Tennessee Rental Lease Agreements

The Tennessee rental agreements are contracts between and landlord and tenant for the use of real property. These documents contain the terms and conditions associated with the use of the property, including the price of regular payments (“rent”). Agreements are governed by Tennessee’s landlord-tenant laws.

Tennessee Required Lease Disclosures

• Landlord’s Name & Address (required for all) – Tennessee lease agreements are required to include the contact information for the landlord or authorized agent acting on behalf of the property for the delivery of legal notices.
• Security Deposit Holdings Disclosure (required for some) – If charging a security deposit for a Tennessee rental property, the location where the deposit is being held must be disclosed in the lease to ensure it is being properly handled.
• Lead Based Paint Disclosure (required for some) – Tennessee lease agreements require a lead based paint disclosure, notice about existing lead paint hazards, and an informational pamphlet from the EPA if the property was built before 1978.

To learn more about required disclosures in Tennessee, click here.

Tennessee Landlord Tenant Laws

• Warranty of Habitability – Tennessee only requires its landlords to provide a couple amenities to all tenants, including in-unit heating, safe electric outlets, a toilet, a stove, and more. Any repairs to these and other non-essential amenities must be made by the landlord in a timely manner following a repair request. If those repairs are not made, an effected tenant may then have the right to withhold rent or perform the repair themselves.
• Evictions – If a Tennessee tenant is evicted for non-payment of rent or violating a lease term, they are entitled to a 14-day notice. Meanwhile, an eviction levied for committing an illegal action would warrant a 3-day notice. So, most evictions in Tennessee take between a few days and a couple weeks.
• Security Deposits – Tennessee does not presently limit security deposit amounts in any way. However, they do require deposits collected for this purpose to be returned in their remainder within 60 days of a lease’s completion.
• Lease Termination – In Tennessee, a month-to-month lease can be broken after the tenant provides 30 days’ notice to their landlord. Fixed-term leases, meanwhile, can only be terminated early if the tenant supplies proof of unit uninhabitability, landlord harassment, or active military duty.
• Rent Increases & Fees – Tennessee landlords are entitled to raise rent rates whenever they wish. No state law requires them to provide justification or notice for these increases. The state does limit the value of some operational fees, though. These include late rent fees (10% of the missing rent) and bounced check fees ($30).
• Landlord Entry – Throughout most a lease, a Tennessee landlord need not provide notice of their intended entry (including in cases of emergency). However, in the final 30 days of a lease, a landlord must begin to provide at least 24 hours of notice when entering.
• Settling Legal Disputes – Tennessee landlords and tenants may file most types of disputes as cases in state small claims court system. This includes cases valued at up to $25,000 and eviction. All cases must fit the state’s statutes of limitation, however (6 years for rent-related claims, 3 years for other disputes).

To learn more about landlord tenant laws in Tennessee, click here.