How to Evict a Tenant in Tennessee (2026)
The legal steps for landlords in Tennessee — the notice, the court case, costs, timeline and the mistakes that get cases thrown out — with the statute or official page behind each step.
Short answer: In Tennessee a landlord must give the required written notice, file an eviction case in court if the tenant doesn't pay or leave, win a judgment, and have a sheriff or other officer carry out the removal. Changing the locks or removing belongings yourself is not allowed.
Step 1: Have a legal reason and give the right notice
| Unpaid rent | 14 days. URLTA counties: written notice that the lease will end unless the rent is paid within 14 days after the tenant receives the notice. The tenant can cure by paying. Notice may be waived only by a waiver in 12-point or larger bold type in the lease, and the 5-day late-fee grace period still applies. Non-URLTA counties: 14 days' notice for rent that is due and in arrears, upon demand. The lease does not end if the tenant pays before the date in the notice. |
|---|---|
| Lease violation | URLTA counties: (1) a breach that can be fixed by paying money or repairs: 14 days to cure, or the lease ends; (2) any other material breach: termination no less than 14 days after the tenant receives notice; (3) the same breach again within 6 months: 7 days' written notice; (4) violent acts, real and present danger, hazardous or unsanitary conditions, or an unauthorized occupant who refuses to leave: termination 3 days after the tenant receives written notice. Non-URLTA counties: 14 days for damage beyond normal wear and tear (curable) or for violent or dangerous behavior; 30 days for all other lease defaults; 3 days for violent acts, drug-related criminal activity, or dangerous behavior (except tenants who are mentally or physically disabled). |
| Ending a month-to-month tenancy (no fault) | URLTA counties: either landlord or tenant may end a month-to-month tenancy with written notice at least 30 days before the periodic rental date named in the notice. A week-to-week tenancy needs 10 days' written notice. Non-URLTA counties: no statutory no-fault notice period was verified. Source: T.C.A. 66-28-512(a), (b) |
Local rent-control or just-cause rules can limit evictions: Prohibited statewide: local governments may not enact, maintain or enforce any ordinance or resolution that would control the rent charged for private residential or commercial property. Local mandatory below-market (inclusionary) housing requirements are also barred, but voluntary incentive programs are allowed.
Step 2: Write and deliver the notice correctly
| What the notice must say | URLTA counties: written notice specifying the breach (unpaid rent) and that the rental agreement will terminate if not remedied within 14 days after the tenant receives the notice; if the notice involves tenant repairs it must state that repairs need prior written landlord authorization. If the same breach recurs within 6 months, termination on 7 days' written notice specifying the breach and termination date. A lease may waive notice for nonpayment only in 12-point or larger bold type; the 5-day late-fee grace period still applies. Non-URLTA counties: 14 days' notice of termination for rent due and in arrears upon demand; paying before the date in the notice prevents termination. No required wording or delivery method is specified in these sections. |
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| How it must be delivered | In URLTA counties, notices must be in writing and sent to the last known or designated address in the lease. If the tenant provides an e-mail address in the rental agreement, the landlord may send any notice required by the URLTA to that address unless a specific provision requires another form; the landlord may not require the tenant to give an e-mail address as a condition of renting. The statute does not list exclusive delivery methods (personal delivery, posting, mail). Outside URLTA counties, ch. 66-7 sets notice periods (14 days for nonpayment/damage, 30 days for other defaults) without specifying delivery methods. |
Notice forms:
- Tennessee notice to pay rent or quit — requirements and free draft
- Tennessee notice to end a month-to-month tenancy — requirements and free draft
- Tennessee Courts: Court-approved General Sessions civil court forms (detainer warrant etc.) (official)
Step 3: File the eviction case and go to the hearing
Eviction cases in Tennessee are heard in: General Sessions Court of the county (detainer warrant). It has unlimited jurisdiction over forcible entry and detainer cases (T.C.A. 16-15-501(d)(1)). Appeals go to Circuit Court for a new trial (de novo)..
