No hot water? A hole in your in roof? Why Kentucky law is so bad for renters.

By Elizabeth A. Davis

March 07, 2019 06:41 PM,

Updated March 07, 2019 06:41 PM

Once on a first date, I talked about landlord-tenant law in Kentucky for 15 minutes. Fortunately, my now fiancé still asked me out on a second date. I love talking about landlord-tenant law with anyone who will listen – anyone, that is, except my clients.

I’m an attorney at AppalReD Legal Aid, a non-profit that offers free legal services to poor Eastern Kentuckians. Every week, I meet with clients who have landlord problems that go something like this:

“My front window has been missing since I moved in. The landlord said he’d fix it, but we’ve lived there months with a plastic sheet covering the hole.”

“My heat’s completely out. Me and my kids are sleeping in the living room with space heaters running. Our electric bill’s over $400 a month.”

“I haven’t had hot water since I moved in. I told my landlord I’d pay my rent when he fixed it. He fixed it and told me to move.”

“A hole in our roof with just a tarp covering it.”

“Frozen pipes. Landlord says wait for them to thaw.”

Last updated on March 08, 2019.