Tennessee: Eviction Notice Requirements

Requirements one by one

Governing law — which rules apply to your county

Tennessee is a split state. The Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act
(URLTA) "applies only in counties having a population of more than seventy-five
thousand (75,000)" (§ 66-28-102) — so its notice rules govern renters in the
larger counties (Shelby/Memphis, Davidson/Nashville, Knox/Knoxville,
Hamilton/Chattanooga, and others). In smaller counties, a separate statute,
§ 66-7-109, sets the notice rules. The good news is that the two regimes line up
on the most common case: both give 14 days for unpaid rent. Below, the URLTA rule
is stated first, with the small-county rule noted where it differs.

Notice for unpaid rent

In a URLTA county, unpaid rent is a "material noncompliance... remediable by the
payment of rent." The landlord serves a written notice specifying the breach, and
"if the breach is not remedied within fourteen (14) days after receipt of such
notice, the rental agreement shall terminate" (§ 66-28-505(a)). Paying the rent
within those 14 days keeps the tenancy. In a smaller county, § 66-7-109(a) gives
the same 14 days' notice for "neglect or refusal to pay rent that is due and is in
arrears, upon demand," with the same right to remedy before the termination date.
The count is in calendar days, measured from when you receive the notice.

Notice for a lease violation

A curable, non-rent breach follows the same 14-day path in a URLTA county: the
landlord's notice may state that if the breach "is not remedied within fourteen
(14) days after receipt," the agreement terminates (§ 66-28-505(a)(2)). If the
breach genuinely cannot be fixed by paying or repairing — a non-remediable breach
— the landlord may instead terminate "upon a date not less than fourteen (14)
days after receipt of the notice" (§ 66-28-505(a)(3)), and there is nothing to
cure.

Unconditional quit (no cure allowed)

Serious conduct cuts the notice to three days in a URLTA county. A landlord "may
terminate a rental agreement within three (3) days from the date written notice
is received" if the tenant or a guest "commits a violent act," "constitutes or
threatens to be a real and present danger," "creates a hazardous or unsanitary
condition," or "refuses to vacate... as an unauthorized subtenant or other
unauthorized occupant" (§ 66-28-517). There is no cure, though the statute lets
the tenant seek an injunction. A different, lesser trigger is a repeat offense: if
"substantially the same" noncompliance recurs "within six (6) months" of a prior
notice, the landlord may terminate "upon at least seven (7) days' written notice"
with no cure (§ 66-28-505(a)(2)(B)). In a non-URLTA county, even a violent act is
handled through the 14-day notice of § 66-7-109.

Ending a month-to-month tenancy

To end a periodic tenancy with no fault, a URLTA-county landlord gives "at least
thirty (30) days" written notice before the periodic rental date for a
month-to-month tenancy, or "at least ten (10) days" for a week-to-week tenancy
(§ 66-28-512). Either party may give the notice, and no reason is required.

Tenant's right to cure/reinstate

For unpaid rent and other remediable breaches, curing within the 14-day window
saves the tenancy — the statute terminates the agreement only "if the breach is
not remedied within fourteen (14) days" (§ 66-28-505(a)(2)); § 66-7-109 says the
same for smaller counties, that the agreement "will not terminate" if the tenant
"adequately remedies the breach prior to the date specified in the notice." The
main statutory defense is the anti-retaliation rule: a landlord "may not retaliate
by increasing rent or decreasing services or by bringing or threatening to bring
an action for possession" because the tenant "complained to the landlord of a
violation under § 66-28-301" or "made use of remedies provided under this chapter"
(§ 66-28-514).

What trips people up

Which rules apply depends on your county's population. The URLTA's 14-day,
30-day, and 3-day notices govern only in counties over 75,000 people
(§ 66-28-102). If you rent in a smaller county, § 66-7-109 controls — it also uses
14 days for unpaid rent, but the 3-day danger notice and the URLTA cure structure
do not apply. Check which county you are in before assuming the URLTA rule.

