Tennessee security deposit law

Security Deposit Laws in Tennessee: What Your Landlord Can and Cannot Keep

Your landlord has no fixed statutory deadline under Tennessee law to return your security deposit, or you may be owed more than what they withheld. If they keep more than they're legally allowed, you can dispute it.

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Tennessee security deposit return timeline

Deadline to return

no fixed statutory deadline

Statute

Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-301 (deposit; (c) forfeiture; (f) 60-day unclaimed-deposit rule); § 66-28-102(a) (county applicability)

Tennessee's statute sets NO deadline for returning the deposit — the widely republished "30 days to return" rule appears NOWHERE in § 66-28-301. What the statute actually provides: when the tenant leaves not owing rent with a refund due, the landlord shall send notification of the refund amount to the tenant's last known or reasonably determinable address (no stated time limit), and if the tenant does not respond within 60 DAYS of that notification, the landlord may keep the deposit free of any claim. The only 30-day figure in the section is a landlord-side damage-DISCOVERY window (§ (g)). APPLICABILITY: the Act applies only in counties with population over 75,000 (§ 66-28-102(a)) — in smaller counties this section does not govern at all. A tenant should respond promptly to any refund notification and press the claim in writing.

What can a landlord legally deduct in Tennessee?

Allowed

  • ✓Physical damages to the premises ascertained through the § 66-28-301(b) inspection and itemized-listing process
  • ✓Unpaid rent or other amounts due and owing
  • ✓Additional physical damages discovered before the earlier of 30 days after vacating or 7 days after a new tenant takes possession (§ (g))

Not allowed

  • ✗ANY portion of the deposit, if the deposit was not held in the required separate escrow account and a listing of damages was not provided (§ 66-28-301(c))
  • ✗Damage items the tenant specifically dissented from remain contestable (§ (d))

What if your landlord keeps your deposit wrongfully in Tennessee?

No damages multiplier, attorney-fee award, or bad-faith penalty exists in the section. The sanction is forfeiture: a landlord who did not keep the deposit in the required separate account and provide a damage listing forfeits the right to retain ANY portion of it (§ 66-28-301(c)).

How TenantNex helps

  1. 1. Tell us your move-out date, deposit amount, and landlord's address — two minutes.
  2. 2. We generate a demand letter citing Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-301 (deposit; (c) forfeiture; (f) 60-day unclaimed-deposit rule); § 66-28-102(a) (county applicability) and your exact deadline.
  3. 3. We mail it to your landlord via USPS Certified Mail with return receipt.
  4. 4. You track delivery on your case page, with day-7 and day-14 follow-up.

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Tennessee tenant rights resources

Every fact on this page is verified against Tennessee's official statutory text as of 2026-09-07. TenantNex prepares legal correspondence as a document preparation service, not as your attorney. For complex disputes, consult a licensed attorney in Tennessee.

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TenantNex is a document preparation and delivery service, not a law firm. We prepare and send correspondence using publicly available state statutes. We do not provide legal advice, legal representation, or guarantee any outcome. For complex legal matters, consult a licensed attorney in your state.