- Notice of termination: 14 days for nonpayment (URLTA 66-28-505(a)(2); non-URLTA 66-7-109(a)); 14 or 30 days for other breaches; 3 days for violent or dangerous conduct (66-28-517; 66-7-109(d)); or no notice if the lease contains a valid bold-type waiver for nonpayment (URLTA, 66-28-505(b))
- Landlord files a detainer warrant in General Sessions Court
- Service on the tenant or any adult in possession; by certified mail through the sheriff or constable; or, if personal service is dispensed with, by publication plus posting on the front door at least 15 days before the appearance date (29-18-115)
- Trial: the serving officer notifies the tenant of the trial date, which must be at least 6 days after service (29-18-117)
- Judgment for possession (and rent or damages if sought)
- Appeal: either party may appeal to Circuit Court within 10 days (27-5-108; 29-18-128). A tenant who appeals must post a bond, cash deposit, letter of credit, or two personal sureties for one year's rent (29-18-130(b)(2))
- Writ of possession: may not issue until 10 days after judgment (29-18-126). If no appeal is taken, it issues by operation of law (27-5-108(d)(2))
- Removal: the writ is executed and the landlord restored to possession immediately (29-18-130(a))
Court timing: No written answer is required in General Sessions. The trial is set at least 6 days after service of the detainer warrant (T.C.A. 29-18-117). The writ of possession is available 10 days after judgment, which is also the deadline to appeal.
Source: T.C.A. 29-18-115, -117, -126, -128, -130; 27-5-108; 16-15-501
How long it takes to evict a tenant in Tennessee
For unpaid rent, the notice period is 14 days; after that comes the court process (filing, service, the tenant's answer and a hearing), then the final order and removal by an officer. Uncontested cases move fastest; a contested case, an appeal or a crowded court adds weeks. See how long evictions take in every state.
How much it costs to evict a tenant in Tennessee
Court filing and service fees are set locally. Verified fees in the largest Tennessee counties:
| County | Filing and service fees |
|---|---|
| Davidson County (Nashville) | $145.75 detainer warrant (Clerk $50 + Sheriff $52 + litigation tax $43.75); $52 Sheriff fee per additional defendant; writ of possession $77 (Clerk $25 + Sheriff $52) |
| Knox County (Knoxville) | $216.50 detainer warrant with Knox County Sheriff service ($164.50 with private process or out-of-county service, plus that county's fee); $52 per additional defendant (Knox County Sheriff); writ of possession after judgment $77. |
| Hamilton County (Chattanooga) | $271.25 detainer warrant with Hamilton County Sheriff service ($169.25 taxes + $50 clerk + $52 sheriff); $273.25 if posting for possession is requested; add $52 for each additional defendant. Private, out-of-county or Secretary of State service: $219.25 plus that agent's fee. Writ of possession $77. |
| Rutherford County (Murfreesboro) | $268.50 detainer warrant ($50 clerk + $52 sheriff + $166.50 litigation tax); $52 for each additional person; writ of possession $77 ($25 clerk + $52 sheriff). |
| Montgomery County (Clarksville) | $148.50 General Sessions civil case filing fee (applies to detainer warrants) plus $52 per defendant for sheriff service; $25 for each post-judgment request (including a writ), plus sheriff service. |
Add the cost of a lawyer if you hire one, lost rent during the case, and any writ or officer fee to remove the tenant.
Evicting someone without a lease (family member, roommate, guest or squatter)
| Someone with no written lease who pays rent (month-to-month / at will) | URLTA counties: either landlord or tenant may end a month-to-month tenancy with written notice at least 30 days before the periodic rental date named in the notice. A week-to-week tenancy needs 10 days' written notice. Non-URLTA counties: no statutory no-fault notice period was verified. Source: T.C.A. 66-28-512(a), (b) |
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| Someone who was never a tenant (squatter / unauthorized occupant) | Since July 1, 2024, an owner or authorized agent may ask the county sheriff to immediately remove an unlawful occupant of a residential dwelling, without a court case, by submitting a verified 'Complaint to Remove Persons Unlawfully Occupying Residential Real Property' (statutory form). Conditions: the property includes a residential dwelling; an unauthorized person entered and remains; the property was not open to the public at entry; the owner told the person to leave; the person is not a current or former tenant under a written or oral rental agreement authorized by the owner and is not an immediate family member (spouse, parent, sibling, child); and no litigation is pending between owner and occupant about the property. The sheriff verifies ownership, serves a notice to immediately vacate (hand delivery or posting on the front door), puts the owner in possession, may arrest for trespass or warrants, and may stand by (hourly fee) while locks are changed and belongings moved to the property line. A wrongfully removed person may sue (expedited hearing) for possession, actual damages, statutory damages of triple the fair market rent, costs and attorney fees. |
