Squatters' Rights in Tennessee
Tennessee rules on squatters & abandoned property for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-22.
Short answer: 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). T.C.A. § 29-18-135 (added by 2024 Pub. Ch. 1009, SB 795 / HB 1259)
The rules in Tennessee
| Squatters / unauthorized occupants | 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. Text verified in the official enrolled Public Chapter 1009 (Tennessee Secretary of State), which adds § 29-18-135 and includes the statutory complaint form. Signed May 29, 2024; effective July 1, 2024. Where it conflicts with the URLTA (title 66, ch. 28) or title 66, ch. 7, this section controls (§ 29-18-135(i)). It does not limit arrests for trespass, vandalism or theft. |
|---|---|
| Belongings left behind | URLTA counties: 30+ days' unexplained absence without paying rent is prima facie abandonment, and the landlord may re-enter. Alternatively, rent 15 days late plus other signs of permanent move-out (e.g., removal of substantially all belongings or tenant shutting off utilities) is prima facie abandonment, but the landlord must first post a notice at the unit and mail it by regular mail to the unit address stating: the landlord believes the unit is abandoned; will re-enter unless the tenant makes contact within 10 days; will then remove belongings and re-rent; and will dispose of belongings not reclaimed within 30 days - with a phone number and mailing address. If the tenant responds and wants to stay, the landlord must go to court. In either case the landlord must remove and store the belongings for at least 30 days; unclaimed property may then be sold or disposed of, with proceeds applied to rent, damages, storage, sale costs and attorney fees, and any balance held 6 months. Official code published only via LexisNexis; text verified on a public mirror (code year 2024; FindLaw 'current as of January 02, 2024'). URLTA counties only (66-28-102); no statute verified for other counties. Source: T.C.A. 66-28-405 |
Related questions
Tennessee vs. neighboring states
| State | Squatters / unauthorized occupants | Belongings left behind |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | 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. T.C.A. § 29-18-135 (added by 2024 Pub. Ch. 1009, SB 795 / HB 1259) | URLTA counties: 30+ days' unexplained absence without paying rent is prima facie abandonment, and the landlord may re-enter. Alternatively, rent 15 days late plus other signs of permanent move-out (e.g., removal of substantially all belongings or tenant shutting off utilities) is prima facie abandonment, but the landlord must first post a notice at the unit and mail it by regular mail to the unit address stating: the landlord believes the unit is abandoned; will re-enter unless the tenant makes contact within 10 days; will then remove belongings and re-rent; and will dispose of belongings not reclaimed within 30 days - with a phone number and mailing address. If the tenant responds and wants to stay, the landlord must go to court. In either case the landlord must remove and store the belongings for at least 30 days; unclaimed property may then be sold or disposed of, with proceeds applied to rent, damages, storage, sale costs and attorney fees, and any balance held 6 months. T.C.A. 66-28-405 |
| Alabama | An owner (or agent) of a dwelling may have an unauthorized occupant removed by law enforcement without an eviction suit. Steps: (1) give the occupant notice at the dwelling (hand delivery or posting on the front door/entrance) that they have no right to the dwelling and must vacate immediately, including the street address of the law enforcement agency; (2) submit a sworn affidavit in the statutory form to law enforcement in the county, attaching the notice with date/time of delivery and ID or proof of agency. The affidavit must state the occupant is not a tenant, holdover tenant, or immediate family member and that no litigation is pending. After verifying ownership and at least 24 hours after receiving the affidavit, law enforcement serves a notice to immediately vacate and may arrest for trespass, burglary, theft, or outstanding warrants. The agency may charge up to $50. A knowingly false affidavit can be prosecuted as false reporting (§ 13A-10-9); a wrongfully removed person may recover possession, actual damages, punitive damages of triple the fair market rent, costs and attorney fees. Squatters are excluded from Chapters 9 and 9A, so no eviction action is required. Renting or listing property without authority is a Class D felony (Class C if money was received or the owner is 70 or older). Ala. Code §§ 35-9B-1 to 35-9B-9 (Act 2024-237); §§ 13A-9-22, 13A-9-23 (Act 2026-536) | If a tenant leaves property in the unit more than 14 days after the tenancy is terminated under the Act, the landlord has no duty to store or protect it and may dispose of it without obligation. No notice, storage or sale procedure is set out. A unit is also considered abandoned if electric service has been off for seven consecutive days. Ala. Code § 35-9A-423(d)-(e) |
