Kentucky landlord guide — courthouse info, local rules & HB128 eviction procedures for Murray, Hazel, Dexter & Calloway County
📍 County Seat: Murray 👥 Pop. 37,103 (2020) 🎓 Murray State University — ~10,000 Students ⚖️ Judicial Building — 312 N. 4th St., Murray 🚤 Kentucky Lake • Land Between the Lakes 🍺 Moist County — Murray City Wet, Rest Dry
Calloway County was formed in November 1822 from Hickman County and named for Colonel Richard Callaway, one of the founders of Boonesborough and a key figure in Kentucky’s frontier era. Its county seat, Murray, became the geographic center of the county when Calloway was divided to create Marshall County in 1842; Murray was formally incorporated and designated the permanent seat in 1844, renamed to honor Congressman John L. Murray. The county occupies the southwestern corner of Kentucky’s Jackson Purchase region, borders Tennessee to the south, and had a 2020 census population of 37,103 — with an estimated 38,975 by 2024. Murray is home to Murray State University, which awards approximately 2,350 degrees annually and anchors one of Kentucky’s most distinct college-town rental markets. Calloway County is a moist county: alcohol sales are prohibited countywide except within the city limits of Murray, following a 2012 local option vote.
Calloway County’s rental market is one of the most layered in western Kentucky, driven by three distinct demand segments: Murray State students and faculty, Kentucky Lake vacation and seasonal rental demand, and a manufacturing and healthcare workforce. Kentucky Lake — one of the largest man-made lakes in the United States — forms the county’s eastern boundary; the 170,000-acre Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area lies just across the water. Kenlake State Resort Park operates on the county’s shoreline. Major employers include Murray State University, Murray-Calloway County Hospital, manufacturing facilities, and county and state government. All evictions are Forcible Detainer actions filed in District Court at the Calloway County Judicial Building in Murray. Kentucky’s HB128 (2023) governs all residential leases made on or after its effective date.
🎓 Murray State University — Founded in 1922 and enrolling approximately 10,000 students, Murray State University is the dominant economic and demographic engine of Calloway County; it drives a robust student rental market and attracts faculty, staff, and university-affiliated businesses |
🚤 Kentucky Lake — One of America’s Largest Man-Made Lakes — Kentucky Lake forms the county’s eastern border and, with the adjacent Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area (170,000 acres), creates year-round outdoor recreation demand that fuels vacation rental and seasonal housing activity |
⚔️ Fort Heiman & the Civil War Tennessee River Campaign — Fort Heiman, on the bluffs overlooking Kentucky Lake, was constructed by Confederate forces in 1861–1862 to defend the Tennessee River alongside Fort Henry; later reoccupied by Nathan Bedford Forrest in 1864 to sink Union vessels, it is now part of Fort Donelson National Battlefield |
🔥 1906 Courthouse Fire — Near-Total Records Loss — A courthouse fire in 1906 caused the almost complete destruction of Calloway County’s pre-1906 records; title researchers working with older properties should consult local attorneys familiar with the available reconstruction sources
📊 Quick Stats
County Seat
Murray (~17,307 in 2020; 19th largest city in KY)
Other Communities
Hazel (TN border), Dexter, Almo, Kirksey, Lynn Grove, New Concord
Population
37,103 (2020 census); est. 38,975 (2024)
MSA
Murray, KY Micropolitan Statistical Area
Major Employers
Murray State University, Murray-Calloway County Hospital, Pella Windows & Doors, Briggs & Stratton, Fisher-Price / Mattel, Calloway County Schools, county government, Kentucky Lake tourism
Alcohol Status
Moist county — Murray city limits wet; rest of county dry (as of 2012)
Eviction Court
District Court — Calloway County Judicial Building
Circuit Court Clerk
Melinda Starks — (270) 753-2714
Judicial Building Address
312 N. 4th Street, Murray, KY 42071
Fax
(270) 759-9822 • Two parking lots adjacent to building
Payment
Cash, check, money order, credit/debit (fee) • Cash required for bond & restitution • ePay online
Rent Control
None — Kentucky preempts local rent control
Governing Law
KRS Chapter 383 / HB128 (2023) for leases on or after effective date
⚡ Eviction At-a-Glance
Nonpayment Notice
14-Day Notice to Pay or Vacate
Lease Violation
14-Day Notice to Cure; termination no sooner than 30 days
Month-to-Month Term.
