Free Tennessee Lease & Rental Agreement

Last updated September 27, 2026

Written by LawLease Editorial

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Tennessee Residential Lease Agreement

A Tennessee residential lease (also called a Tennessee rental agreement) sets the rent, term and house rules for a home rental. A Tennessee residential lease agreement is governed by the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (URLTA), Tenn. Code §66-28-101 et seq. — but only in counties with more than 75,000 residents under the 2010 or any later federal census; elsewhere the lease and Tennessee common law control. Where the Act applies it sets a 5-day late-fee grace period with a 10% cap, a 30-day month-to-month notice, and strict deposit-account rules. Check which regime covers your property before relying on any rule below.

Tennessee landlord–tenant law at a glance

Tennessee residential lease law summary
Security deposit limit	No statutory cap
Deposit return	No fixed refund deadline; damage must be found within 30 days of move-out (or 7 days after a new tenant moves in, if sooner)Tenn. Code §66-28-301
Late fees	Not until rent is 5 days late; max 10% of the rent past dueTenn. Code §66-28-201(d)
Rent-increase notice	No statute; month-to-month changes need the 30-day termination notice in practice
Landlord entry	No general notice period; 24 hours to show the unit in the final 30 days (if the lease allows)Tenn. Code §66-28-403
Month-to-month termination	30 days before the periodic rental date (week-to-week: 10 days)Tenn. Code §66-28-512
Nonpayment eviction notice	14 days’ written notice to pay, unless the lease waives notice in 12-point bold typeTenn. Code §66-28-505
Rent control	Prohibited statewideTenn. Code §66-35-102

Security deposits in Tennessee

Tennessee sets no maximum deposit. Where the URLTA applies, it regulates where the money is kept and how damage claims are made — and, unusually, it sets no fixed number of days to refund the balance.

Separate account — Every deposit must be held in an account used only for security deposits at a state- or federally-regulated bank or lending institution, and the tenant must be told where the account is (§66-28-301).
Move-out inspection — After move-out the landlord inspects and lists any damage with the estimated repair cost; the tenant has a right to inspect and sign the list, and can later dispute in court only the items they specifically dissented from (§66-28-301(b), (d)).
Forfeiture — A landlord who didn’t keep the deposit in a proper account and didn’t provide the damage listing may not keep any of the deposit (§66-28-301(c)).
Damage window — Damage is recoverable only if discovered before the earlier of 30 days after the tenant vacates or 7 days after a new tenant takes possession (§66-28-301(g)).
Unclaimed refunds — If a refund is due, the landlord notifies the tenant at the last known address; if there is no response within 60 days, the landlord may keep the deposit (§66-28-301(f)).

Rent & late fees

Rent is payable without demand at the agreed time and place; absent agreement it is due at the dwelling at the start of each month (§66-28-201(c)).

5-day grace period — No late fee may be charged until five days after rent is due. If the fifth day falls on a Sunday or legal holiday, rent paid on the next business day isn’t late (§66-28-201(d)).
10% cap — A late charge, however described, can’t exceed 10% of the amount of rent past due (§66-28-201(d)).
Rent increases — Tennessee has no rent-increase notice statute. A fixed-term lease can’t be changed mid-term without agreement; for a month-to-month tenancy, an increase should come with at least the 30 days’ notice needed to end the tenancy (§66-28-512(b)).
Rent control — No local government may enact or enforce any ordinance controlling rent on private residential property — this applies statewide, not just in URLTA counties (§66-35-102).

Landlord entry & access

Tennessee’s URLTA doesn’t set a general notice period for entry. The tenant may not unreasonably withhold consent for the landlord to inspect, make repairs or improvements, supply services, or show the unit, and the landlord may enter without consent in an emergency. The landlord may not abuse the right of access or use it to harass the tenant (§66-28-403).

The one fixed notice rule is for showings: during the final 30 days of the tenancy, the landlord may enter to show the unit to prospective tenants if the lease grants that right and 24 hours’ notice is given (§66-28-403). Because the statute is otherwise silent, a notice period you choose in your lease becomes a binding contractual promise.

