Renting in the Birthplace of Dollar General: Allen County Kentucky Landlord-Tenant Law Under HB128
Most people know Scottsville, Kentucky as a quiet county seat in south-central Kentucky. Far fewer know that it is the birthplace of one of the most consequential retail chains in American history. In 1939, J.L. Turner and his son Cal Turner Sr. each contributed $5,000 to convert their wholesale operation into J.L. Turner and Son Wholesale Company. Sixteen years later, they opened their first true Dollar General store — with a concept that nothing in the store would cost more than a dollar — and launched a chain that would eventually grow to over 15,000 locations across 47 states. The community-development office of Southern Kentucky is even located at 25 J.L. Turner and Son Place in Scottsville today. That entrepreneurial DNA and the community’s position within the Bowling Green MSA shape a rental market that is small-town in character but increasingly influenced by regional economic growth to the north.
Where to File and Who to Call
Evictions in Allen County are Forcible Detainer actions filed in District Court at the Allen County Judicial Center, 200 W. Main Street, Scottsville, KY 42164. Circuit Court Clerk Todd B. Calvert handles filings at (270) 237-3561. The office accepts cash, local checks, money orders, credit cards, and online payments via ePay. Note that the historic Allen County Courthouse at 201 W. Main Street handles county clerk functions (deeds, motor vehicle titles, elections), while the Judicial Center at 200 W. Main handles all court filings including evictions. Both are on Main Street; get the right address before you drive down to file.
Before you file, your notice period must expire. Under HB128, nonpayment of rent requires a 14-day written notice to pay or vacate — the notice must state the specific termination date and be properly served. Keep proof of delivery. If the tenant pays in full before the 14 days expire, the eviction is off the table. For lease violations, a 14-day notice to cure is required, and the actual termination date cannot be sooner than 30 days from when you gave notice. Only after all of that has run without compliance can you file. Trying to shortcut the timeline is the most common procedural mistake landlords make, and it gets cases dismissed.
The Bowling Green Effect on Allen County Rentals
Allen County’s inclusion in the Bowling Green Metropolitan Statistical Area is not just a census designation — it reflects a real and growing economic relationship. Bowling Green has become one of Kentucky’s fastest-growing cities, driven by manufacturing (the General Motors Corvette Assembly Plant, SKC America, Fruit of the Loom, and dozens of automotive suppliers), Western Kentucky University, and a strong retail and healthcare sector. As Bowling Green housing prices have risen with that growth, more workers are looking to surrounding counties — including Allen — for more affordable housing with a manageable commute north on US-31E or KY-101.
For Allen County landlords, this means the applicant pool is increasingly mixed between long-term local residents, agricultural workers, and Bowling Green commuters. Each group requires standard income verification — recent pay stubs, employer contact, or the most recent two years of tax returns for self-employed applicants. Apply your qualifying criteria (income ratios, credit thresholds, rental history requirements) consistently to every applicant. The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, familial status, disability, and religion, and Kentucky law adds additional protections. Consistency in your screening process is both a legal requirement and your best protection against a discrimination complaint.
HB128 Changed the Rules — Here Is What Matters Most
Kentucky’s 2023 Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act rewrote the rulebook for residential landlords statewide. The three changes that most directly affect day-to-day property management in a county like Allen are the extended nonpayment notice period, the new habitability duty, and the security deposit return requirements.
The nonpayment notice doubled from 7 days under old law to 14 days under HB128. That extra week matters on a cash-flow basis for small landlords managing a handful of units. Build it into your lease calendar — if rent is due on the first and you want to file by the end of the month, you need to serve notice by around the 14th to 16th to have the clock expire with enough time to prepare and file.
The nonwaivable habitability duty is the most significant structural change. Prior Kentucky law gave landlords and tenants significant latitude to allocate maintenance responsibilities by contract. HB128 eliminates that flexibility for the 13 enumerated habitability categories. It does not matter what the lease says — if your unit lacks functional locks on exterior doors, has a pest infestation, has unsafe electrical wiring, or has radon, lead, asbestos, or mold at unsafe levels, you are in violation and the tenant’s remedies are broad. The practical implication is that deferred maintenance is more legally risky than it used to be. Respond to maintenance requests in writing, document what you did and when, and keep records.
On security deposits: collect no more than two times the monthly rent (pet and alteration deposits may be added on top), hold the funds in a dedicated account, and return the balance with an itemized statement within 30 days of move-out. Courts are authorized to award $250 or two times the withheld amount — whichever is greater — as a penalty on top of the actual deposit if you miss the deadline. On a $700-per-month rental in Scottsville, that penalty for a full deposit wrongfully withheld could reach $1,400 over and above what you owe. It is not worth it. Set a calendar reminder for 28 days after every move-out date.
This guide is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. HB128 applies to leases made on or after its effective date; older leases remain governed by prior law. Consult a licensed Kentucky attorney for guidance specific to your situation. Last updated: March 2026.
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