1 Month’s Written Notice
Week-to-Week Term.
5-Day Written Notice
Eviction Filing
Forcible Detainer — District Court
Eviction Timeline
3–6 weeks typical after notice period
Security Deposit Cap
2× monthly rent (plus 1st month’s rent & fees)
Deposit Return
30 days with itemized deductions
Deposit Penalty
$250 or 2× amount withheld, whichever greater
Habitability Duty
Nonwaivable (KRS 383.595 / HB128)
Statute
KRS Chapter 383 — HB128 (2023 Session)
Calloway County Local Rules & Landlord Procedures
Topic
Rule / Notes
Filing Evictions — Where & Who
All evictions (Forcible Detainer actions) in Calloway County are filed in District Court at the Calloway County Judicial Building, 312 N. 4th Street, Murray, KY 42071. Circuit Court Clerk: Melinda Starks — Phone: (270) 753-2714 — Fax: (270) 759-9822. Payment: cash, check, money order, credit/debit card (fee applies). Cash required for bond and restitution. ePay available online; pay by phone with credit/debit (fee applies). Two parking lots adjoin the building; accessible via elevator. Verify current District Court civil hearing dates directly with the clerk’s office before filing.
Nonpayment of Rent — Notice
Under HB128 (KRS 383.660), serve the tenant a 14-day written notice to pay or vacate stating the specific termination date. Retain dated, verifiable proof of service. If the tenant pays in full within 14 days, the lease continues. This doubled the prior 7-day requirement.
Lease Violation — Notice & Cure
For non-rent violations, serve a 14-day written notice to cure or quit specifying the exact breach. If remedied within 14 days, the lease continues. If not, the lease terminates on a date no sooner than 30 days from original notice. Repeat violations within 6 months, imminent health/safety threats, or criminal acts may allow faster termination — consult a Kentucky attorney.
Month-to-Month Termination
One full month’s written notice required to terminate a month-to-month tenancy (KRS 383.695). Week-to-week: at least 5 days’ written notice. All notices must be signed and properly served.
Security Deposit
Capped at 2× monthly rent (not including first month’s rent or fees). Additional pet or alteration deposits allowed. Must be held in a dedicated, separately titled bank account. Return within 30 days with itemized written deductions. Penalty: $250 or 2× the withheld amount, whichever is greater, plus the amount owed.
Habitability — Nonwaivable Duty
HB128 imposes a nonwaivable habitability duty across 13 categories: building code compliance, weatherproofing, plumbing, water supply, heating and ventilation, electrical systems, pest and hazardous substance control (radon, lead, asbestos, mold), clean common areas, trash receptacles, floors/walls/windows in good repair, landlord-supplied appliances, exterior door and window locks, and required safety equipment. No lease provision waives this. Tenants have repair-and-deduct rights (up to one month’s rent per repair) after proper notice and failed cure.
Landlord Entry — Notice
Standard entry: 24 hours’ advance notice, reasonable time. Routine maintenance or pest control: 72 hours’ notice or a fixed schedule provided at least 72 hours before the first entry. Emergency: reasonable notice. Leave conspicuous written notice of entry if tenant is absent.
Student Rental Market — Murray State
Murray State University enrolls approximately 10,000 students. Landlords renting to students should note: (1) Student income is typically limited; require a financially qualified co-signer (parent/guardian) on leases where the student alone cannot meet your income threshold. (2) Lease terms tied to academic calendars (August–May) create significant summer vacancy exposure — price and structure leases accordingly. (3) Consistent maintenance and clear pet policies are important for multi-tenant student properties. (4) All student tenants have full HB128 protections — apply habitability, notice, and deposit rules without exception.
