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Eviction notices in Tennessee

Source: Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-505; § 66-28-517; § 66-28-102 (URLTA counties); § 66-7-109 (other counties) · Checked against the statute

Unpaid rent
14 days (pay or move out)
Lease violation
14 days (varies)
Serious or repeat violation
3 days

Tennessee eviction notice deadline

Choose the state, the type of notice and the date it was served.

Notice for unpaid rent

In counties covered by the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (URLTA), if the breach can be fixed by paying rent or another amount due, the landlord's written notice may state that the rental agreement ends if the breach is not remedied within 14 days after the tenant receives it (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-505(a)(1)-(2), as amended by Pub. Ch. 272 (2011) and Pub. Ch. 593 (2014)). If the lease contains a tenant waiver of notice in 12-point bold type or larger, the landlord may file a detainer warrant immediately for nonpayment without notice, but the waiver cannot shorten the grace period in § 66-28-201 (§ 66-28-505(b)). In non-URLTA counties, present law also gives a 14-day notice (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-109(a), as described in the General Assembly's summary of HB 1345 (2025)).

Can the tenant pay to stop it? The tenant can stop termination by paying the rent (or other amount due) within 14 days after receiving the notice.

Type:
Pay or move out
Notice period:
14 days
Law:
Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-505(a)(2), (b); § 66-7-109(a)

Notice for a lease violation

In URLTA counties, the landlord's written notice must describe the breach. If it can be remedied by paying rent, repair costs, damages or another amount due, the tenant has 14 days after receipt to remedy it (§ 66-28-505(a)(2)). If it cannot be remedied that way, the agreement ends on a date at least 14 days after receipt of the notice, with no cure (§ 66-28-505(a)(3), amended by Pub. Ch. 593 (2014) from 30 to 14 days). In non-URLTA counties, present law gives 14 days' notice for damage beyond normal wear and tear by the tenant, household members or guests (§ 66-7-109; HB 1345 (2025) bill text and General Assembly summary). The official sources checked do not state a non-URLTA notice period for other lease violations.

Chance to fix it: Only breaches that can be fixed by paying money (rent, repair costs, damages or other amounts due) can be cured within 14 days; repairs by the tenant need the landlord's prior written authorization.

Type:
Varies
Notice period:
14 days
Law:
Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-505(a)(2)-(3); § 66-7-109

Serious, repeat or illegal-activity violations

In URLTA counties, the landlord may terminate within 3 days from the date the tenant receives written notice (§ 66-28-517(a), as rewritten by Pub. Ch. 272 (2011)). If substantially the same breach that was the subject of a prior notice recurs within 6 months, the landlord may terminate on at least 7 days' written notice (§ 66-28-505(a)(2)(B), as amended by Pub. Ch. 593 (2014)). In non-URLTA counties, § 66-7-109(a) gives 14 days' notice for violent or dangerous conduct (2025 fiscal note for HB 1345), but 3 days' notice is enough to evict a tenant who is not mentally or physically disabled if the tenant or a person on the premises with the tenant's consent willfully or intentionally commits a violent act, engages in any drug-related criminal activity, or behaves in a way that is or threatens to be a real and present danger to others (§ 66-7-109(d), as rewritten by Pub. Ch. 172 (2015), for leases entered into or renewed on or after its April 2015 effective date).

When it applies: The tenant or a person on the premises with the tenant's consent willfully or intentionally commits a violent act, behaves in a way that is or threatens to be a real and present danger to others' health, safety, welfare, life or property, or creates a hazardous and unsanitary condition affecting others.

Notice period:
3 days
Law:
Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-517(a); § 66-28-505(a)(2)(B); § 66-7-109(d)

How the days are counted

The URLTA notice periods run from the tenant's receipt of the notice (§ 66-28-505(a); § 66-28-517(a)). The general Tennessee time-computation statute could not be checked from an official source (the official online code is behind a LexisNexis terms gate), so weekend/holiday roll-over and any extra days for mail are not stated here.

How the notice must be delivered

The URLTA sources checked do not set a general delivery method for these notices. If the tenant gave an email address in the rental agreement, the landlord may send notices required by the URLTA to that email address, unless a provision requires a different form of notice; the landlord may not require an email address as a condition of the lease (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-108, added by Pub. Ch. 272 (2011)).

If the tenant doesn't pay, fix it or leave

The landlord files a detainer warrant; unlawful detainer cases are tried before a general sessions judge. Since July 1, 2024, the judge may postpone the trial for no more than 7 days at a party's request (Pub. Ch. 755 (2024), HB 2267). An appeal from general sessions must be taken within 10 days, and certiorari/supersedeas removal to circuit court is no longer available (Pub. Ch. 755 bill summary). The statutory text on summons timing and on self-help eviction could not be checked from an official source.

Also good to know

  • URLTA (Tenn. Code Ann. Title 66, Chapter 28) applies only in counties with a population over 75,000 according to the 2010 federal census (§ 66-28-102(a), as amended by Pub. Ch. 847 (2012) and Pub. Ch. 182 (2021)); other counties follow § 66-7-109.
  • In URLTA counties the act preempts the field, and counties may not enact or enforce landlord-tenant regulations that conflict with or add to it (Pub. Ch. 182 (2021), eff. July 1, 2021).
  • A 2025 bill (HB 1345 / SB 1088) to cut the 14-day notices to 7 days failed in a House subcommittee on March 12, 2025; the 14-day periods remain.
  • URLTA does not apply to public or HUD-regulated housing owned by a government or nonprofit to the extent HUD rules conflict (§ 66-28-102(d), Pub. Ch. 272 (2011)).
  • Official Tennessee Code text (LexisNexis) was not used because of its terms-of-use gate; tncourts.gov returned a bot challenge. Facts above come from enacted public chapters and the General Assembly's bill pages; later amendments to § 66-28-517 and § 66-7-109 text could not be confirmed.
  • In URLTA counties there is a 5-day grace period, counting the due date, before a late fee may be charged; if its last day is a Sunday or legal holiday, no late fee may be charged if rent is paid the next business day, and late fees may not exceed 10% of the rent past due (§ 66-28-201(d), as rewritten by Pub. Ch. 272 (2011)). A lease waiver of notice does not shorten this grace period (§ 66-28-505(b)).

Related

Sources

Laws change. This page was checked against the sources above on October 13, 2026. It is legal information, not legal advice; if you have an eviction case, contact your state's legal aid. See our methodology.