Tennessee Residential Lease Agreement
What Tennessee law requires in a residential lease — the deposit cap, the return deadline, the notice to end a month-to-month tenancy, and the disclosures you have to give the tenant. Every figure is cited to the statute it comes from and dated. The free Tennessee lease template is one click away.
Maintained by Rapi Stack · Every state-specific figure on this page is cited to its statute or official agency page · Dataset last verified 2026 · Not legal advice.
Other Tennessee rules your lease has to live with
Beyond the deposit, Tennessee law sets rules on entry, late fees, and repairs that apply whether or not the lease mentions them.
- Late fees. Max 10% of rent past due; 5-day grace period counted from the due date (extended to next business day if day 5 is Sunday/legal holiday). — Tenn. Code § 66-28-201(d) (2025; Acts 2013, ch. 206) ↗
- Habitability. Tennessee law implies a warranty of habitability into every residential lease; a clause waiving it is unenforceable. — Tenn. Code § 66-28-304 (2025) ↗
Each point links to the Tennessee source it was taken from. Rules change; confirm before relying on them.
What Tennessee law requires · as of 2026
- Max security deposit
- No statutory limit
- Deposit return deadline
- 30 days after move-out
- Notice to end month-to-month
- 30 days
Source: Tenn. Code §66-28-301 · verify ↗. Laws change — confirm the current rule before you rely on it.
Deposit still not back 30 days after move-out? Ask for it in writing with a Tennessee security deposit demand letter; if that doesn’t work, the usual next step is Tennessee small claims court.
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Required disclosures in Tennessee
What Tennessee law says a residential landlord has to tell the tenant, each with the statute it comes from. Federal rules and some city ordinances can add more.
Agent/owner identity and maintenance contact
In writing at or before tenancy: name and address of managing agent and of owner (or agent for service/notices), plus a phone/email for maintenance or an online portal.
No fire/casualty insurance for tenant property
Landlord or agent must advise in writing that the landlord is not responsible for and will not provide fire or casualty insurance for the tenant's personal property.
Source: Tenn. Code § 66-28-201(a)
Frequently asked questions
How much security deposit can a landlord charge in Tennessee?
Tennessee does not set a statutory cap on the security deposit, so the amount is negotiable — but it must be returned within 30 days after you move out (as of 2026). Source: Tenn. Code §66-28-301.
Is this lease valid in Tennessee?
A written lease that identifies the parties, the property, the term, and the rent is generally enforceable in Tennessee once both sides sign. What it cannot do is contract around Tennessee law: the deposit rules, entry notice, and habitability duties below apply whether or not the lease mentions them.
Can a landlord charge late fees in Tennessee?
Max 10% of rent past due; 5-day grace period counted from the due date (extended to next business day if day 5 is Sunday/legal holiday). Source: Tenn. Code § 66-28-201(d) (2025; Acts 2013, ch. 206).
What does a landlord have to disclose in Tennessee?
Under Tennessee law: Agent/owner identity and maintenance contact (Tenn. Code § 66-28-302 (Acts 2024, ch. 907)); No fire/casualty insurance for tenant property (Tenn. Code § 66-28-201(a)). Federal and local rules can add more; each item on this page links to the law it comes from.
How does Tennessee compare? See the security deposit limits in all 50 states, every figure cited to statute.
How Tennessee compares
Computed from our 51-jurisdiction dataset (as of 2026). Source for Tennessee: Tenn. Code §66-28-301 ↗.
- Tennessee is one of 22 of 51 jurisdictions that set no statutory cap on the security deposit (29 cap the deposit by statute).
- Deposit return deadline
Deposit return deadline: 30 days, exactly the national median.
This is the most common figure nationally — shared by 26 other states.
Deposit return deadline in neighboring states — Alabama (60 days), Arkansas (60 days), Georgia (30 days), Kentucky (30 days), Mississippi (45 days), Missouri (30 days), North Carolina (30 days), Virginia (45 days).
- Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy
Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy: 30 days, exactly the national median.
This is the most common figure nationally — shared by 39 other states.
Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy in neighboring states — Alabama (30 days), Arkansas (30 days), Georgia (30 days), Kentucky (30 days), Mississippi (30 days), Missouri (30 days), North Carolina (7 days), Virginia (30 days).
The rest of what Tennessee requires
The figures below are Tennessee's, not national averages — each one is the value we verified for this state, with the statute it comes from. Follow a row to the full Tennessee page for that document.
- Notice for unpaid rent · as of 2026
- 14 days to pay or quit Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-505; § 66-28-512 (URLTA counties) ↗
- Notice to cure a lease violation · as of 2026
- 14 days Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-505; § 66-28-512 (URLTA counties) ↗
- Small claims limit · as of 2026
- $25,000 Tenn. Code Ann. § 16-15-501 ↗
- Where you file · as of 2026
- General Sessions Court · filing fee Varies by county: state base filing fee per Tenn. Code Ann. §8-21-401 plus county litigation taxes and service of the civil warrant; typical all-in cost roughly $100-$150 (evictions can run higher). Check the county General Sessions clerk for exact amounts. Tenn. Code Ann. § 16-15-501 ↗
- Rental application fee · as of July 2026
- No statutory limit Tennessee Code ↗
- Bill of sale notarization · as of 2026
- Not required Tennessee DOR / DMV.ORG ↗
- Power of attorney signing · as of 2026
- Notarization recommended Tenn. Code §34-6-101 et seq. ↗
- LLC operating agreement · as of 2026
- Not required by statute, but it controls over the default rules Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 48-249-102(24), 48-249-203 ↗
- Recording a deed · as of 2026
- County Register of Deeds ('county register', Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-24-101) · no witnesses Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-22-101 ↗
Lease agreement in other states
More Tennessee legal forms
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