Tennessee notice periods
A Tennessee landlord must give 30 days’ written notice to end a month-to-month tenancy, and the tenant must give the same. There is no separate statutory notice period for rent increases; the month-to-month termination notice is the practical minimum. For nonpayment, the landlord must serve a 14-day notice to pay or quit before filing for eviction.
The Tennessee rules in detail
At least 30 days' written notice before the periodic rental date by either party (10 days for week-to-week) Nonpayment: 14-day notice to pay or vacate; a tenant may waive the notice in 12-point bold lease text, allowing the landlord to file immediately after the 5-day grace period.
No statute governs rent-increase notice; in practice the 30-day month-to-month notice period is used
14 days. The tenant may cure by paying everything owed within the period; after that the landlord may file for eviction.
Serving the notice
- Notice must be in writing. Text messages and emails count only where the lease or statute allows electronic notice.
- The clock starts when the notice is delivered, not when it is written. Mailed notices usually add days; check the statute’s service rules.
- Termination notices generally take effect at the end of a rental period. Served mid-month, a 30-day notice ends the tenancy at the end of the next full month.
- A fixed-term lease ends on its own date; these periods apply to month-to-month tenancies and to tenancies that continued after a lease expired.
Source: Tenn. Code § 66-28-512; § 66-28-505.
Related Tennessee rules
- Late fees: Late fee may not exceed 10% of the rent past due. Five-day grace period counted from and including the due date; if the fifth day falls on a Sunday or legal holiday, no fee may be charged if rent is paid the next business day. Late fee calculator.
- Security deposit: No statutory limit; returned No fixed statutory deadline: the landlord must notify the tenant at the last known address of any refund due; if the tenant does not respond within 60 days the landlord may keep the deposit. Damage claims must be identified within 30 days after the tenant vacates or 7 days after a new tenant moves in, whichever is earlier.. Deposit rules.
- All rules on one page: Tennessee landlord and tenant law.
Frequently asked questions
How much notice does a landlord have to give a tenant to move out in Tennessee?
30 days’ written notice for a month-to-month tenancy. At least 30 days' written notice before the periodic rental date by either party (10 days for week-to-week) Nonpayment: 14-day notice to pay or vacate; a tenant may waive the notice in 12-point bold lease text, allowing the landlord to file immediately after the 5-day grace period.
How much notice does a tenant have to give in Tennessee?
30 days’ written notice on a month-to-month tenancy. A fixed-term lease ends on its own date unless it says otherwise.
How much notice is required for a rent increase in Tennessee?
Tennessee has no specific statute. No statute governs rent-increase notice; in practice the 30-day month-to-month notice period is used
How long is a pay-or-quit notice in Tennessee?
14 days. The tenant can stop the eviction by paying the full amount within that time.
Does the notice have to end on the last day of the month?
In most states, yes: a termination notice on a periodic tenancy takes effect at the end of a rental period that is at least the required number of days after service. Serving on the 15th with a 30-day requirement typically ends the tenancy at the end of the following month, not 30 days later. The calculator shows both dates.