Caves, the Green River, and HB128: Edmonson County Kentucky Landlord Law
Most people know Edmonson County, if they know it at all, as the place where Mammoth Cave is. That’s not unfair — the cave system is genuinely world-class, literally. With more than 420 surveyed miles of passages, Mammoth Cave is the longest known cave system on Earth, and the national park that surrounds it carries both UNESCO World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve designations. Hundreds of thousands of visitors pass through every year. What that means for landlords, in practical terms, is a county that punches well above its weight in tourism-driven rental demand relative to its 12,000-person permanent population. It also means landlords need to think carefully about the distinction between short-term vacation occupancy and the residential tenancies regulated by Kentucky’s landlord-tenant law.
Edmonson County was formed in 1825 from Hart, Grayson, and Warren counties and named for Captain John Edmonson, a Kentucky officer who died at the Battle of the River Raisin in January 1813 — one of the worst American defeats of the War of 1812. The county seat of Brownsville sits along the Green River, which remains one of Kentucky’s finest flatwater canoe and kayak corridors. Nolin River Lake, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir in the county’s northwest, adds boating, fishing, and camping to the outdoor recreation portfolio. The combination of world-renowned caving, river recreation, and lake access makes Edmonson County a genuine eco-tourism destination even if it lacks the population base of Kentucky’s larger markets.
Filing at the Edmonson County Justice Center
All residential evictions in Edmonson County are Forcible Detainer actions filed in District Court at the Edmonson County Justice Center, 256 Main Street, Brownsville, KY 42210. The courthouse phone is (270) 597-2624 — always verify current hours, clerk contact, and civil hearing dates before making the trip to Brownsville. This is a small rural courthouse; staff and hearing schedules differ meaningfully from larger metro courts. Bring all required documentation: the original lease, written notice with proof of service, and a record of any payments or communications since the notice was served. Your 14-day nonpayment notice must fully expire before you file; for lease violations, the 14-day cure period and the 30-day minimum termination timeline both apply.
The Mammoth Cave Short-Term Rental Question
Because Mammoth Cave National Park draws hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, a significant portion of Edmonson County’s housing-related activity involves short-term vacation rentals rather than traditional year-round leases. Kentucky’s Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (as updated by HB128) governs residential tenancies — but transient or vacation occupancy of 30 days or fewer is generally considered outside the scope of KRS Chapter 383. If you operate a cabin, cottage, or home near the park as a vacation rental, verify with a Kentucky attorney whether your arrangement is subject to URLTA or operates under a different legal framework. You should also confirm whether Edmonson County or the applicable local jurisdiction imposes short-term rental registration, licensing, or zoning requirements.
This distinction matters for practical reasons beyond just which notice period applies. If a guest or short-term occupant refuses to leave at the end of their agreed stay, the legal remedy may differ from a standard residential eviction. The process for removing a holdover vacationer may involve different procedural steps, different timelines, and different courts than removing a holdover tenant. Do not assume the standard Forcible Detainer process automatically applies to all occupancy situations in a tourism-heavy county like Edmonson. When in doubt, consult a licensed Kentucky attorney before taking action.
Tenant Profile: NPS Staff, Commuters, and County Employees
For landlords renting traditional year-round residential units, Edmonson County’s tenant pool is relatively predictable. The largest identifiable employer in the county is Mammoth Cave National Park itself, which employs both permanent federal staff and seasonal workers — the latter primarily in visitor-facing roles during the spring and summer peak season. Edmonson County Schools and county government are the next-largest employment bases. A significant share of renters commute to work in Bowling Green (Warren County, roughly 35 miles east) or Glasgow (Barren County, roughly 25 miles southeast), both of which have more substantial employment bases including manufacturing, healthcare, and retail.
Apply your income verification and screening criteria consistently across all applicant types. For NPS seasonal employees, request an employment offer letter or seasonal appointment documentation specifying start and end dates, and consider whether a lease term aligned with the employment season makes sense for both parties. For permanent federal employees, standard pay stub verification applies. For commuters, verify employment in the same manner you would for any applicant, and note that a long daily commute can be a stress factor — though it is not a permissible screening criterion.
HB128 Essentials for Edmonson County Landlords
Kentucky’s HB128 (2023 legislative session) substantially updated the state’s residential landlord-tenant framework. For leases made on or after its effective date, the key provisions are: a 14-day written notice to pay or vacate for nonpayment of rent (up from the prior 7-day requirement); a 14-day notice to cure or quit for lease violations, with the lease terminating no sooner than 30 days from the original notice date if the violation is not remedied; a one full month’s written notice to terminate a month-to-month tenancy; and a 5-day written notice for week-to-week tenancies.
Security deposits are capped at two times monthly rent (not including the first month’s rent or non-refundable fees). Deposits must be held in a dedicated, separately titled bank account — not commingled with the landlord’s operating funds. The landlord has 30 days after tenancy termination to return the deposit with an itemized written statement of any deductions. Failure to comply triggers a statutory penalty of $250 or twice the amount wrongfully withheld, whichever is greater. In a rural county with modest rents, this penalty can represent a significant multiple of the deposit itself — a strong incentive to document thoroughly and return promptly.
HB128 also imposes a nonwaivable habitability duty covering 13 categories: building code compliance, structural integrity, weatherproofing, plumbing and water supply, heating and ventilation, electrical systems, pest and hazardous substance control (radon, lead paint, asbestos, mold), clean common areas, trash receptacles, floors and windows in good repair, landlord-supplied appliances, exterior door and window locks, and required safety equipment such as smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. This duty cannot be contracted away by lease language — any lease provision purporting to waive it is void. Respond to written maintenance requests within 14 days (5 days for essential services like heat, water, or electrical). Given Edmonson County’s rural setting and older housing stock, radon and structural weatherproofing are particularly worth monitoring.
For pre-1978 housing — which describes a large share of Edmonson County’s rural residential stock — federal law requires written disclosure of any known lead paint hazards and delivery of the EPA pamphlet “Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home” before the tenant signs the lease. Document delivery in the lease itself or a separate signed acknowledgment. Self-help eviction is expressly prohibited under KRS 383.690: changing locks, shutting off utilities, or removing a tenant’s belongings without a court order exposes the landlord to damages of three times periodic rent or three times actual damages, whichever is greater. There is no shortcut to the Forcible Detainer process at the Edmonson County Justice Center.
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. Short-term vacation rentals of 30 days or fewer may not be covered by URLTA — consult a licensed Kentucky attorney. Last updated: March 2026.
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