Typical residential security deposit amount a landlord holds and later accounts for on a return statement in Kentucky (2026)
A typical Kentucky range, the local factors behind it, and the tools to price your own project.
Reviewed for 2026, updated September 8, 2026.
What drives the cost in Kentucky
Kentucky deposits sit below the national typical range, with Louisville, Lexington, and the northern Kentucky counties across from Cincinnati highest. The state's landlord-tenant act only applies where a city or county has adopted it, which includes the larger cities, and where it applies deposits must sit in a separate account, a signed move-in inspection list is expected, and the tenant gets a window to respond to an itemized notice, so confirm whether your jurisdiction has adopted the act. Humid summers and a lot of older housing stock make moisture, paint, and hardwood wear common and mostly not chargeable.
Tips for Kentucky buyers
- Check whether your county or city adopted the act; if it did, the separate account and signed move-in list are not optional.
- Send the itemized notice promptly and let the tenant's response window close before finalizing the refund.
- Even outside adopted jurisdictions, a signed move-in checklist is the strongest evidence you can have in a Kentucky dispute.
Ranges are hedged planning estimates derived from a national typical range and a local index, not quotes. A typical single deposit on a market-rate residential rental is commonly around one month's rent, which puts most deposits somewhere in this range; actual amounts vary widely with local rents, unit size, pets, and state caps, and this is a working reference rather than a survey figure.
Price your project
- Deposit Deduction Depreciation Calculator: Estimates how much of a carpet, paint, blind, or appliance replacement a landlord can fairly deduct from a security deposit once the item's age and normal wear are taken into account.
- Security Deposit Refund Statement Calculator: Adds up the deposit held, any interest owed, and each itemized deduction to show the exact refund due to the tenant or the balance the tenant still owes.
- Late Deposit Return Penalty Exposure Calculator: Shows landlords how many days remain before a state return deadline and what missing it could cost when a statute allows forfeited deductions or multiplied damages.