| Arkansas | Unlawful squatting is a crime (Act 238 of 2025, new Ark. Code § 5-39-215). A person commits it by knowingly entering and residing on another's premises (dwelling, commercial building, or vacant land) without lawful authority when: the premises were not open to the public; the person cannot produce a deed or mortgage statement in their name, a lease signed by the owner or the owner's representative, a written or electronic agreement authorizing entry, or a rent receipt dated within the last 60 days; the owner has told the person to leave or reported the squatting to police; and no litigation is pending between owner and occupant. Police may accept a report only from the owner or the owner's authorized representative, and officers acting in good faith are immune. Penalties: first offense Class B misdemeanor, second Class A misdemeanor, third Class D felony. Producing a false document is a Class D felony, and so is a false report of squatting. The owner also has a private cause of action for damages, restitution, and attorney's fees. Current tenants, people with a valid occupancy agreement, and the owner's immediate family are excluded. Ark. Code § 5-39-215 (Act 238 of 2025, HB 1049); § 5-54-122(c)(1)(G) | When a lease ends, voluntarily or involuntarily, any property the tenant leaves on the premises is treated as abandoned, and the landlord may dispose of it as the landlord sees fit without liability to the tenant. The statute requires no notice, storage period, or sale procedure. Property the tenant places on the premises is also subject to a landlord's lien for payments the tenant agreed to make. Ark. Code § 18-16-108 |
| Georgia | Two tracks, both without a regular eviction. (1) Intruder affidavit: the owner (or agent/attorney) swears an affidavit that they claim possession in good faith and the named occupant does not, and gives it to the sheriff, deputy, constable, marshal or other POST-certified officer, who shows it to the occupant and removes them once 3 days have passed, unless the occupant tenders a counteraffidavit claiming a good-faith legal right to possession. A counteraffidavit sends the matter to a nonjury magistrate court trial; if the occupant's claim is not meritorious, removal follows by writ of possession, and the court may award fair-market rent for the occupancy. (2) Criminal 'unlawful squatting' (entering and residing on another's property without the owner's knowledge or consent): the person is cited and has 3 business days to present documentation (e.g., a lease or rent receipts) to the law enforcement agency or face arrest; if documents are produced, a hearing is held within 7 days, and fake or non-meritorious documents lead to removal, arrest and a fine based on fair-market monthly rent. Misdemeanor. O.C.G.A. §§ 16-7-21.1; 44-11-30 to 44-11-33; 15-10-2(a)(18)-(19) (HB 1017, 2024 Georgia Squatter Reform Act) | A writ of possession authorizes removing the tenant and the tenant's belongings; the property may be placed on the landlord's land or other property designated with the executing officer's approval (e.g., sidewalk or street). The landlord is not a bailee and owes the tenant no duty for the property, which is treated as abandoned once the writ is executed. No statutory storage period or sale notice for evicted tenants' belongings. O.C.G.A. § 44-7-55(c) |
| Kentucky | Police removal by petition (since June 27, 2025). An owner or authorized agent may ask a law enforcement officer to immediately remove people unlawfully occupying real property if: the occupant is not and never was a tenant and never had a written or oral agreement with the owner to occupy; the property was not open to the public when they entered; the owner told them to leave; they are not the owner's immediate family; and no litigation about the property is pending between them. The owner presents a sworn 'Petition to Remove Persons Unlawfully Occupying Real Property' (statutory form, initialed statements, with government ID or proof of agency). After verifying the petitioner's identity, the officer must without unnecessary delay serve a notice to immediately vacate (hand delivery or posting) and put the owner in possession; the officer may arrest for trespass or other cause. Sheriff/constable fee: $20. The officer may stay to keep the peace while the owner changes locks and moves the occupants' belongings to or near the property line. A wrongfully removed person may sue within 60 days for restored possession, costs, and attorney's fees. The procedure cannot be used against current or former tenants. KRS 383.290 (2025 Ky. Acts ch. 63, eff. 6-27-25) | No statute — no Kentucky statute sets a notice/storage/sale procedure for a residential tenant's belongings left after move-out or eviction. KRS 383.670 (URLTA, only where locally adopted) covers re-renting an abandoned unit but not personal property; the forcible detainer sections (KRS 383.200-.285) are silent on belongings. KRS 383.670; KRS Chapter 383 (section list checked) |
