Early termination of a rental agreement is a situation that every landlord may encounter from time to time. Situations such as a tenant moving to a different city for a job change or a military deployment are two of the most common reasons for tenants asking for an early termination of the lease agreement. But landlords may also need or want to terminate a rental agreement early. Kentucky, like all states, will specifically outline the allowable reasons for asking for or granting early termination of a residential rental agreement in the statutes pertaining to landlord tenant law.
Early termination by landlord
The landlord in Kentucky only has a few legitimate reasons for terminating the rental agreement early.
- Tenant misrepresents any material fact on Tenant’s rental application
- Tenant refuses to allow lawful access to Landlord
- Material noncompliance by tenant with the rental agreement, or a material noncompliance with tenant’s required maintenance obligations or rules and regulations as outlined in a rental agreement, or for failure to pay rent.
Early termination by tenant
The tenant also has some “outs” when it comes to the lease agreement. The reasons for early termination by the tenant are clear but limited, and basically all address abusive or negligent practices by the landlord.
- Material noncompliance by landlord with the rental agreement, or a noncompliance with landlord’s obligations that materially affects health and safety.
- The premises is damaged or destroyed by fire or casualty where normal use and occupancy is substantially impaired.
- The landlord unlawfully removes or excludes the tenant from the premises, or willfully diminishes services to tenant by interrupting heat, running water, hot water, electric, gas, or other essential service.
- The landlord makes an unlawful entry, or a lawful entry in an unreasonable manner, or makes repeated demands for lawful entry which have the effect of unreasonably harassing the tenant.