Tennessee

Tennessee Landlord-Tenant Laws

Security deposit limits, eviction notices, rent control, and more for Tennessee.

How we research these summaries

Every rule on this page is drawn from state statutes and municipal codes and summarized with AI assistance. Each one cites the statute it's based on and links to a published text of that law so you can read it firsthand. Where a page says a city or county has no local rule on a topic, that means none was found for the topics covered here — not that none exists. Local governments also regulate rental housing in ways these pages don't track, including registration, licensing, inspections and habitability standards. These summaries may be incomplete or out of date, laws change often, and every property and tenancy has specifics a summary can't capture — so treat this as a starting point for your own research, not as legal advice, and check with the local jurisdiction and a qualified attorney before acting on your particular situation.

What to Know in Tennessee

Sources last checked July 2026

Tennessee's landlord-tenant protections under the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act apply only in the 17 counties with populations above 75,000 — including Davidson, Shelby, and Knox — under Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-102; landlords elsewhere fall outside that framework. Where it applies, nonpayment eviction requires a 14-day notice to pay or quit after a 5-day grace period, and month-to-month tenancies need 30 days' notice to end. Tennessee sets no cap on security deposit amounts beyond requiring a separate account, and § 66-35-102 bars local rent control statewide.

  • 14-day notice required before eviction for nonpayment of rent
  • 30-day move-out notice required for month-to-month tenancies
  • No rent control — no statutory cap on rent increases
  • Tennessee law does not specify a minimum advance notice period for rent increases, in URLTA counties or otherwise — no provision addressing rent increases appears in the Uniform...
  • Tennessee law sets no maximum amount for a security deposit. In URLTA counties, landlords must deposit all security funds in a separate bank account used only for that purpose...
5 rules summarized · Each linked to the law it cites

Security Deposit Limits

Security Deposit Limits

What is the security deposit limit in Tennessee?

Tennessee law sets no maximum amount for a security deposit. In URLTA counties, landlords must deposit all security funds in a separate bank account used only for that purpose (§ 66-28-301(a)). At move-in, landlord and tenant must jointly inspect the unit and compile an itemized listing of any existing damage that could form the basis of a future deposit charge (§ 66-28-301(b)); a landlord who fails both to maintain the separate account and to provide that move-in listing forfeits the right to retain any part of the deposit (§ 66-28-301(c)). If the tenant vacates owing rent or other amounts, the landlord may apply the deposit to that debt (§ 66-28-301(e)). If the tenant vacates owing nothing and a refund is due, the landlord must send notice of the refund amount to the tenant's last known or reasonably determinable address; if the tenant does not respond within 60 days, the landlord may retain the funds (§ 66-28-301(f)). Separately, a landlord may charge for newly discovered physical damage only if it is discovered before the earlier of 30 days after the tenant vacates or 7 days after a new tenant takes possession (§ 66-28-301(g)) — that window caps new damage claims and is not a deadline for returning the deposit. The statute sets no fixed number of days by which the refund notice itself must be sent.

Eviction Notice Requirements

Eviction Notice Requirements

What are the eviction notice requirements in Tennessee?

In the 17 URLTA counties (Anderson, Blount, Bradley, Davidson, Hamilton, Knox, Madison, Maury, Montgomery, Rutherford, Sevier, Shelby, Sullivan, Sumner, Washington, Williamson, and Wilson — counties with a population over 75,000 per the 2010 federal census, Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-102), landlords must serve a written 14-Day Notice to Pay or Quit for nonpayment of rent, or a 14-Day Notice to Cure or Quit for curable lease violations (§ 66-28-505). A 5-day grace period applies before any late fee may be charged (§ 66-28-201), and nonpayment notices are conventionally sent after that grace period elapses. For non-curable violations — a willful violent act, conduct that is or threatens to be a real and present danger to health, safety, or welfare, or creating a hazardous or unsanitary condition — a landlord may issue a 3-Day Notice to Vacate under § 66-28-517. If substantially the same breach recurs within six months, only 7 days' notice is required (§ 66-28-505). Month-to-month tenancies require 30 days' written notice for termination without cause (§ 66-28-512).

Rent Increase Notice Periods

Rent Increase Notice Periods

How much notice is required for rent increases in Tennessee?

Tennessee law does not specify a minimum advance notice period for rent increases, in URLTA counties or otherwise — no provision addressing rent increases appears in the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (Tenn. Code Ann. Title 66, Chapter 28), including the rental-agreement-terms section (§ 66-28-201) and the termination-notice section (§ 66-28-512). Because URLTA preempts local landlord-tenant ordinances in the 17 counties it covers (§ 66-28-102), a local notice ordinance in those counties would be of uncertain enforceability. Common practice is to give the same notice required to terminate a month-to-month tenancy (30 days, § 66-28-512) before a rent increase takes effect on a periodic tenancy, but that is a convention rather than a statutory requirement. For fixed-term leases, the rent is locked for the lease duration and cannot be raised until renewal.

Rent Control / Rent Increase Caps

Rent Control / Rent Increase Caps

Is there rent control in Tennessee?

Tennessee has no rent control at any level of government. Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-35-102 expressly prohibits any local governmental unit from enacting, maintaining, or enforcing any ordinance or resolution that controls the amount of rent charged for leasing private residential or commercial property. This statewide preemption applies to all cities and counties, meaning municipalities like Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, and Chattanooga cannot implement local rent stabilization programs.

Move-Out & Lease Termination Notice

Move-Out & Lease Termination Notice

What is the move-out notice requirement in Tennessee?

Either a landlord or tenant may terminate a month-to-month tenancy in a URLTA county by giving at least 30 days written notice prior to the periodic rental date specified in the notice (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-512). For week-to-week tenancies, 10 days written notice is required. Fixed-term leases expire automatically at the end of the term without additional notice unless the lease specifies otherwise. Separately, a tenant's unexplained absence from the premises for 30 or more days without paying rent as due is prima facie evidence of abandonment, allowing the landlord to reenter and retake possession without further notice (§ 66-28-405). A shorter 15-day nonpayment period, combined with other reasonable factual circumstances, can also support a prima facie abandonment finding, but only after the landlord posts and mails notice giving the tenant a 10-day window to assert an intent to remain.

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