Mistakes that get eviction cases dismissed — or get landlords sued
| Changing locks / shutting off utilities | URLTA counties: if a landlord unlawfully removes or excludes the tenant, or willfully cuts essential services required by the lease, the tenant may recover possession or end the lease. In either case the tenant may recover actual damages, punitive damages when appropriate, and reasonable attorney's fees. If the lease ends, the landlord must return all prepaid rent and deposits. Source: T.C.A. 66-28-504; 66-28-517(d) |
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| Retaliation | URLTA counties: a landlord may not retaliate by raising rent, cutting services, or bringing or threatening an eviction because the tenant complained to the landlord of a violation under 66-28-301 or used remedies under the URLTA. Exceptions: the landlord may still seek possession if the tenant's household caused the code violation, the tenant is behind on rent, or code compliance requires work that would effectively deprive the tenant of the unit. The statute sets no time-based presumption of retaliation. Source: T.C.A. 66-28-514 |
| Accepting rent after the notice | In URLTA counties: if the landlord accepts rent without reservation and with knowledge of a tenant default, the landlord condones the default, waives the right to terminate, and is estopped from terminating the rental agreement for that breach. Accepting rent 'with reservation' (e.g., a written reservation of rights) avoids the waiver. Notice before filing for nonpayment can be waived only by a clause in the written lease in 12-point bold or larger type. No equivalent statute was found for non-URLTA counties. |
Federal rules that can change the process
- Servicemembers Civil Relief Act: eviction protection: A landlord may not evict a covered servicemember or their family during military service without a court order. When the servicemember's ability to pay is materially affected by service, the court must on request stay the case for 90 days or adjust the lease. Knowingly evicting without a court order is a federal misdemeanor. More
- VAWA housing protections: An applicant or tenant cannot be denied, evicted or cut off from assistance because they are or were a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault or stalking. The abuse cannot be treated as a serious lease violation by the victim. The landlord may 'bifurcate' (split) the lease to evict the abuser and keep the victim housed. Covered programs must also have an emergency transfer plan. A transfer is available on request if the tenant reasonably fears imminent harm, or if a sexual assault happened on the premises within the prior 90 days. More
- CARES Act 30-day notice to vacate (covered dwellings): The landlord of a covered dwelling may not require the tenant to leave until 30 days after giving a notice to vacate. The 120-day filing moratorium in the same section expired in July 2020, but the 30-day notice subsection has no expiration date in its text. More
- HUD 30-day nonpayment notice (public housing and project-based Section 8): Before filing an eviction for nonpayment, the landlord must give written notice at least 30 days in advance. The notice must itemize the rent owed by month, explain how to pay it off and by what date, and explain how to recertify income or request a hardship exemption. The notice cannot be served before the day after rent is due. If the tenant pays the amount owed within the 30 days, the landlord may not file the eviction. More
Tennessee eviction FAQ for landlords
How much notice does a landlord have to give to evict for unpaid rent in Tennessee?
14 days. URLTA counties: written notice that the lease will end unless the rent is paid within 14 days after the tenant receives the notice. The tenant can cure by paying. Notice may be waived only by a waiver in 12-point or larger bold type in the lease, and the 5-day late-fee grace period still applies. Non-URLTA counties: 14 days' notice for rent that is due and in arrears, upon demand. The lease does not end if the tenant pays before the date in the notice.
How much does it cost to evict a tenant in Tennessee?
Court fees are set locally — for example, Davidson County (Nashville): $145.75 detainer warrant (Clerk $50 + Sheriff $52 + litigation tax $43.75); $52 Sheriff fee per additional defendant; writ of possession $77 (Clerk $25 + Sheriff $52)
Can a landlord change the locks to evict a tenant in Tennessee?
URLTA counties: if a landlord unlawfully removes or excludes the tenant, or willfully cuts essential services required by the lease, the tenant may recover possession or end the lease. In either case the tenant may recover actual damages, punitive damages when appropriate, and reasonable attorney's fees. If the lease ends, the landlord must return all prepaid rent and deposits.
How do you evict a tenant without a lease in Tennessee?
URLTA counties: either landlord or tenant may end a month-to-month tenancy with written notice at least 30 days before the periodic rental date named in the notice. A week-to-week tenancy needs 10 days' written notice. Non-URLTA counties: no statutory no-fault notice period was verified.
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General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.