Tennessee Eviction Notice for Unpaid Rent

What Tennessee law says

• The booklet for 17 listed counties says that for monthly rent the landlord must give a 14 day warning, in writing, before going to court.
• The tenant may stay if the overdue rent is paid within 14 days of the written notice.
• If the same problem happens again within 6 months, the booklet says the landlord must give a 7 day warning.
• The booklet says that if the lease waived written notice, the landlord can go to court without a warning.
• The booklet for all other counties also says 14 days for monthly or every-two-week rent, and 7 days for weekly rent.

Steps for a landlord

• Check which county the rental is in, because Tennessee publishes separate booklets for two sets of counties.
• Check the lease for any waiver of written notice.
• Give the notice in writing and state the overdue rent.
• Wait out the full notice period before filing a detainer warrant.

What to put in the notice

• The names of the tenants and the address of the rental
• The amount of rent owed and the rental period it covers
• The number of days the tenant has to pay or move out, and the date that period ends
• The date, how the notice was delivered, and who delivered it
• Your name and contact details, with your signature

Things to watch

• Neither page cites a statute section or says how the notice must be delivered; confirm in the Tennessee Code or with a local attorney.
• The two booklets differ on the weekly rent period (10 days in one, 7 in the other).
• Cities and counties can add their own rules, including rent control and extra notice requirements. Check your local rules too.

About this page

We checked this page against the official sources listed below in November 2026. Where an official page did not say something, we say so. Laws change and courts read them differently, so confirm the current rule with the statute, the court or a local attorney before you act. This is general information, not legal advice.