Tennessee 10 Day Notice To Vacate

Last Updated: March 11, 2024 by Roberto Valenzuela

A Tennessee 10 Day Notice To Vacate is a letter which complies with state legal requirements to end a week-to-week lease in places governed by the state Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (URLTA). The non-terminating party must receive notice at least ten (10) calendar days before the date of termination.

When To Use a Tennessee 10 Day Notice To Vacate

A Tennessee 10 Day Notice To Vacate terminates a week-to-week lease in locations that fall under the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (URLTA), or a rental situation with no written lease where the tenant pays rent weekly. Either the landlord or tenant may deliver this notice, as appropriate.

Some types of Tennessee lease termination notice may allow different reasons for termination, or different notice periods. This may also apply to an eviction notice issued because of a lease or legal violation.

How to Write a Tennessee 10 Day Notice to Vacate

To help ensure the legal compliance of a Notice To Vacate:

  1. Use the full name of the receiving party, and address of record, if known
  2. Specify the termination date of the lease or tenancy
  3. Fill in the full address of the rental premises
  4. Provide updated/current address and phone number information
  5. Print name and sign the notice
  6. Complete the certificate of service by indicating the date and method of notice delivery, along with printed name and signature

It is easy to lose an otherwise justified legal action because of improper notice. Check carefully to ensure enough time after notice is delivered, not when it’s sent.

How To Serve a Tennessee 10 Day Notice To Vacate

Tennessee landlords and tenants may deliver a lease termination notice using any of these methods:

  1. Hand delivery to the other party
  2. Delivery by mail
  3. (URLTA lease agreements only) Electronic delivery (e.g. email or through an online portal), if the receiving party has agreed in writing to this form of notice

Notice must be delivered to the other party’s last known address or address of record. Agreement to accept electronic notice cannot be a requirement for entering into a lease.

warning
Tennessee does allow limited cases where a non-written (e.g., verbal) lease termination notice may be legally valid. However, only dated, written notice with a certificate of service is proof positive of a proper and legal delivery.

URLTA versus Non-URLTA Counties in Tennessee

In Tennessee, depending on the county the property is located in, landlords and tenants are governed by one or both of the following sets of laws:

  • Tennessee Property Code Chapter 7 – applies in ALL Tennessee counties
  • Tennessee Property Code Chapter 28 – also called the Uniform Residential Landlord Tenant Act (URLTA), only applies in Tennessee counties with a population over 75,000 (as of 2010 Census data)

URLTA laws apply in addition to Chapter 7. Some laws in Chapter 7 do not apply to URLTA counties, and some URLTA laws override the basic Chapter 7 protections.

Tennesee’s URLTA applies in these counties:*:

  • Anderson
  • Blount
  • Bradley
  • Davidson
  • Greene
  • Hamilton
  • Knox
  • Madison
  • Maury
  • Montgomery
  • Rutherford
  • Sevier
  • Shelby
  • Sullivan
  • Sumner
  • Washington
  • Williamson
  • Wilson

* This list is subject to change in the future based on federal census data collected every ten years.

Sources