The 14 days run from receipt, not from the date on the notice. Section
66-28-505 ties the clock to "receipt of such notice," and § 66-28-517 says its
3-day period is "effective only from the date of receipt of the notice by the
tenant." A notice mailed but not yet received hasn't started your clock.

A repeat of the same problem within six months loses the cure right. The
first time, you generally get 14 days to fix a remediable breach. If
"substantially the same" breach recurs within six months, the landlord can
terminate on just seven days' notice with no chance to cure (§ 66-28-505(a)(2)(B)).

Common questions

How many days do I get if I'm behind on rent? Fourteen. In a URLTA county
(over 75,000 people), § 66-28-505(a) gives 14 days after you receive the notice to
pay and keep the tenancy; in a smaller county, § 66-7-109 gives the same 14 days.
The count is calendar days from receipt.

My landlord says I have to leave in three days — is that legal? Only for
serious conduct in a URLTA county. Section 66-28-517 allows a 3-day termination if
the tenant or a guest commits a violent act, poses a real and present danger,
creates a hazardous or unsanitary condition, or refuses to leave as an
unauthorized occupant. For ordinary rent or lease problems, three days is not
enough.

Does my landlord need a reason to end my month-to-month lease? No. Tennessee
has no statewide just-cause requirement, so a landlord can end a month-to-month
tenancy for any reason with 30 days' written notice (§ 66-28-512) — but not in
retaliation for a protected complaint (§ 66-28-514).

Can my landlord change the locks or shut off utilities instead of going to
court? No. Only a court, through a detainer action, can order an eviction in
Tennessee; a self-help lockout or utility shutoff to force a tenant out is
illegal.

Statutes and sources

• Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-102 — URLTA applies only in counties over 75,000 population.
  https://unicourt.github.io/cic-code-tn/transforms/tn/octn/r75/gov.tn.tca.title.66.html#t66c28s66-28-102 (accessed 2026-07-10)
• Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-505(a) — 14-day cure for a remediable material breach (including unpaid rent).
  https://unicourt.github.io/cic-code-tn/transforms/tn/octn/r75/gov.tn.tca.title.66.html#t66c28s66-28-505 (accessed 2026-07-10)
• Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-505(a)(2)(B) — 7-day notice, no cure, for a repeat of the same breach within six months.
  https://unicourt.github.io/cic-code-tn/transforms/tn/octn/r75/gov.tn.tca.title.66.html#t66c28s66-28-505 (accessed 2026-07-10)
• Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-505(a)(3) — 14-day termination for a non-remediable breach.
  https://unicourt.github.io/cic-code-tn/transforms/tn/octn/r75/gov.tn.tca.title.66.html#t66c28s66-28-505 (accessed 2026-07-10)
• Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-512 — 30 days to end a month-to-month tenancy; 10 days for week-to-week.
  https://unicourt.github.io/cic-code-tn/transforms/tn/octn/r75/gov.tn.tca.title.66.html#t66c28s66-28-512 (accessed 2026-07-10)
• Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-517 — 3-day termination for a violent act or a real and present danger; no cure.
  https://unicourt.github.io/cic-code-tn/transforms/tn/octn/r75/gov.tn.tca.title.66.html#t66c28s66-28-517 (accessed 2026-07-10)
• Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-514 — retaliatory conduct prohibited.
  https://unicourt.github.io/cic-code-tn/transforms/tn/octn/r75/gov.tn.tca.title.66.html#t66c28s66-28-514 (accessed 2026-07-10)
• Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-109 — non-URLTA counties: 14-day notice for nonpayment, damage, or a violent act, with a right to remedy.
  https://unicourt.github.io/cic-code-tn/transforms/tn/octn/r75/gov.tn.tca.title.66.html#t66c7s66-7-109 (accessed 2026-07-10)