AN ACT relating to termination of residential leases.
Summary
HB 340 creates three new tenant-termination rights in Kentucky law for certain residential leases. First, it allows a “medically fragile tenant” to end a lease with at least 30 days’ written notice and supporting medical documentation when relocation is needed because of a recent physical or mental health emergency. The bill defines that category broadly to include people seeking inpatient substance-use treatment, people in a mental health crisis, some older adults moving to assisted living or a family caregiver, people with disabilities needing reasonable accommodations, and people with serious health conditions requiring care unavailable in their current location.
Second, the bill lets a “covered tenant” who is age 60 or older or has a disability terminate a lease after the death of a spouse or cotenant, so long as notice is given within three months of the death and the termination date is at least 60 days after the landlord receives notice. Third, it permits any residential tenant to terminate a lease if a lead-hazard is identified in a risk assessment and the landlord fails to provide abatement within a reasonable time. The bill also limits the tenant’s financial responsibility after termination to prorated rent in some cases, bars negative credit or character references for medically fragile tenants, and protects landlords from civil liability when they act in good faith under the new provisions.
Impact
HB 340 would add new sections to KRS Chapter 383 and create statutory exceptions to ordinary lease obligations for specified residential tenants. It would override contrary lease terms in the covered situations, limit post-termination rent and fee liability, and in the medically fragile tenant section provide immunity for landlords acting in good faith. The bill would apply only to leases or renewals entered into on or after the effective date, so it would not retroactively alter existing agreements.
Sentiment
The available record shows no committee transcript or recorded votes, so there is no documented floor or committee debate to gauge support or opposition. Based on the bill text, the measure appears to be framed as a tenant-protection and public-health bill, with provisions aimed at people facing medical crises, older adults, people with disabilities, and tenants exposed to lead hazards. The overall tone of the legislation is remedial and protective rather than punitive.
Contention
The most likely points of contention are the breadth of the new termination rights and the documentation required to invoke them. Landlords may be concerned about shortened lease commitments, uncertainty over what counts as a qualifying medical emergency or “reasonable time” for lead abatement, and the prohibition on negative credit reporting or additional fees. Tenant advocates, by contrast, would likely support the bill’s flexibility for vulnerable renters and its protection against unsafe housing conditions, especially where health emergencies or lead hazards make continued occupancy impractical or unsafe.