Ending a Tennessee tenancy

Tennessee notice periods (where the URLTA applies)
Week-to-week	10 days before the termination dateTenn. Code §66-28-512(a)
Month-to-month	30 days before the periodic rental dateTenn. Code §66-28-512(b)
Nonpayment or curable breach	14 days to remedy (nonpayment notice can be waived in the lease)Tenn. Code §66-28-505
Repeat breach within 6 months	7 daysTenn. Code §66-28-505
Threat to health or safety	3 daysTenn. Code §66-28-517

Non-remediable breach — The landlord may give notice that the lease ends on a date at least 14 days after the tenant receives it (§66-28-505).
Dangerous conduct — If a tenant or guest endangers others or creates a hazardous or unsanitary condition, the notice must detail the violation and takes effect three days after the tenant receives it (§66-28-517).
Holdover — A tenant who stays after the term ends without consent is liable for possession, back rent, reasonable attorney’s fees, and other damages the lease provides (§66-28-512(c)).
Outside URLTA counties — These periods aren’t statutory; the lease and common law govern, so the notice terms you set in the lease matter even more.
Military — Servicemembers with qualifying orders may terminate under the federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (50 U.S.C. §3955).

Required disclosures in Tennessee

Tennessee doesn’t require state mold, bedbug, or flood disclosures for ordinary residential leases.

Owner, manager & maintenance contact — In writing: the manager and an owner or authorized agent, plus — for leases entered, amended, or renewed from January 1, 2025 — a maintenance phone number or email address, or an online portal (§66-28-302).
Deposit account location — Where the deposit is held; the account number isn’t required (§66-28-301).
Lead-based paint — Federal warning, pamphlet, and known-hazard disclosure for housing built before 1978 (42 U.S.C. §4852d).

Habitability & repairs

Where the URLTA applies, the landlord must comply with building and housing codes materially affecting health and safety, make all repairs needed to keep the premises fit and habitable, keep common areas clean and safe, and provide waste receptacles in buildings of four or more units. The parties may agree in writing that the tenant handles specified repairs, but only in good faith (§66-28-304).

A tenant may seek damages and injunctive relief for the landlord’s noncompliance after 14 days’ written notice (§66-28-501). If the landlord fails to supply essential services such as heat, water, or electricity, the tenant may procure them and deduct the cost, recover the loss in rental value, or move to substitute housing without owing rent (§66-28-502).

Tenant protections you can’t waive

Prohibited lease terms — A lease can’t authorize confession of judgment or excuse or limit the landlord’s legal liability; such clauses are unenforceable, and a landlord who knowingly uses one owes actual damages (§66-28-203).
No retaliation — A landlord may not raise rent, cut services, or seek possession because the tenant complained of a violation or used the Act’s remedies (§66-28-514).
Deposit rules — The separate-account and damage-listing requirements are conditions of keeping any deposit at all (§66-28-301(c)).
Local preemption — In URLTA counties, the Act occupies the whole field of landlord–tenant regulation, so cities and counties can’t layer on their own rules (§66-28-102(e)).

Tennessee lease agreement FAQs

Does the Tennessee landlord–tenant act apply to my rental?

Only if the property is in a county with a population of more than 75,000 under the 2010 federal census or any later federal census — which includes the Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga areas. In smaller counties the URLTA’s rules don’t apply and the lease plus common law govern (§66-28-102(a)).

How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Tennessee?

There’s no statutory cap. In URLTA counties the deposit must be kept in a separate account used only for deposits, and the tenant must be told where it’s held (§66-28-301).

How long does a Tennessee landlord have to return a security deposit?

The statute sets no fixed refund deadline. It does limit damage claims to damage discovered before the earlier of 30 days after move-out or 7 days after a new tenant moves in, and lets the landlord keep an unclaimed refund after 60 days’ unanswered notice (§66-28-301).

What is the maximum late fee in Tennessee?

In URLTA counties, no late fee may be charged until rent is five days late (extended to the next business day if the fifth day is a Sunday or holiday), and it can’t exceed 10% of the past-due rent (§66-28-201(d)).

How much notice does a Tennessee landlord need to give before entering?

The URLTA sets no general notice period — tenants may not unreasonably refuse consent, and emergency entry needs none. The fixed rule is 24 hours’ notice to show the unit in the last 30 days of the tenancy, if the lease permits showings (§66-28-403).

How much notice is needed to end a month-to-month lease in Tennessee?

Thirty days’ written notice before the periodic rental date, from either side; a week-to-week tenancy needs 10 days (§66-28-512).

Does a Tennessee lease need to be notarized?

No. A residential lease is binding once signed and Tennessee doesn’t require notarization. Leases longer than one year should be in writing to be enforceable under the statute of frauds.

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