Kentucky landlord guide — courthouse info, local rules & HB128 eviction procedures for Hindman, Carr Creek, Pippa Passes & Knott County
📍 County Seat: Hindman (pop. ~763) 👥 County Pop. 14,601 (2020) ⚖️ Court: Knott County Justice Center — 54 Main St., Hindman ⛏️ Eastern KY Coalfield • North Fork KY River 📚 Hindman Settlement School • Alice Lloyd College 🎨 Appalachian Arts • Quilts • Folk Traditions
Knott County was established on May 4, 1884 from parts of Breathitt, Floyd, Letcher, and Perry counties and named for J. Proctor Knott, a Kentucky governor (1883–1887) and congressman remembered today primarily for his satirical 1871 speech mocking Duluth, Minnesota as an absurdly oversold land speculation destination — a speech so well-received that it became one of the most famous pieces of 19th-century congressional humor. The county seat, Hindman, was established in 1884 and named for James Hindman, an early settler. Knott County covers approximately 352 square miles of rugged eastern Kentucky mountain terrain drained by the North Fork of the Kentucky River and its tributaries and recorded a 2020 census population of 14,601 residents.
Knott County is notable for two institutions of unusual regional significance. Hindman Settlement School, founded in 1902 by Katherine Pettit and May Stone, was one of the first rural social settlement schools in the United States and has been a center of Appalachian education, literacy, and cultural preservation for over 120 years; it hosts the nationally recognized Appalachian Writers’ Workshop. Alice Lloyd College in Pippa Passes, a small four-year liberal arts institution founded in 1923 by Alice Geddes Lloyd, provides tuition-free education to students from the central Appalachian region through a work-study program and creates a small but distinctive academic rental market in that community. The county’s economy has been shaped by coal and is navigating post-coal transition. All residential evictions are Forcible Detainer actions filed in District Court at the Knott County Justice Center, 54 Main Street, Hindman, KY 41822. Kentucky’s HB128 (2023) governs all residential leases made on or after its effective date.
📚 Hindman Settlement School — 120 Years of Appalachian Education — Founded in 1902 by Katherine Pettit and May Stone, the Hindman Settlement School was among America’s first rural social settlement schools and has spent over a century preserving Appalachian literary and folk traditions; its annual Appalachian Writers’ Workshop has launched careers of numerous regional authors |
🎓 Alice Lloyd College — Tuition-Free in Pippa Passes — Alice Lloyd College in Pippa Passes offers tuition-free education to students from central Appalachian counties through a distinctive work-study model; founded in 1923 by Alice Geddes Lloyd, it remains one of the few tuition-free four-year colleges in the United States |
😄 Named for the Man Who Mocked Duluth — J. Proctor Knott, Kentucky governor and the county’s namesake, is remembered largely for his 1871 congressional speech satirizing Duluth, Minnesota as a comically oversold land speculation destination; the speech, delivered with deadpan irony, became one of the most celebrated pieces of 19th-century American political humor |
🎨 Appalachian Quilts & Folk Arts Tradition — Knott County is part of eastern Kentucky’s rich quilt-making and folk arts tradition; the Hindman Settlement School has played a central role in documenting and preserving Appalachian craft traditions that are recognized nationally as significant American folk heritage
📊 Quick Stats
County Seat
Hindman (~763)
Other Communities
Carr Creek, Pippa Passes, Emmalena, Leburn, Vest, Mousie, Sassafras, Carrie
County Population
14,601 (2020) • Declining from coal-era peak
Region
Eastern KY Coalfield • North Fork KY River • Kentucky River Area Development District
Major Employers
Knott County Schools, Alice Lloyd College, Hindman Settlement School, county/state government, ARH (Hazard hospital, nearby), remaining coal operations, commuter employment in Hazard & Prestonsburg
Eviction Court
District Court — Knott County Justice Center
Court Address
54 Main St., Hindman, KY 41822
Court Phone
(606) 785-5011 (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
Knott County Justice Center — 54 Main St., Hindman
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)
Knott County Local Rules & Landlord Procedures
Topic
Rule / Notes
Filing Evictions — Where & Who
All evictions (Forcible Detainer actions) in Knott County are filed in District Court at the Knott County Justice Center, 54 Main Street, Hindman, KY 41822. Phone: (606) 785-5011. Hindman is a very small county seat; call ahead to verify current office hours, clerk contact, and civil hearing dates before making the trip. Parking is generally available on Main Street near the justice center.
