Security deposit return deadline in Tennessee
Tennessee law sets no deadline for returning a security deposit. The deposit rules apply in counties covered by the landlord-tenant act.
- Deadline
- No fixed return deadline (applies in counties covered by the landlord-tenant act)
- What the landlord must send
- The landlord must inspect within 4 days after move-out and list damage with estimated repair costs; the tenant may attend and sign or dispute the list in writing.
- If the landlord gets it wrong
- A landlord who did not keep the deposit in a separate account and provide the damage list cannot keep any of it.
If a refund is due and the tenant does not respond within 60 days of the landlord’s notice, the landlord may keep the deposit.
The law
Tenn. Code § 66-28-301. Read the statute.
Checked in October 2026 against a published copy of the statute, because the official code site was unavailable. Laws change, so confirm the current rule before you rely on it.
What to do next
If the landlord kept money without the required list, or hasn’t answered you, put your request in writing. Ask for the deposit back by a specific date, and keep a copy. The free first letter in the Deposit Demand Letters kit does this for Tennessee.
Other states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- Washington, D.C.
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
General information about Tennessee law, not legal advice, and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Deposit Demand Letters is a self-help template kit from Kits For That.