Kentucky landlord guide — courthouse info, local rules & HB128 eviction procedures for Tompkinsville, Gamaliel, Fountain Run & Monroe County
📍 County Seat: Tompkinsville (pop. ~2,693) 👥 County Pop. 10,650 (2020) ⚖️ Court: Monroe County Justice Center — 200 N. Main St., Tompkinsville 🌾 Tennessee Border • Highland Rim • South-Central KY 🏭 Cumberland County industrial spillover • Agriculture 🏛️ Named for President James Monroe • Founded 1820
Monroe County was established on January 16, 1820 from parts of Barren and Cumberland counties and named for President James Monroe, the fifth president and the last of the Virginia Dynasty — the era’s final Founding Father president — who was serving his second term when the county was established. The county seat, Tompkinsville, was established the same year and named for Daniel D. Tompkins, Monroe’s Vice President. Monroe County covers approximately 330 square miles of Kentucky’s Highland Rim terrain along the Tennessee border and recorded a 2020 census population of 10,650 residents.
Monroe County occupies Kentucky’s southwestern corner of the Highland Rim, the elevated plateau terrain that borders Tennessee and was historically one of the more isolated parts of the state. The county’s economy is primarily agricultural — beef cattle, hay, and some tobacco — supplemented by the school system, county government, and a modest manufacturing base. Tompkinsville is a small county seat city that has attracted some light manufacturing and retail. The county’s position on the Tennessee border brings some cross-state commercial interaction. All residential evictions are Forcible Detainer actions filed in District Court at the Monroe County Justice Center, 200 N. Main Street, Tompkinsville, KY 42167. Kentucky’s HB128 (2023) governs all residential leases made on or after its effective date.
🏛️ Named for President James Monroe — The “Era of Good Feelings” — James Monroe’s presidency (1817–1825) was characterized by a period of relative political harmony after the intense partisanship of the early republic, earning the era the nickname “Era of Good Feelings”; Monroe was the last president to wear a powdered wig and tricorn hat in the 18th-century fashion, and the last Founding Father-era president |
🌾 Highland Rim — Tennessee Border Agriculture — Monroe County sits on Kentucky’s Highland Rim terrain — the elevated plateau that forms the southern edge of the state before the Cumberland Plateau rises further south into Tennessee; the terrain supports beef cattle and hay production on farms that have operated in the same families for generations |
🤝 Named County Seat for Monroe’s Vice President Too — The county was named for President Monroe and its county seat for Vice President Daniel D. Tompkins in the same year, making Tompkinsville one of the few county seats in America named for the sitting Vice President at the time of the county’s establishment |
🌿 Gamaliel & Rural Character — Monroe County’s rural communities, including Gamaliel on the Tennessee border, reflect the county’s deeply agricultural character; the county has maintained a consistent rural identity throughout its history, with limited urbanization and a strong attachment to farming and land ownership
South-Central KY • Highland Rim • Tennessee Border • Barren River ADD
Major Employers
Monroe County Schools, Monroe County Medical Center (ARH), county/state government, light manufacturing, agriculture (cattle, hay, tobacco), commuter employment in Glasgow (Barren Co., ~30 mi) & cross-border TN employment
Eviction Court
District Court — Monroe County Justice Center
Court Address
200 N. Main St., Tompkinsville, KY 42167
Court Phone
(270) 487-5624 (verify with clerk)
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 Location
Monroe County Justice Center — 200 N. Main St., Tompkinsville
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)
Monroe County Local Rules & Landlord Procedures
Topic
Rule / Notes
Filing Evictions — Where & Who
All evictions (Forcible Detainer actions) in Monroe County are filed in District Court at the Monroe County Justice Center, 200 N. Main Street, Tompkinsville, KY 42167. Phone: (270) 487-5624. Tompkinsville is a small south-central Kentucky city; call ahead to verify current office hours, clerk contact, and civil hearing dates. Parking is available near the justice center on Main Street.
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.
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, termination no sooner than 30 days from original notice. Consult a Kentucky attorney for repeat violations or criminal acts.
Month-to-Month Termination
One full month’s written notice required (KRS 383.695). Week-to-week: 5 days’ written notice.
Security Deposit
Capped at 2× monthly rent. Held in a dedicated, separately titled bank account. Return within 30 days with itemized deductions. Penalty: $250 or 2× the withheld amount, whichever is greater. Document condition with signed checklist and photographs at every tenancy.
Habitability — Nonwaivable Duty
HB128 imposes a nonwaivable habitability duty across 13 categories: structural integrity, weatherproofing, plumbing, water, heating/ventilation, electrical, pest/hazardous substances (lead, mold, asbestos), common areas, trash, floors/walls/windows, appliances, locks, and safety equipment. Respond to written maintenance notices within 14 days (5 days for essential services).
Landlord Entry — Notice
Standard entry: 24 hours’ advance notice. Routine maintenance: 72 hours’ notice. Emergency: reasonable notice. Leave written notice if tenant is absent.
ARH Hospital & Healthcare Employment
Monroe County Medical Center (ARH system) is one of the county’s largest employers. ARH healthcare workers represent stable, W-2 employment; verify with recent pay stubs or an employer letter from ARH HR. The hospital serves a multi-county area and provides a more reliable income segment than much of the county’s employment base.