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, the lease terminates on a date 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 to terminate a month-to-month tenancy (KRS 383.695). Week-to-week: at least 5 days’ written notice.
Security Deposit
Capped at 2× monthly rent. 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. In Knott County’s modest market the $250 floor penalty is significant relative to typical deposits; document condition at move-in and move-out.
Habitability — Nonwaivable Duty
HB128 imposes a nonwaivable habitability duty across 13 categories including structural integrity, weatherproofing, heating, plumbing, electrical, pest/hazardous substance control (lead, mold, asbestos), appliances, locks, and safety equipment. Respond to written maintenance notices within 14 days (5 days for essential services). Cannot be waived by lease language.
Landlord Entry — Notice
Standard entry: 24 hours’ advance notice, reasonable time. Routine maintenance: 72 hours’ notice. Emergency: reasonable notice. Leave conspicuous written notice if tenant is absent.
Alice Lloyd College & Academic Rental Market
Alice Lloyd College in Pippa Passes is a small four-year institution serving approximately 600 students from the central Appalachian region on a tuition-free work-study model. The college creates limited but real rental demand in Pippa Passes for faculty and staff. Screen college employees with standard pay stubs or employer letters. Students at ALC are primarily housed by the college itself; off-campus student rental demand is minimal. The Hindman Settlement School similarly employs staff who may seek local housing.
North Fork Flood Risk & Hollow Housing
The North Fork of the Kentucky River and its many tributaries drain Knott County, and creek bottom properties carry documented flood risk. Verify FEMA flood zone status before renting any waterfront or low-lying property, disclose known flood risk to tenants in writing, and be aware of HB128’s structural integrity and moisture/mold habitability obligations in flood-adjacent locations. Hollow-sited housing also faces slope drainage and hillside moisture challenges.
Post-Coal Tenant Profile & Transfer Payments
Knott County’s tenant pool is anchored by school and county government employees, Alice Lloyd College and Hindman Settlement School staff, and recipients of Social Security disability, veterans’ benefits, and similar transfer payments. Apply income documentation consistently across all income types. Transfer payments are typically stable and direct-deposited; request award letters and recent bank statements as verification.
Lead Paint Disclosure
For any dwelling built before 1978 — virtually all of Knott 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 Knott 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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⚠️ 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.
Knott County market: Small post-coal Appalachian county. Stable tenant base: school/government employees, Alice Lloyd and Hindman Settlement School staff, transfer payment recipients. North Fork flood risk requires FEMA zone verification for creek bottom properties. Lead paint disclosure required for virtually all housing. No rent control.
Background checks, eviction history, credit reports — get the full picture before handing over the keys.
Duluth, Hindman, and HB128: Knott County Kentucky Landlord Law
J. Proctor Knott rose to genuine national fame in 1871 for a speech he never intended to be famous. As a Kentucky congressman opposing a federal land grant for a Minnesota railroad, Knott delivered a satirical address describing Duluth, Minnesota as a paradise of absurd magnificence — a glittering city on the shores of Lake Superior where civilization had achieved its apotheosis, the natural destination of all human aspiration and ambition. The speech was entirely deadpan, the irony perfectly sustained, and the congressional gallery laughed until they wept. Knott’s point was that the land grant was a speculative boondoggle dressed in promotional rhetoric; his method was to out-rhetoric the promoters with such elaborate excess that the absurdity became undeniable. He went on to serve as Kentucky’s governor from 1883 to 1887, and in 1884 the new county carved from Breathitt, Floyd, Letcher, and Perry was named in his honor. Whether Knott would have appreciated the association between his name and a county that subsequent booms and busts would strip of much of its economic promise is a question history does not answer.
