Yes, under Tennessee law a landlord generally may not evict a tenant “for no reason” while a valid lease agreement is in effect; they must have legal grounds (like non-payment of rent, lease violations, dangerous conduct, or other statutory reasons) and serve the appropriate notice before filing an eviction case.
However, a landlord doesn’t need a separate reason to end a tenancy once the lease has expired or if there’s no lease (such as a month-to-month arrangement). In those situations, the landlord may terminate the tenancy without cause by giving proper written notice, typically 30 days’ notice for a month-to-month tenancy. Tennessee law also provides that a landlord can give a shorter (3-day) notice to evict an unauthorized occupant or subtenant who refuses to leave after being told to vacate. In all cases, the landlord must go through the formal court eviction process and cannot use self-help to remove a tenant.
Read this handy guide on Tennessee eviction laws.
The information for this answer was found on our Tennessee Eviction Process answers.