Tennessee security deposit law: know your rights.
Understand the return, deduction and notice rules in Tennessee. Check which conditions apply to your rental, then choose your next step.
Your deposit rights in Tennessee
- Return timing
- 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.
- Accounting for deductions
- The landlord must compile a comprehensive listing of ascertainable damage with estimated repair costs (jointly at a mutual inspection where available); a tenant who refuses to sign must specify dissent in writing - recovery in court is limited to items specifically dissented to (§ 66-28-301(b),(d)).
- Deposit interest
- The state deposit statute does not require interest. Check any additional lease or local rule.
Registry review: August 2026. Review dates refer to the cited rules, not an attorney review of your case.
Does this rule apply to your rental?
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.
Is the rental in Davidson, Shelby, Knox, Hamilton, or another county with 75,000+ people?
Tennessee's URLTA covers only the 17 counties over 75,000 people (2010 census). Not sure? Check your county - or answer No and the demand rests on your lease.
Outside the URLTA counties Tennessee has no state deposit statute, so no statute is cited: the demand rests on your lease and general contract law. The landlord still has to justify every deduction, and small claims court still hears the case.
What starts the return clock?
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.
Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-301 (URLTA counties only, § 66-28-102) ↗Check the rules for your situation
Optional estimate from your move-out date. Read the start conditions above before treating that estimate as the return deadline. You can start the free analysis without completing this check.
Check what the landlord deducted
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.
Match each charge to the work alleged, the lease provision and the records supporting the amount. Keep refunds and charges you accept separate from those you dispute.
Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-301 (URLTA counties only, § 66-28-102) ↗What could you recover?
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)).
Start with the unpaid amount you dispute. Any additional statutory recovery depends on the conditions in Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-301(c), including applicable notice requirements.
Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-301 (URLTA counties only, § 66-28-102) ↗Put the rules to work
See how the rules fit your deposit dispute
Free analysis
Add the refund, charges and records. Review the deductions and possible remedies with an explanation tied to your facts.
Full case package $29-$49
Turn your case into a demand letter, organized exhibits and a next-step plan. Review the analysis before deciding to buy.
Your entered dates and deposit amount carry forward. Additional timing details are saved in case notes. The next step asks for the refund and charges so you can build on this check.
Choose your next step
Small-claims limit: $25,000. Filing: $42-$190 depending on county (base fee plus surcharges; the high end includes service of process). The court guide explains the applicable limits and additional costs.
Questions about Tennessee deposit rights
How long does a Tennessee landlord have to return a security deposit?
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.
Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-301 (URLTA counties only, § 66-28-102) ↗See the timing rules →What happens if my landlord does not follow the deposit return rules in Tennessee?
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. Keep proof of the dates, any refund, and the itemized statement.
Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-301 (URLTA counties only, § 66-28-102) ↗Understand the possible recovery →Which coverage conditions should I check in Tennessee?
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 covers only the 17 counties over 75,000 people (2010 census). Not sure? Check your county - or answer No and the demand rests on your lease. Outside the URLTA counties Tennessee has no state deposit statute, so no statute is cited: the demand rests on your lease and general contract law. The landlord still has to justify every deduction, and small claims court still hears the case.
Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-301 (URLTA counties only, § 66-28-102) ↗What accounting should I ask for in Tennessee?
The landlord must compile a comprehensive listing of ascertainable damage with estimated repair costs (jointly at a mutual inspection where available); a tenant who refuses to sign must specify dissent in writing - recovery in court is limited to items specifically dissented to (§ 66-28-301(b),(d)). 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.
Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-301 (URLTA counties only, § 66-28-102) ↗