| Mississippi | Real Property Owners Protection Act (effective July 1, 2025). A 'squatter' is a trespasser who stays on the premises, or a tenant's invitee who stays after the rental agreement ends. Squatters do not get tenant eviction rights; people with heirship rights are excluded. Process: the owner or agent files a sworn affidavit with local law enforcement giving the property address, the filer's name, address and status, and supporting documents. Within 24 hours, law enforcement must serve a citation ordering the person to leave. The person has 24 hours to vacate, or 3 days to tell the municipal or justice court they will contest. If they do not contest, they may be removed immediately without a writ, and the owner and officers are not liable for damage to their property. If contested, a hearing is held within 7 days under a preponderance standard; a certified deed showing the complainant as owner of record leads to a squatter finding. The judge then orders the squatter out within 24 hours. Squatting after written notice to leave is a crime. Knowingly using false documents to claim or rent out someone else's property is a felony: 2-5 years in prison plus fines equal to rent lost or money collected. Landlord-tenant law (§ 89-8-3) does not give rights to trespassers. 2025 Miss. Laws HB 1200 (Real Property Owners Protection Act), approved Apr. 10, 2025, eff. July 1, 2025; Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-3 (as amended) | The summons must warn that belongings left behind after a court-ordered move-out may be thrown away. If the tenant leaves by the court's move-out date (normally 7 days after judgment) and leaves property behind, the landlord may dispose of it without further notice. If the tenant is removed under a warrant, the landlord must give reasonable access for 72 hours after the warrant is executed so the tenant can remove property, including a manufactured home. After 72 hours the landlord may move what remains to the curb, a garbage area, or another agreed location, and has no duty to preserve it. Posting the warrant on the door does not count as execution; officers must actually remove the occupants. Miss. Code Ann. §§ 89-8-35(2), 89-8-39(1)-(3) (as amended by 2025 SB 2328); § 89-8-13(6) |
| Missouri | Expedited court process (since 28 Aug 2024). The owner or an authorized agent files a verified petition in the county where the property is. The petition must state, among other things: the property includes a residential dwelling and was not open to the public when the occupants entered; the occupants are not guests, current or former tenants, or immediate family of the owner; the owner told them to leave and they refused; the property has not been leased to anyone for three consecutive months; and no related litigation is pending. On good cause the court must immediately issue an ex parte removal order, with a hearing within 48 hours of filing. The sheriff enforces the order and may stand by while the owner changes the locks and moves the occupants' belongings to or near the property line. Violating the order is a class A misdemeanor. A person removed without just cause may sue for restored possession, actual damages to personal property, $1,000 statutory damages, and court costs. RSMo 534.602, 534.604 (L. 2024 H.B. 2062) | After the tenant abandons the premises, the landlord may remove or dispose of property left behind without liability. The premises count as abandoned only if: (1) the landlord reasonably believes the tenant has moved out and does not intend to return; (2) rent has been due and unpaid for 30 days; (3) the landlord posts a written notice on the premises and mails it to the tenant's last known address by both first-class and certified mail (return receipt requested), using the statutory wording that the landlord may declare the property abandoned and dispose of the tenant's possessions unless the tenant responds in writing within 10 days; and (4) the tenant does not pay rent or respond in writing within 10 days after both the posting and the mailing. No storage period or sale procedure is required by the statute. RSMo 441.065 |
| North Carolina | Expedited court removal, effective December 1, 2025. The owner or an authorized representative files a complaint with the clerk (or a magistrate if the clerk's office is closed) in the county where the property is located; it may be addressed to 'John (and/or Jane) Doe and all Occupants'. The complaint must allege that: the occupant entered after the owner acquired the property; the property was not open to the public; the owner told the occupant to leave; the occupant is not a tenant or owner; there is no valid rental agreement or contract for deed; no rent was ever demanded or paid; and no related litigation is pending. The sheriff serves the papers personally or by posting on the front door within 24 hours. A magistrate holds a hearing within 48 hours after