You cannot change the locks, and that is the part that infuriates people.
Removing someone occupying your property in Kentucky generally means a court action, even when they never had any right to be there. Self help creates liability.
Sell it occupiedWhy the police often will not simply remove them
Once someone has established occupancy, the situation frequently gets treated as a civil matter rather than a criminal trespass, and law enforcement will point you to the courts. That is maddening when it is your house and you never gave anyone permission.
The remedy in Kentucky is a forcible detainer action in district court. It is the same mechanism used for evictions, and it requires filing, notice, and a hearing.
What not to do
Do not change the locks, cut utilities, remove belongings, or physically force anyone out. Self help removal exposes you to liability, and in some circumstances to criminal exposure, even where the occupant clearly has no right to be there.
It also hands them a defense and a claim. Almost every version of this that goes badly for an owner started with an owner who understandably lost patience.
Selling with them still in it
We buy occupied property. Squatters, holdover tenants, or a relative who will not leave. We take on the removal after closing rather than asking you to complete it first.
That matters because the alternative is you funding a court action and waiting on a docket for a house you are trying to be rid of. Tell us how long they have been there and whether anything was ever signed.
Five questions. That is the whole thing.
We already know your situation from this page. Change it if it does not fit.
Question 1 of 5
What people ask about this
Do squatters have rights in Kentucky?
Occupants generally get the protection of a court process before removal. Adverse possession, which is a claim to ownership, requires fifteen years and strict elements, so it is rarely the real issue.
How long does removal take?
A forcible detainer action depends on the district court docket in your county. Ask a Kentucky attorney for a realistic range.
Will you buy if I have not started the process?
Yes. We would rather handle it ourselves than have you spend months on it.
Often it is more than one thing at once
Sell it occupied.
No cost, no obligation, and nobody shows up at your door unless you ask them to.