Tennessee security deposit demand letter
Ask for your deposit with the Tennessee law behind your request. Download the free PDF or Word template, or fill in your dates and figures below.
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Before sending in Tennessee
Preserve dissent instead of inventing a return countdown
Check coverage: Tennessee's deposit statute (the URLTA) applies only in counties with a population over 75,000 as of the 2010 census - 17 counties in all, including Davidson, Shelby, Knox, and Hamilton. If you rent anywhere else in Tennessee, there is no state deposit statute and your rights come from your lease and general contract law.
Tennessee's URLTA deposit procedure applies only in covered counties and has no universal fixed return deadline. If you disagree with the inspection list, specify each disputed item in writing.
What records should support deductions?
No receipts requirement; the required document is the itemized damage listing with estimated costs. Deposits must be kept in a dedicated account at a regulated institution, and the landlord must disclose its location at lease signing.
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[Your name] [Your current mailing address] [Date] [Landlord or property manager name] [Address designated for notices] SENT VIA CERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED RE: Request for return of security deposit - [rental property address] Dear [Landlord]: I vacated the property on [move-out date] and paid a security deposit of $[deposit amount]. Under Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-301: Nothing to wait out: Tennessee sets no fixed return deadline, so you can demand the deposit back now. The 30/7-day figures only cap additional damages discovered after the initial listing. If the landlord sends a refund notice, respond within 60 days - the demand letter is exactly that response - or the deposit is forfeited. [Before sending: confirm this statute covers your tenancy.] REQUEST Please return $[amount requested] of my deposit to the mailing address above. Please explain any deductions you maintain and provide the itemized statement and supporting records required by the applicable law. If the statutory conditions are met, under Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-301(c), your failure to meet the statute's escrow and damage-listing requirements forfeits your right to retain any portion of my deposit, entitling me to a full refund. Please respond by [response date after any required notice or cure period]. This requested date does not shorten any applicable statutory notice or cure period. If this remains unresolved after the applicable requirements are satisfied, I intend to pursue the remedies available in general sessions court. Sincerely, [Your signature] Enclosures: [List the records you are actually attaching.]
Review your dates and the records behind each charge before signing. The free analysis can help you assess disputed deductions and possible additional recovery.
From a blank request to a documented demand
See what your case documents add.
The free editor fills in your facts. The analysis reviews your charges and applicable rules; your paid case documents bring together the letter, damages summary and organized evidence checklist.
One charge, made specific.
Tennessee example: repainting ordinary wall scuffs, $900. The example assumes the tenancy is covered by the cited law; no tenant result is implied.
A starting request
I disagree with the $900 charge for repainting ordinary wall scuffs. Please return that amount.
The free editor lets you add your own reasons and records.
In the generated letter
Ordinary wear and tear - not deductible. Repainting after a tenancy is ordinary wear and tear unless the walls were damaged beyond normal use (large holes, unauthorized colors). Dated move-in and move-out photos help distinguish ordinary wear from tenant-caused damage.
Records to attach: move-in photos and move-out photos.
State-law reference: Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-301 (URLTA counties only, § 66-28-102) ↗The amount stays tied to the facts: $1,100 withheld - $200 in accepted charges = $900 disputed in this sample.
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See the actual PDF pages
Open PDF to zoom ↗Sample Tennessee case. Letter and exhibit pages extracted from a generated case PDF. Your letter uses your own facts and state law.
Read the complete Tennessee sample letter
Fictional Tennessee case. Generated sample, not a court outcome or a substitute for your own letter.
Maya Patel (fictional tenant)
[Fictional current mailing address]
September 08, 2026
Daniel Reed (fictional landlord)
[Fictional landlord mailing address]
SENT VIA CERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED
RE: Demand for return of security deposit - [Fictional Tennessee rental address]
Dear Daniel Reed (fictional landlord):
I vacated the above rental property on August 01, 2026 and paid a security deposit of $2,000.00. Under Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-301 (Tennessee Security Deposit Law), you may retain only lawful, documented deductions. Under § 66-28-301(c), a landlord who fails to keep the deposit in the required separate account or to provide the itemized damage listing forfeits the right to retain any portion of the deposit.
DISPUTED DEDUCTIONS
I dispute the following deductions under Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-301 for the reasons below. Please provide the records supporting each disputed charge, including the work, cost, and condition at issue. For replacement charges, explain the item's age and how you calculated the amount charged:
• Repainting ordinary wall scuffs - $900.00
Ordinary wear and tear - not deductible. Repainting after a tenancy is ordinary wear and tear unless the walls were damaged beyond normal use (large holes, unauthorized colors). Dated move-in and move-out photos help distinguish ordinary wear from tenant-caused damage.
I do not contest the following deductions, totaling $200.00: Unpaid rent balance ($200.00).
This demand does not cancel any accepted debt. Any separate claim or counterclaim must credit amounts already paid or retained toward that debt.
DEMAND
I demand payment of $900.00, the amount improperly withheld from my deposit.
Please deliver payment to the address above no later than September 22, 2026 (14 days from the date of this letter). This requested date does not shorten any statutory notice or cure period. If this remains unresolved after the applicable notice, service and waiting requirements are satisfied, I intend to file suit in general sessions court. I have retained dated photographs of the property's condition, the lease, our correspondence, your itemized statement, the repair receipts you provided, and this demand letter.
Sincerely,
Maya Patel (fictional tenant)
Enclosures: Evidence exhibit listSend it with a record you can use.
Identify the county, attach your written dissent and request the refund supported by your records. Respond promptly to any notice that a refund is available.
Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-301: return and accounting ↗What happens after sending?
A refund notice can trigger a 60-day response window. Preserve the notice date; the 30- and seven-day figures for later-discovered damage are not a general refund deadline.
They refund some or all of it
Save the payment record and update what remains disputed. Read any settlement or release before agreeing to it.
They reject the request or explain the deductions
Match each explanation to your lease and condition records. Reply with the specific amounts and reasons still disputed.
The letter comes back or nobody responds
Keep the envelope or tracking record. Check the address and required service method before using the Tennessee filing guide. Attempted delivery may not complete statutory service.
Frequently asked questions
Which return deadline should my Tennessee letter refer to?
Nothing to wait out: Tennessee sets no fixed return deadline, so you can demand the deposit back now. The 30/7-day figures only cap additional damages discovered after the initial listing. If the landlord sends a refund notice, respond within 60 days - the demand letter is exactly that response - or the deposit is forfeited. Under § 66-28-301(c), a landlord who fails to keep the deposit in the required separate account or to provide the itemized damage listing forfeits the right to retain any portion of the deposit.
What penalties does Tennessee law allow if the withholding was wrongful?
Forfeiture only: no multiplier, no flat penalty, no fee award. The landlord loses the right to retain any portion if the escrow-account or damage-listing requirements were not met (§ 66-28-301(c)).
What happens if the landlord ignores the letter?
You can file in general sessions court (limit: $25,000; filing fees about $42-$190 depending on county). Check required notices, filing deadlines and the court's rules before filing.
Tennessee filing steps and court forms →