service. If the owner wins, the order gives possession and requires the occupant to leave within no more than 4 hours after service of the order. An occupant who appeals must post a bond of at least $10,000. Failing to leave as ordered is criminal trespass, and the owner may move leftover belongings to or near the property line. A person wrongfully removed may sue for possession and actual damages. N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 14-159.50 to 14-159.56 (S.L. 2025-88, S.B. 55) | After eviction: once the landlord is put in possession by a writ, the landlord must hold the property for 7 days, may move it for storage but may not discard or sell it during that period, and must release it on the tenant's request. After 7 days the landlord may dispose of it or sell it. A sale requires written notice to the tenant by first-class mail at least 7 days before the sale, giving the date, time, and place and stating that any surplus goes to the tenant on request and then to the county. If the property is worth less than $500 in total, it is deemed abandoned 5 days after the writ is executed. For property worth $750 or less that is abandoned or left at an eviction, the landlord may instead give it to a nonprofit that stores it for 30 days and releases it free to the tenant. This option requires posting a notice at the unit and the rent office (30 days) and mailing it to the tenant. Abandonment is presumed 10+ days after the landlord posts a notice of suspected abandonment inside and outside the unit with no response. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-25.9(d)-(h); § 42-36.2 |
| Virginia | No police-removal or affidavit procedure in the Code. An owner must use unlawful detainer: the person entitled to possession files a sworn statement with a magistrate or general district court clerk or judge describing the premises and the facts authorizing removal of the person in possession, and a summons issues. Self-help removal of tenants is not allowed. Va. Code § 8.01-126(B) | After the rental agreement ends and possession is delivered, property left in the unit, premises or landlord storage may be treated as abandoned and disposed of as the landlord sees fit, if the landlord gave one of: (i) a termination notice stating that property left would be disposed of within 24 hours after termination; (ii) a § 55.1-1249 notice (absence/abandonment) stating property would be disposed of within 24 hours after the 7-day notice period; or (iii) a separate written notice stating property would be disposed of 24 hours after a 10-day period. The tenant may retrieve property at reasonable times until disposal. Sale proceeds go first to amounts owed and costs; any remainder is treated as a security deposit. Does not apply after a writ of eviction is executed. Deceased sole tenant: 10 days' written notice to the authorized contact (or the tenant) before disposal. Va. Code § 55.1-1254; § 55.1-1256 |
City rules that may add to state law
More Tennessee rental law
- Tennessee Security Deposit Law
- Tennessee Eviction Laws
- Tennessee Notice to Vacate Rules
- Landlord Entry Rules in Tennessee
- Tennessee Repairs & Tenant Remedies
- Tennessee Rent Increase & Late Fee Laws
- Breaking a Lease in Tennessee
- Tennessee Rental Fee Rules
- Tennessee Section 8, Records & Right to Counsel
- Tennessee Mold, Pests, Heat & AC Rules
- Tennessee Privacy, Guests & Animal Rules
- Tennessee Landlord Selling the House
- Tennessee Lockouts, Utility Shutoffs & Retaliation
- Tennessee Subletting, Lease Endings & Tenant Death
- All Tennessee landlord-tenant rules
- Free legal help in Tennessee
Compare squatters & abandoned property in all 50 states and DC →
Squatters' Rights in Tennessee FAQ
How do you remove a squatter in Tennessee?
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. (T.C.A. § 29-18-135 (added by 2024 Pub. Ch. 1009, SB 795 / HB 1259))
What can a landlord do with a tenant's abandoned property in Tennessee?
URLTA counties: 30+ days' unexplained absence without paying rent is prima facie abandonment, and the landlord may re-enter. Alternatively, rent 15 days late plus other signs of permanent move-out (e.g., removal of substantially all belongings or tenant shutting off utilities) is prima facie abandonment, but the landlord must first post a notice at the unit and mail it by regular mail to the unit address stating: the landlord believes the unit is abandoned; will re-enter unless the tenant makes contact within 10 days; will then remove belongings and re-rent; and will dispose of belongings not reclaimed within 30 days - with a phone number and mailing address. If the tenant responds and wants to stay, the landlord must go to court. In either case the landlord must remove and store the belongings for at least 30 days; unclaimed property may then be sold or disposed of, with proceeds applied to rent, damages, storage, sale costs and attorney fees, and any balance held 6 months. (T.C.A. 66-28-405)
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.