If you own rental property in Kentucky long enough, sooner or later you'll get a call that opens with one of three phrases. Your stomach drops. You start picturing fines, lawsuits, a ruined property, an angry tenant. Here's the truth: all three of these situations come across our desk on a regular basis — and in almost every case, they end quietly, correctly, and without drama. Here's what's actually behind each one, and how we handle it.
"There's a code enforcement notice on your property."
Nobody wants to see this. It usually starts with a neighbor complaint or a routine drive-by — something gets reported to the local code enforcement hotline, and an officer comes out to inspect. If they find a violation, a notice gets sent to the property owner’s home address with a deadline to correct it.
The notice itself isn't a punishment — it's a to-do list with a due date. The real risk only shows up when it's ignored: missed deadlines are what turn into fines, liens, and abatement costs the city bills back to the owner. That's the part we manage closely. We read every notice the day it arrives, get the specific violation clarified with the inspecting officer, line up the right vendor, and get it corrected before the clock runs out. Owners hear about it, but they don't have to manage it.
"One of your tenants has a domestic violence order."
This one feels like it puts the owner in an impossible spot — caught between a tenant in a dangerous situation, a lease that suddenly doesn't fit the circumstances, and the fear of becoming liable for something entirely out of their control.
Kentucky law (KRS 383.300) is actually built to protect the owner here too, not just the tenant. A tenant with a valid domestic violence order (DVO) or interpersonal protective order (IPO) can end their lease early, but only by giving 30 days' written notice along with a copy of the order — and they still owe prorated rent through that period, not a lump-sum penalty against the owner. The law also puts the financial responsibility where it belongs: the abuser, not the owner or the innocent tenant, can be held civilly liable for unpaid rent and re-leasing costs tied to the early termination. And a landlord can't be penalized or forced into eviction proceedings just because police were called to the property in connection with the abuse — the law recognizes that a victim of a crime at their own home isn't the source of the problem.
We know this statute well enough to walk both the tenant and the owner through it correctly — including handling lock changes, which the law allows the protected tenant to do at their own expense while keeping the abuser out — so owners are protected and the situation is handled with the seriousness it deserves.
"The city has flagged your property as a public nuisance."
This phrase sounds like the property itself did something wrong, which is exactly why it's so unsettling. Most of the local governments we work in have some version of a nuisance property ordinance. In Lexington-Fayette, for example, a property can be designated a public nuisance if law enforcement has cited or arrested someone there more than twice in a 12-month period for things like assault, drug or weapons offenses, prostitution, or any felony — or executed a search warrant for the same. The specifics vary from one jurisdiction to the next, but the idea is the same everywhere: it's a real designation with real consequences, and it exists to deal with genuinely problem properties.
Here's the part every owner should know: these ordinances typically carve out situations where the owner or tenant is the victim of the crime, with no control over what happened — including calls related to domestic violence. In other words, being on the receiving end of a bad situation generally doesn't count against you. Where a property does head toward this designation, it's almost always tied to a specific problem tenant — which is exactly why we screen carefully on the front end and act quickly on lease violations, so situations get addressed before the local government ever gets involved.
What should I do as a property owner when I get one of these calls?
If it's a code enforcement notice:
-Contact Home Forward right away so we can get eyes on the specific violation and line up a vendor before the clock runs out.
-If Home Forward does not manage your property, then read the notice the day it arrives, note the correction deadline and the inspecting officer's contact info, and call the officer or your local code enforcement hotline directly if you're unsure what's actually being asked of you.
If it's a domestic violence order:
-Contact Home Forward right away so we can handle the lease mechanics — prorated rent, documentation, lock changes — while keeping you compliant and the tenant protected.
-If Home Forward does not manage your property, then don't take action on your own. Don't change locks, contact the abuser, or make lease decisions before confirming what KRS 383.300 actually requires — ask for a copy of the protective order and make sure any lease termination follows the required 30-day written notice.
-Either way, treat it with discretion. This is a tenant in crisis, not a property problem to be solved quickly.
If it's a public nuisance flag:
-Contact Home Forward immediately. The faster we can address a problem tenant or clear up a documentation issue, the faster this gets resolved — or avoided in the first place.
-If Home Forward does not manage your property, then get the specifics of what triggered it — dates, incidents, who was involved — before assuming the worst, and determine whether it involves a tenant who is the victim of a crime (which typically doesn't count against you) versus a tenant who is the source of repeated police activity.
Across all three: the fastest path to a good outcome looks the same every time — don't sit on the notice, don't guess at what the law requires, and call us the same day you get it. That's exactly what we're here for.
The bottom line
None of these three phrases are pleasant to hear. But for our owners, none of them have to turn into a crisis. We know the statutes, we know the process, and we know the people to call — so when one of these situations comes up, our job is to get it resolved quickly, correctly, and with as little disruption to you as possible.
*All information provided is for informational purposes only. Home Forward is not a licensed attorney and not able to give legal advice. Please contact your attorney for further clarification on legal matters.
Sources:
-Sec. 12-60. - Definition. (Lexington-Fayette County Code of Ordinances)
-Code Enforcement frequently asked questions | City of Lexington, Kentucky
