Know Your Rights

Housing Rights

Is Your Landlord Threatening to Throw You Out? You Need to Know Your Rights!

Every week the Louisville Tenants Association hears from tenants who call to say:

  • "My landlord said he was going to throw my stuff out if I don’t pay the rent by 5 o’clock."
  • "I’ve been locked out of my apartment."
  • "My landlady said she will turn off the electricity if I don’t move out tonight. "

These evictions are illegal and you need to know how to stop them!

It is illegal for your landlord to try to evict you by:

  • changing the locks...
  • padlocking the door...
  • turning off the gas, lights, heat or water...
  • putting your belongings out on the street or...
  • keeping your property until you pay the rent...

instead of taking you to eviction court first.

In Jefferson County, you can be evicted for not paying your rent but your landlord must give you a written notice stating how much you owe and give you seven days to pay before taking you to eviction court.

You can also be evicted for other violations of your rental agreement but your landlord must give you time to correct the problem.

If you rent from month to month, or week to week, your landlord can ask you to move without any reason but you must be given a proper notice first.

In order to evict you, your landlord MUST take you to court. You have the right to defend yourself before you can be evicted. If you don’t go to court for your eviction hearing, the judge will make a decision based solely on what your landlord says.

If the judge rules in favor of your landlord, you will have seven days to vacate. If you have not moved after seven days, your landlord has the right to set your possessions out on the street. However, your landlord may not keep your things until you pay the rent you may owe.

What You Can Do:

If your landlord is illegally evicting you right now, call the police immediately!

If an illegal eviction has already taken place, or you are being threatened with an illegal eviction, call:

Lawyer Referral Service
(502) 583-1801

Legal Aid Society
(502) 584-1254

Louisville Tenants Association
(502) 587-0287

Landlords who evict tenants illegally may be required to pay damages!

If you need financial assistance:

Department for Human Services
(502) 574-8000 (M-F, 8am-4:30pm)
30-day emergency assistance for people without any income

Metro Human Needs Alliance
(502) 585-3556 (M-F, 8am-5pm)
Referrals to community agencies serving your neighborhood

If you need to find a place to spend the night:

Coalition for the Homeless
(502) 589-0190 (M-F, 8am-5pm)

Crisis and Information Line
(502) 589-4313 (24 hours)

This material is for general information only. Please call one of the agencies listed for answers to your specific questions.

Written and produced by the Louisville Tenants Association
425 West Muhammad Ali Blvd.
Louisville, KY 40202
502-587-0287

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