Tennessee Rental Fee Rules
Tennessee rules on rental fees for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-22.
Short answer: No statute - Tennessee has no cap or refund rule for rental application or screening fees. T.C.A. Title 66, Chapter 28
The rules in Tennessee
| Application / screening fees | No statute - Tennessee has no cap or refund rule for rental application or screening fees. Official code published only via LexisNexis; text verified on a public mirror (code year 2024). No application-fee provision found in URLTA rent/fee section 66-28-201; full chapter not exhaustively reviewed. Source: T.C.A. Title 66, Chapter 28 |
|---|---|
| Other rental fees | No general statute limiting move-in, convenience or other rental fees. The only statutory fee limit is on late fees in URLTA counties: none until after a 5-day grace period, and no more than 10% of the past-due rent. Official code published only via LexisNexis; text verified on a public mirror (code year 2024). Source: T.C.A. 66-28-201(d) |
Related questions
- How much can a landlord charge for a rental application fee?
- What rental fees are illegal (junk fees)?
Tennessee vs. neighboring states
| State | Application / screening fees | Other rental fees |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | No statute - Tennessee has no cap or refund rule for rental application or screening fees. T.C.A. Title 66, Chapter 28 | No general statute limiting move-in, convenience or other rental fees. The only statutory fee limit is on late fees in URLTA counties: none until after a 5-day grace period, and no more than 10% of the past-due rent. T.C.A. 66-28-201(d) |
| Alabama | No statute — Alabama's Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (Ch. 35-9A) does not cap or regulate rental application or screening fees, and has no portable-screening-report rule. Ala. Code Title 35, Ch. 9A (checked) | No general rental junk-fee statute. A lease may not require the tenant to pay the landlord's attorney fees or costs of collection, confess judgment, or waive deposit rules; a landlord who knowingly tries to enforce such a clause owes actual damages plus up to one month's rent and attorney fees. Security beyond one month's rent is allowed only for pets, changes to the premises, or increased liability risk. Ala. Code §§ 35-9A-163, 35-9A-201(a) |
| Arkansas | No state cap or refund rule for rental application or screening fees, and no portable screening report law. Since Act 459 of 2025, cities, counties, and other local governments may not regulate or control the amount of rental application fees (or of rent or deposits) for private residential or commercial property. Ark. Code §§ 14-16-601, 14-54-1409 (as amended by Act 459 of 2025) | No statute limits other rental fees (move-in, convenience, or online-payment fees) or requires total-cost-of-rent disclosure. The Landlord-Tenant Act lets the parties include any lease terms not prohibited by law, so the lease governs. Ark. Code § 18-17-401(a) (Act 1004 of 2007) |
| Georgia | Not verified yet | Not verified yet |
| Kentucky | No statute — no cap, refund rule, or reusable-screening-report rule was found in KRS Chapter 383. KRS Chapter 383 (section list checked) | No statute — no general limit or disclosure rule for other rental fees was found in KRS Chapter 383. A lease may not authorize penalties or termination because a tenant called police or sought emergency help (punitive damages up to 2 months' rent). KRS Chapter 383 (checked); KRS 383.302 |
| Mississippi | Not verified yet | Not verified yet |
| Missouri | No statute. Missouri statutes do not cap or regulate rental application or screening fees. Since 28 Aug 2025, cities and counties may not restrict a landlord's use of credit scores, credit reports, eviction or property damage history, or criminal history in screening. RSMo Ch. 441, 534, 535 (no fee section); RSMo 441.043.2(2) | No statute. No Missouri statute limits move-in, convenience, or online-payment fees or requires all-in rent disclosure. In a rent-and-possession case, other lease charges may be joined to the claim but are not treated as rent and cannot by themselves support an order for possession. RSMo Ch. 441, 535 (no fee section); RSMo 535.020 |
| North Carolina | No statute. N.C. Gen. Stat. chapter 42 has no cap or refund rule for rental application or screening fees. N.C. Gen. Stat. ch. 42 (no application-fee section) | Fees tied to late payment and eviction are tightly limited. Late fee: only once rent is 5+ days late, max the greater of $15 or 5% of monthly rent (weekly: $4 or 5%), once per late payment. Only one administrative eviction fee may be charged per case, and only under a written lease: complaint-filing fee (greater of $15 or 5% of rent, only if the tenant cures and the case is dismissed), court-appearance fee (10% of rent), or second-trial fee (12% of rent). Any other administrative eviction fee is void. Recoverable out-of-pocket costs are limited to court filing fees, service costs, and attorney fees (capped at 15% in most cases). Renter's insurance: the tenant cannot be required to use a designated carrier. Force-placed coverage: actual cost plus at most $50 per year, only if the tenant fails to show proof within 3 business days. For subsidized rent, fees are figured on the tenant's share only. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-46 |
| Virginia | Nonrefundable application fee capped at $50 ($32 for public housing or other HUD-regulated units), plus actual out-of-pocket third-party screening costs. A refundable application deposit may also be required; if the applicant does not rent, the excess over actual expenses must be refunded with an itemized list within 20 days (10 days if paid by cash or certified funds and the landlord rejected the application). Landlords must consider evidence that an applicant is a family-abuse victim to mitigate a low credit score. Starting July 1, 2027, before collecting any payment or information the landlord must disclose in writing or by posting the fees and whether refundable, selection criteria, automatic-denial criteria, the consumer reporting agency used, and the applicant's right to a free report copy and to dispute it. Va. Code § 55.1-1203 | Fee disclosure: beginning on the first page of the written lease, the landlord must itemize all charges that make up the security deposit, the rent due per payment period, and any one-time charges due before the start date or included in the first payment, under the statutory statement that no additional security deposits or rent may be charged unless listed or added by later addendum. Va. Code § 55.1-1204.1 |
City rules that may add to state law
More Tennessee rental law
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- Free legal help in Tennessee
Compare rental fees in all 50 states and DC →
Tennessee Rental Fee Rules FAQ
Is there a limit on rental application fees in Tennessee?
No statute - Tennessee has no cap or refund rule for rental application or screening fees. (T.C.A. Title 66, Chapter 28)
What rental fees are banned or limited in Tennessee?
No general statute limiting move-in, convenience or other rental fees. The only statutory fee limit is on late fees in URLTA counties: none until after a 5-day grace period, and no more than 10% of the past-due rent. (T.C.A. 66-28-201(d))
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.