Knott County covers 352 square miles of eastern Kentucky mountain terrain, drained by the North Fork of the Kentucky River. The county seat of Hindman — population 763 in 2020 — sits where Troublesome Creek meets the North Fork, and the county’s 14,601 residents are distributed across dozens of hollows and creek branches in a pattern shaped entirely by the topography. There is no flat ground of consequence in Knott County. There are creek bottoms and hillsides and ridge tops, and people live where the terrain permits.
Hindman Settlement School and Alice Lloyd College
Knott County has two institutions of unusual significance that distinguish it from the surrounding mountain counties. The Hindman Settlement School, founded in 1902 by Katherine Pettit and May Stone, was one of the first rural social settlement schools in the United States — part of the same Progressive Era movement that produced Jane Addams’ Hull House in Chicago, but planted in the mountains of eastern Kentucky to address the educational and social needs of isolated Appalachian communities. For over 120 years the Settlement School has operated programs in literacy, traditional crafts, Appalachian music, and community education. Its annual Appalachian Writers’ Workshop has over the decades become one of the most respected gatherings of Appalachian literary talent in the country, drawing writers, editors, and readers who come to Hindman specifically for the week of craft and community it offers. The Settlement School employs a small but stable staff who represent some of the county’s most reliable rental applicants.
Alice Lloyd College in Pippa Passes is something rarer still: a tuition-free four-year liberal arts college. Founded in 1923 by Alice Geddes Lloyd, a Massachusetts journalist who came to Knott County and stayed for the rest of her life, the college operates on a work-study model that provides full tuition in exchange for campus work hours. Its enrollment of roughly 600 students draws from the central Appalachian region, and its graduates have gone on to professional careers in medicine, law, education, and public service at rates that belie the county’s economic circumstances. The college employs faculty and professional staff who represent another stable element in the county’s rental market. Student housing is primarily provided by the college; off-campus student rental demand from ALC is minimal.
The North Fork, the Hollows, and Flood Risk
Knott County’s waterways are not decorative. The North Fork of the Kentucky River has flooded Hindman in recorded memory, and Troublesome Creek — which sounds poetic but earns its name regularly — has overflowed its banks often enough to make creek bottom properties a genuine concern. Before renting any property along Troublesome Creek, the North Fork, or any of the county’s many named and unnamed tributaries, verify the property’s FEMA flood zone status. Disclose known flood history to prospective tenants in writing. HB128’s habitability duty covers structural integrity, weatherproofing, and moisture/mold control — all of which are ongoing obligations in a flood-adjacent location rather than one-time installation issues.
Hollow-sited and hillside properties carry their own maintenance considerations: slope drainage, moisture infiltration into foundations and crawl spaces, and the structural effects of seasonal freeze-thaw cycling. These are not exotic problems — they are the predictable consequences of building on land that was not quite flat to begin with, in a climate that produces significant rainfall. Respond to written maintenance requests within the 14-day window HB128 requires, prioritize heating system and roof integrity before winter, and document every repair and inspection in writing.
HB128 in Hindman
All residential evictions in Knott County are Forcible Detainer actions filed in District Court at the Knott County Justice Center, 54 Main Street, Hindman, KY 41822, phone (606) 785-5011. Hindman is a very small county seat; call ahead to confirm office hours and hearing dates. The 14-day nonpayment notice must fully expire before filing; both the 14-day cure window and 30-day minimum termination period apply for lease violations.
The compliance checklist: written 14-day notice to pay or vacate; 14-day cure notice with 30-day minimum termination; one month’s written notice for month-to-month termination; deposits at two times monthly rent maximum in a separate account, returned within 30 days with itemized deductions; $250 or 2x penalty; nonwaivable habitability across 13 categories; 24-hour entry notice; self-help eviction prohibited at three times periodic rent. Federal lead paint disclosure required for virtually all Knott County rentals. A written lease is strongly recommended for every tenancy — the Settlement School has spent 120 years teaching Knott County residents the value of the written word. Take the lesson.
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. North Fork and Troublesome Creek flood zone status should be verified through FEMA flood maps. Consult a licensed Kentucky attorney for guidance. Last updated: March 2026.
