Tennessee Landlord Guide — Get Your Action Plan in 60 Seconds

Tenant behind on rent? Damage beyond wear and tear? Holding over after the lease ended? Describe the situation in your own words and get a plain-English breakdown, severity rating, step-by-step next steps, and ready-to-send notices — specific to Tennessee law.

Tennessee landlord law, at a glance

• Security deposit: you must return it within 30 days of move-out, with an itemized statement for deductions.
• Tenant entry: Landlords must generally give 24-hour notice before entering, except in emergencies.
• Eviction: you must go through the courts. Self-help eviction is illegal.

Tennessee landlords must return the deposit within 30 days when the tenant provides a written forwarding address, but get up to 60 days if the tenant is silent about a refund (Tenn. Code § 66-28-301); deposits must be kept in a separate bank account, and late fees cannot exceed 10% of the unpaid amount and cannot be charged until rent is 5 or more days late. Landlords must give reasonable advance notice of entry, generally interpreted as 24 hours. Self-help evictions are illegal in Tennessee.

Free legal help in Tennessee

• Legal Aid of East Tennessee — (865) 637-0484 — Free legal help in East Tennessee; Eviction & Tenant Rights is its lead practice area.
• Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands — (800) 238-1443 — Largest nonprofit law firm in Tennessee; free civil legal help across Middle Tennessee.
• Help4TN — (844) 435-7486 — Statewide portal with landlord-tenant tools and guides; phone is the senior (60+) helpline.
• Call or text 211 for free local referrals.

Common questions