Tennessee Border Cross-State Employment
Monroe County borders Tennessee, and residents of southern Monroe County (Gamaliel area) may work in northern Tennessee communities including Celina (Clay County, TN). Tennessee employment is perfectly acceptable income; verify with standard pay stubs. Kentucky HB128 governs all Monroe County tenancies regardless of where the tenant works. Note: Tennessee has no state income tax; this does not affect the lease or eviction process but may affect the tenant’s effective take-home income favorably.
Agricultural Income
Monroe County’s beef cattle and hay operations produce seasonal farm income. Apply documentation consistently: prior-year Schedule F tax returns plus bank statements showing the annual income pattern.
Lead Paint Disclosure
For any dwelling built before 1978 — most of Tompkinsville’s and the county’s housing stock — federal law requires written disclosure of known lead paint hazards and delivery of the EPA pamphlet before lease signing.
Rent Control
None. Kentucky does not permit local rent control.
Self-Help Eviction
Expressly prohibited (KRS 383.690). Penalty: 3× periodic rent or 3× actual damages, whichever is greater. File a Forcible Detainer at the Monroe County Justice Center.
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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Monroe County market: Small Tennessee-border agricultural county. ARH hospital staff and school employees anchor stable rental base. Cross-border Tennessee employment acceptable income (HB128 still governs). Agricultural Schedule F income documentation required. Glasgow commuters (~30 mi N) add income diversity. Lead paint disclosure for most housing. No rent control.
Background checks, eviction history, credit reports — get the full picture before handing over the keys.
Era of Good Feelings, the Tennessee Line, and HB128: Monroe County Kentucky Landlord Law
Monroe County was established in 1820 during what historians have called the “Era of Good Feelings” — James Monroe’s presidency was characterized by relative political harmony after the partisan intensity of the early republic, a moment when the dominant political consensus was broad enough that Monroe ran for his second term essentially unopposed. He was the last president to dress in the 18th-century fashion of powdered wigs and tricorn hats, the last of the Virginia Dynasty, and a man whose career stretched from the Revolutionary War through the Monroe Doctrine. The Kentucky county named for him in 1820 sits on the state’s southern edge, a quiet piece of Highland Rim terrain that has maintained its agricultural character with similar steadiness across the two centuries since.
Tompkinsville, the county seat, was simultaneously named for Monroe’s Vice President Daniel D. Tompkins — one of the more unusual instances of a county seat being named for the sitting Vice President at the time of the county’s creation. The city has grown to about 2,700 residents and serves as Monroe County’s commercial and governmental center. The county covers 330 square miles of Highland Rim terrain along the Tennessee border and recorded 10,650 residents in 2020 across a landscape of cattle farms, hay operations, and rural communities like Gamaliel that sits essentially on the state line.
The Border Economy and ARH Anchor
Monroe County’s position on the Tennessee border creates a cross-state employment dynamic that is worth noting. Communities in Gamaliel and the county’s southern reaches are closer to northern Tennessee than they are to most Kentucky employment centers, and some Monroe County residents have historically worked across the border in Clay County, Tennessee or in the Celina area. Tennessee employment is perfectly acceptable income for a Kentucky tenant: Kentucky’s HB128 governs the tenancy regardless of where the tenant works. One practical note is that Tennessee has no state income tax, which can mean slightly higher net take-home pay for Tennessee-employed applicants than their gross pay suggests in comparison to Kentucky-employed neighbors — a minor but real factor when reviewing income against ratio thresholds.
Monroe County Medical Center (part of the ARH system) provides the county’s primary healthcare employment — physicians, nurses, technicians, and administrative staff who represent some of the more financially stable rental applicants in a county that does not have extensive manufacturing. Monroe County Schools and county government round out the stable public employment base. Glasgow (Barren County, 30 miles north via US-63) provides a commuter option for workers at T.J. Samson Hospital, Barren County manufacturing, and commercial employment above the county’s own economic level.
Filing in Tompkinsville and HB128 Compliance
All residential evictions in Monroe County are Forcible Detainer actions filed at the Monroe County Justice Center, 200 N. Main Street, Tompkinsville, KY 42167, phone (270) 487-5624. Tompkinsville is small; call ahead to verify hours and hearing dates. HB128 compliance: written 14-day notice to pay or vacate; 14-day cure with 30-day minimum termination; one month’s written M-to-M notice; deposits at two times monthly rent in a separate account returned within 30 days with itemized deductions; $250 or 2x penalty; nonwaivable habitability; 24-hour entry notice; self-help eviction prohibited at three times periodic rent. Lead paint disclosure required for most Monroe County housing. Monroe’s Era of Good Feelings eventually ended — the political harmony gave way to the intense partisanship of the 1824 and 1828 elections. Landlord-tenant relationships don’t have to end that way. A clear written lease and consistent HB128 compliance keep the relationship on an even footing for as long as it lasts.
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. Federal lead paint disclosure requirements apply to pre-1978 housing. Tennessee employment income is acceptable; Kentucky HB128 governs all Monroe County tenancies. Consult a licensed Kentucky attorney for guidance. Last updated: March 2026.
