Ky. Rev. Stat. ch. 383 § 383.030
Attachment for rent -- Procedure
Operative Text
383.030 Attachment for rent -- Procedure. (1) If any person is liable for rent due not later than one year thereafter, whether payable in money or some other thing, the person to whom the rent is owing or his agent or attorney may file an affidavit in the district court if the amount involved is less than $1,500 and otherwise in the Circuit Court of the county in which the tenement lies, stating that there are reasonable grounds for belief, and that he does believe, that unless an attachment is issued he will lose his rent. The court shall then issue an attachment for the rent against the personal property of the person liable for the rent, to any county the person suing out the attachment may desire. But the attachment shall not issue until the plaintiff has given bond, with good surety, to indemnify the defendant should it appear that the attachment has been wrongfully obtained. (2) Attachments for rent issued shall be returned before the court issuing the attachment. The proceedings thereon shall be the same as on other attachments according to KRS Chapter 425 and the Rules of Civil Procedure. (3) The defendant may deny the tenancy or his liability to pay rent, as stated in the affidavit. He may repossess himself of the property by executing bond in a manner similar to that prescribed in KRS Chapter 425, subject to similar proceedings if forfeited, as is prescribed by KRS Chapter 425 and the Rules of Civil Procedure on such a bond.
Kentucky Revised Statute § 383.030 establishes a legal mechanism called an attachment for rent, which allows a landlord who is owed rent to seek a court order seizing a tenant's personal property as security for that debt. The process begins in district court for amounts under $1,500 and in circuit court for larger amounts, and requires the landlord to file a sworn affidavit and post a bond to protect the tenant if the attachment turns out to be wrongfully obtained. The tenant, in turn, has the right to contest the attachment by denying the tenancy or the debt, or by posting their own bond to reclaim the seized property while the dispute is resolved.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.030, a landlord or their agent who believes rent due within the past year is at risk of going uncollected may pursue an attachment against the tenant's personal property through the appropriate court. Compliant operators filing under this provision typically prepare a sworn affidavit stating the basis for their belief that the rent will be lost, file in the correct court based on the dollar amount, and arrange for a surety bond before the attachment is issued. Because the attachment process follows the procedures set out in KRS Chapter 425 and the Rules of Civil Procedure, operators generally work with legal counsel familiar with Kentucky civil attachment practice.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.030 gives tenants meaningful procedural protections when a landlord seeks to attach personal property for alleged unpaid rent. A tenant served with such an attachment has the right under this provision to deny the existence of the tenancy or dispute the claimed rent liability, and may also post a bond to reclaim any seized property while the matter is pending in court. Tenants who receive notice of an attachment proceeding may benefit from consulting a tenant-rights organization or legal aid provider familiar with Kentucky's attachment and civil procedure rules to understand the options available to them.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 19, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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