Knott County, Kentucky Eviction Risk: Very Low

Knott County sits in the eastern Kentucky eviction laws coalfields and registers one of the lowest eviction risk scores in the state - 2.1/10, placing it 117th out of 120 Kentucky counties. Only three counties in the Commonwealth score below Knott, making it a notably landlord-favorable corner of an already landlord-friendly state. That ranking means 116 Kentucky eviction laws counties carry higher eviction risk than Knott, and landlords here operate in one of the most permissive regulatory environments in the region.

The county's two principal rental communities - Hindman (population 790, score 2.2/10) and Pippa Passes (population 450, score 1.9/10) - reflect the same low-risk pattern across the county's roughly 1,240 residents living in tracked rental units. Average rents are the most striking figure here: $326 per month, which is among the lowest rent levels in Kentucky eviction laws and well below national norms. That low rent floor keeps the average rent burden at 23.6% of income - a relatively contained figure despite the county's 41.9% poverty rate, one of the more acute poverty concentrations in the state. Renters make up 64.4% of occupied housing units, an unusually high renter share for a rural Appalachian county, reflecting the legacy of coal-company housing and persistent owner-occupancy barriers.

Kentucky eviction laws governs landlord-tenant relations through KRS § 383.500 et seq. (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act), and Knott County operates squarely within that framework with no local rent control overlay - the state preempts local rent control measures. Notice timelines are straightforward: 7 days for nonpayment of rent, 14 days for a curable lease violation, and 30 days for a no-cause end-of-term termination. No just-cause eviction requirement applies, meaning landlords are not required to cite a specific reason to end a month-to-month or expired lease. Uncontested eviction cases typically conclude in 21 to 45 days from filing; contested cases can run 45 to 120 days. Court filing fees range from $150 to $250, sheriff lockout fees add $40 to $150, and attorney fees for a standard eviction action typically fall between $500 and $2,500 depending on whether the case is contested. Habitability obligations are governed by KRS § 383.595, and retaliation protections for tenants are codified at KRS § 383.705 - both worth reviewing before any adverse action. Source-of-income discrimination is not a protected class under Kentucky law, and no local screening restrictions apply in Knott County.

Scores across Knott County's two tracked cities range from a low of 1.9/10 in Pippa Passes to 2.2/10 in Hindman, a narrow band that reflects consistent low-risk conditions throughout the county rather than pockets of elevated exposure.