Tennessee Landlord-Tenant Laws: The URLTA County System Explained

Residential landlord-tenant relationships in Tennessee are unique because the state operates on a two-tiered legal system. Understanding which set of laws applies to your property is the first, critical step to ensuring compliance.

The URLTA vs. Non-URLTA Split

Tennessee's Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (URLTA) (T.C.A. Title 66, Chapter 28) applies only to counties with a population greater than 75,000 (based on the decennial federal census).

The URLTA Counties: Currently, this includes major centers like Davidson (Nashville), Shelby (Memphis), Knox (Knoxville), Hamilton (Chattanooga), Rutherford, Williamson, Montgomery, Sumner, Wilson, and several others. In these counties, URLTA imposes strict regulations regarding habitability, security deposits, and evictions.

Non-URLTA Counties: For the remaining counties with populations under 75,000, landlord-tenant relations are governed by general Tennessee state law (T.C.A. Title 66), which is generally more landlord-friendly and possesses fewer statutory requirements for things like notice periods.

Key Tennessee Landlord Laws at a Glance

Security Deposits

Tennessee imposes no statutory maximum on how much a landlord can charge for a security deposit. However, all landlords must place the deposit in a separate account in a federally insured financial institution located in Tennessee, and they must disclose the location of that account to the tenant. The deposit must be returned (minus itemized damages) within 30 days of the tenant moving out.

For more detail, see our Security DepositsPreview unavailable guide.

Eviction Process

The eviction process varies slightly depending on URLTA applicability, but generally follows these notice periods:

• Non-Payment of Rent: 14-day notice to pay or quit.
• Lease Violations (Curable): 14-day notice in URLTA counties; 30-day notice in non-URLTA counties.
• Violent or Dangerous Acts: 14-day unconditional notice in URLTA counties; 3-day notice in non-URLTA.

Self-help evictions (lockouts, utility shutoffs) are illegal statewide.

For more detail, see our Eviction ProcessPreview unavailable guide.

Late Fees & The Grace Period (URLTA Counties)

In counties governed by URLTA, Tennessee is remarkably strict regarding late fees:

1. The Cap: A late fee cannot exceed 10% of the amount of rent past due.
2. The Late Fee Grace Period: State law mandates a five-day grace period (minimum) before a late fee can be charged. If the fifth day falls on a Sunday or legal holiday, the grace period is extended to the next business day. It is important to note that this is solely a grace period for late fees; it is not a "mandatory grace period" for rent payment itself, and does not prevent a landlord from issuing a notice of default or beginning eviction proceedings for non-payment immediately after the due date.

2025 Legislative Update: The Landlord Transparency Act

Effective January 1, 2025, House Bill 1814 (The Landlord Transparency Act) imposes new disclosure requirements. In URLTA counties, landlords must provide tenants with detailed, written contact information for the property owner and managing agent, including an emergency after-hours phone number and a dedicated maintenance email address prior to the start of the tenancy.

How Landager Helps

Managing Tennessee properties across different URLTA and non-URLTA counties requires precision. Landager automates the mandatory 5-day grace period calculation while ensuring your late fees never exceed the 10% statutory cap. Whether you're managing Nashville portfolios or smaller rural units, Landager generates compliant notice forms and tracks security deposits in accordance with T.C.A. § 66-28-301, keeping you audit-ready and legally protected.