Kentucky Lake — Vacation Rental Exemption
Kentucky Lake and Kenlake State Resort Park drive significant vacation and seasonal rental demand. HB128 expressly exempts vacation rentals (under 30 consecutive days, vacation-purpose-only, tenant has a primary residence elsewhere, unit is furnished). Lake cabins, cottages, and waterfront rentals meeting all four criteria fall outside HB128. If tenants occupy a lake property as their primary residence — even seasonally — HB128 applies fully. Confirm your arrangement’s status with a Kentucky attorney if uncertain.
Moist County — Alcohol Sales Note
Since a 2012 local option election, Calloway County is a moist county: alcohol sales are permitted within Murray city limits but remain prohibited in the unincorporated county. This distinction affects property marketing (e.g., short-term rental listings near the lake) but does not alter landlord-tenant law obligations.
Courthouse Records Fire — 1906
A courthouse fire in 1906 caused the near-total destruction of Calloway County’s pre-1906 records. For title research involving older properties, consult a local title attorney familiar with the available reconstruction sources.
Rent Control
None. Kentucky does not permit local rent control. No special rent regulations apply to the student or vacation rental segments.
Self-Help Eviction
Expressly prohibited (KRS 383.690). Lockouts, utility shutoffs, or removal of tenant belongings — including from student housing or vacation-adjacent properties — expose the landlord to 3× periodic rent or 3× actual damages, whichever is greater. File a Forcible Detainer.
Kentucky URLTA applies ONLY in specific adopting counties (including Jefferson/Louisville, Fayette/Lexington, and ~20 others). Non-URLTA counties use common law forcible detainer (KRS §383.200-383.285), which may have different procedures. The 7-day nonpayment notice under §383.660(2) requires payment of the FULL amount owed - accepting partial payment may restart the notice period. Tenant can cure by paying within the 7-day period. If the same nonpayment recurs within 6 months, landlord can issue 14-day unconditional quit. Late fees: no statutory cap, but Hemlane and others report 10% industry standard. Security deposit max: 1 month per KRS §383.580(1).
Serve the required notice based on the eviction reason (nonpayment or lease violation).
Wait for the notice period to expire. If tenant cures the issue (where allowed), the process stops.
File an eviction case with the District Court. Pay the filing fee (~$75).
Tenant is served with a summons and has the opportunity to respond.
Attend the court hearing and present your case.
If you prevail, obtain a writ of possession from the court.
Law enforcement executes the writ and removes the tenant if necessary.
⚠️ Disclaimer: This page provides general information about Kentucky eviction laws and does not constitute legal advice.
Eviction procedures can vary by county and may change over time. Local jurisdictions may have additional requirements or tenant protections.
For specific legal guidance, consult a qualified Kentucky attorney or local legal aid organization.
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⚠️ Disclaimer: These calculations are estimates based on state statutes and typical court timelines. Actual results vary by county, court backlog, and case specifics. Always verify current requirements with your local courthouse. This is not legal advice.
Underground Landlord
🏘️ Communities & Screening Tips
Key communities: Murray (county seat, ~17,307), Hazel (TN border), Dexter, Almo, Kirksey, Lynn Grove, New Concord (Kentucky Lake corridor).
Calloway County market: Judicial Building, 312 N. 4th St., Murray. Clerk Melinda Starks, (270) 753-2714. Cash required for bond. Student market: require co-signer if student income insufficient. Lake market: confirm vacation rental exemption applies. Moist county — Murray wet, rest dry. No rent control.
Background checks, eviction history, credit reports — get the full picture before handing over the keys.
