Kentucky security deposit demand letter
Ask for your deposit with the Kentucky law behind your request. Download the free PDF or Word template, or fill in your dates and figures below.
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Before sending in Kentucky
Check URLTA coverage and respond to a refund notice
Check coverage: Kentucky's deposit statute is part of the URLTA, which applies only in cities and counties that have adopted it in its entirety by local ordinance - including Louisville/Jefferson County, Lexington/Fayette County, Covington, Newport, Florence, Georgetown, Shelbyville, and Oldham and Pulaski counties, among others. If your rental is outside one of these jurisdictions, there is no statutory deposit law and your remedies are based on your lease.
Kentucky's deposit statute applies in jurisdictions that adopted URLTA. It sets inspection and accounting procedures rather than a universal return-day countdown. If a refund notice arrives, respond within its 60-day statutory window.
What records should support deductions?
Estimated repair costs on the listings; no receipts requirement.
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[Your name] [Your current mailing address] [Date] [Landlord or property manager name] [Address designated for notices] SENT VIA CERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED RE: Request for return of security deposit - [rental property address] Dear [Landlord]: I vacated the property on [move-out date] and paid a security deposit of $[deposit amount]. Under Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.580: Nothing to wait out: Kentucky sets no flat return deadline, so you can demand the deposit back now. Mechanics: the landlord must give a final itemized damage listing at termination and may apply the deposit to unpaid rent after 30 days. If a refund notice arrives, respond within 60 days - the demand letter is exactly that response - or the landlord may keep the deposit. [Before sending: confirm this statute covers your tenancy.] REQUEST Please return $[amount requested] of my deposit to the mailing address above. Please explain any deductions you maintain and provide the itemized statement and supporting records required by the applicable law. If the statutory conditions are met, under Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.580, your failure to follow the statute's accounting and notice requirements forfeits your right to withhold any portion of my deposit, entitling me to a full refund. Please respond by [response date after any required notice or cure period]. This requested date does not shorten any applicable statutory notice or cure period. If this remains unresolved after the applicable requirements are satisfied, I intend to pursue the remedies available in small claims court. Sincerely, [Your signature] Enclosures: [List the records you are actually attaching.]
Review your dates and the records behind each charge before signing. The free analysis can help you assess disputed deductions and possible additional recovery.
From a blank request to a documented demand
See what your case documents add.
The free editor fills in your facts. The analysis reviews your charges and applicable rules; your paid case documents bring together the letter, damages summary and organized evidence checklist.
One charge, made specific.
Kentucky example: repainting ordinary wall scuffs, $900. The example assumes the tenancy is covered by the cited law; no tenant result is implied.
A starting request
I disagree with the $900 charge for repainting ordinary wall scuffs. Please return that amount.
The free editor lets you add your own reasons and records.
In the generated letter
Ordinary wear and tear - not deductible. Repainting after a tenancy is ordinary wear and tear unless the walls were damaged beyond normal use (large holes, unauthorized colors). Dated move-in and move-out photos help distinguish ordinary wear from tenant-caused damage.
Records to attach: move-in photos and move-out photos.
State-law reference: Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.580 (URLTA - adopted jurisdictions only, KRS 383.500) ↗The amount stays tied to the facts: $1,100 withheld - $200 in accepted charges = $900 disputed in this sample.
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See the actual PDF pages
Open PDF to zoom ↗Sample Kentucky case. Letter and exhibit pages extracted from a generated case PDF. Your letter uses your own facts and state law.
Read the complete Kentucky sample letter
Fictional Kentucky case. Generated sample, not a court outcome or a substitute for your own letter.
Maya Patel (fictional tenant)
[Fictional current mailing address]
September 08, 2026
Daniel Reed (fictional landlord)
[Fictional landlord mailing address]
SENT VIA CERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED
RE: Demand for return of security deposit - [Fictional Kentucky rental address]
Dear Daniel Reed (fictional landlord):
I vacated the above rental property on August 01, 2026 and paid a security deposit of $2,000.00. Under Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.580 (Kentucky Security Deposit Law), you may retain only lawful, documented deductions. Forfeiture: the landlord may not retain any portion if the deposit wasn't in the required separate account or the listings weren't provided (§ 383.580(4)). Tenant suits are limited to items specifically dissented to (§ 383.580(5)).
DISPUTED DEDUCTIONS
I dispute the following deductions under Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.580 for the reasons below. Please provide the records supporting each disputed charge, including the work, cost, and condition at issue. For replacement charges, explain the item's age and how you calculated the amount charged:
• Repainting ordinary wall scuffs - $900.00
Ordinary wear and tear - not deductible. Repainting after a tenancy is ordinary wear and tear unless the walls were damaged beyond normal use (large holes, unauthorized colors). Dated move-in and move-out photos help distinguish ordinary wear from tenant-caused damage.
I do not contest the following deductions, totaling $200.00: Unpaid rent balance ($200.00).
This demand does not cancel any accepted debt. Any separate claim or counterclaim must credit amounts already paid or retained toward that debt.
DEMAND
I demand payment of $900.00, the amount improperly withheld from my deposit.
Please deliver payment to the address above no later than September 22, 2026 (14 days from the date of this letter). This requested date does not shorten any statutory notice or cure period. If this remains unresolved after the applicable notice, service and waiting requirements are satisfied, I intend to file suit in small claims court. I have retained dated photographs of the property's condition, the lease, our correspondence, your itemized statement, the repair receipts you provided, and this demand letter.
Sincerely,
Maya Patel (fictional tenant)
Enclosures: Evidence exhibit listSend it with a record you can use.
Identify the rental jurisdiction and your disagreement with specific items on the final damage list. Keep the signed move-in list, move-out list and written dissent with your request.
Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.580: return and accounting ↗What happens after sending?
Track the refund-notice date and follow up before the response window expires. Outside URLTA coverage, base the request on the lease and applicable contract rules.
They refund some or all of it
Save the payment record and update what remains disputed. Read any settlement or release before agreeing to it.
They reject the request or explain the deductions
Match each explanation to your lease and condition records. Reply with the specific amounts and reasons still disputed.
The letter comes back or nobody responds
Keep the envelope or tracking record. Check the address and required service method before using the Kentucky filing guide. Attempted delivery may not complete statutory service.
Frequently asked questions
Which return deadline should my Kentucky letter refer to?
Nothing to wait out: Kentucky sets no flat return deadline, so you can demand the deposit back now. Mechanics: the landlord must give a final itemized damage listing at termination and may apply the deposit to unpaid rent after 30 days. If a refund notice arrives, respond within 60 days - the demand letter is exactly that response - or the landlord may keep the deposit. Forfeiture: the landlord may not retain any portion if the deposit wasn't in the required separate account or the listings weren't provided (§ 383.580(4)). Tenant suits are limited to items specifically dissented to (§ 383.580(5)).
What penalties does Kentucky law allow if the withholding was wrongful?
No multiplier and no flat penalty - the sole statutory consequence is forfeiture of the right to withhold (full refund). Some websites claim '2x damages' for Kentucky - the statute has no such provision.
What happens if the landlord ignores the letter?
You can file in small claims court (limit: $2,500; filing fees about $25-$60 - confirm with the clerk). Check required notices, filing deadlines and the court's rules before filing.
Kentucky filing steps and court forms →