure is exactly what makes a properly worded demand letter effective.
Usually no. A demand letter that cites KRS § 383.580, the about 30 days after you give a forwarding address deadline, and the penalty your landlord faces resolves most disputes. If it doesn't, security-deposit cases are common and inexpensive in Kentucky small claims court.
It should state the amount withheld, the date your tenancy ended, the specific statute (KRS § 383.580), the return deadline your landlord missed, and the statutory penalty they now risk — then demand payment by a firm date. DepositProtector builds this for you automatically.