Students, Lake Cabins, and HB128: Calloway County Kentucky Landlord Law
Calloway County’s rental market is one of western Kentucky’s most layered — a college town, a lakefront recreation destination, and a manufacturing and healthcare economy all operating in the same county of 37,000 people. Murray State University, founded in 1922, enrolls approximately 10,000 students and awards 2,350 degrees annually, making it the dominant economic and demographic engine of Murray and the surrounding area. Kentucky Lake, one of the largest man-made lakes in the United States, forms the county’s eastern boundary and draws anglers, boaters, and vacationers year-round. Land Between the Lakes — a 170,000-acre federally managed recreational peninsula — lies directly across the water. For landlords managing property in Calloway County, these two markets — student housing in Murray and vacation/seasonal rental on the lake — present distinct legal and operational considerations under Kentucky’s HB128.
Filing at the Judicial Building
Evictions in Calloway County are Forcible Detainer actions filed in District Court at the Calloway County Judicial Building, 312 N. 4th Street, Murray, KY 42071. Circuit Court Clerk Melinda Starks handles filings at (270) 753-2714 — fax (270) 759-9822. Payment is accepted by cash, check, money order, credit card, or debit card (with a fee for cards). Cash is required for bond and restitution. ePay is available online; you can also pay by phone with a card. Two parking lots adjoin the building; the office is elevator-accessible. Always verify current District Court civil hearing dates with the clerk before filing.
Under HB128, your 14-day nonpayment notice must fully expire before you file. For lease violations, both the 14-day cure period and the minimum 30-day termination date must run before a Forcible Detainer complaint may be filed. Serve all notices properly, retain dated proof of service, and do not attempt to compress the statutory timeline.
Student Housing: Co-Signers, Academic Calendars, and Full HB128 Compliance
Renting to Murray State students presents two structural challenges. The first is income: most students have limited independent income that will not meet a standard income ratio threshold. The solution is a financially qualified co-signer — typically a parent or guardian — who signs the lease alongside the student and assumes joint responsibility for rent. Verify the co-signer’s income exactly as you would any other applicant, applying your stated income ratio. Do not accept a co-signer whose income you have not verified. The second challenge is the academic calendar mismatch: students typically want August-to-May leases, leaving properties vacant over summer. Price summer-vacancy risk into your annual lease terms or offer shorter summer-sublet arrangements. Either way, apply your criteria and lease terms consistently to all student applicants — Fair Housing law prohibits treating students as a protected class, but it equally prohibits applying different standards based on factors that correlate with protected characteristics.
All student tenants have full HB128 protections without exception. The nonwaivable habitability duty, 24-hour entry notice requirement, 30-day deposit return rule, and self-help eviction prohibition apply to every student lease. The most common student-landlord issue is security deposit handling: document the unit’s condition at move-in (written and photos), conduct a move-out walkthrough, and return the deposit with an itemized statement within 30 days. The $250 or 2× withheld penalty applies regardless of whether your tenant is a 19-year-old freshman or a 40-year-old manufacturing worker.
Kentucky Lake and the Vacation Rental Exemption
Kentucky Lake cabins, waterfront cottages, and seasonal rental properties represent a meaningful segment of Calloway County’s housing market. HB128 expressly exempts vacation rentals from its requirements — but only those meeting all four criteria: the rental is for fewer than 30 consecutive days, the purpose is vacation-only occupancy, the tenant has a primary residence elsewhere, and the unit is furnished. A lakefront cabin rented to weekend and week-long vacationers for $200–$500 per night almost certainly qualifies. A cottage rented month-to-month to a retiree who uses it as a summer primary residence almost certainly does not. If your arrangement is in any way ambiguous — longer stays, tenants who may not have another primary residence, or unfurnished units — consult a Kentucky attorney before assuming the exemption applies.
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; prior Kentucky law governs older leases. Consult a licensed Kentucky attorney for guidance specific to your situation. Last updated: March 2026.
⚠️ Legal Disclaimer: This page is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Kentucky’s Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (HB128) applies to leases made on or after its effective date; prior law governs older leases. The vacation rental exemption under HB128 requires all stated criteria to be met; consult a licensed Kentucky attorney if uncertain whether your arrangement qualifies. Apply all Fair Housing protections consistently. Last updated: March 2026.
