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Tennessee security deposit: no fixed return deadline

No fixed number of days to return the deposit was found in § 301. A move-out inspection is to occur within four calendar days of the tenant vacating. If a refund is due, the landlord must send notice of the amount to the tenant's last known address; if the tenant does not respond within 60 days, the landlord may keep it.

Double-check before you rely on this. Parts of this page come from legal-aid and other secondary summaries instead of the official statute text. Confirm the deadline and penalty in Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-301, and check whether a local ordinance changes the rules.

What the law requires

Itemized statement
A written listing of damages from the move-out inspection (tenant may attend, both sign; tenant must state objections in writing). The landlord may recover physical damage only if discovered within 30 days after the tenant vacated or 7 days after a new tenant takes possession, whichever is earlier.
If the landlord breaks the rules
Section 301 has no fixed multiplier or penalty. Under § 66-28-501(a) a tenant may recover damages and reasonable attorney's fees for landlord noncompliance after giving 14 days' written notice. If the tenant disputes the damage listing, the tenant may sue in circuit or general sessions court.
Loss of the right to deduct
A landlord cannot retain any part of the deposit if it was not held in the required separate account and a damage listing was not provided (§ 301(c)).
Deposit cap
No statutory cap found in § 301.
Small claims limit
$25,000 in General Sessions Court

Local rules

These rules apply only in counties with more than 75,000 people under the 2010 census (§ 66-28-102(a)). Whether other counties can opt in, and what governs elsewhere, was not verified.

If your landlord misses the deadline

  1. Write down your dates and gather proof: move-out date, the date you gave your forwarding address, the deposit amount, and anything the landlord sent. Photos and receipts help.
  2. Send a written demand by certified mail, keep the receipt, and cite Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-301. Give a date to respond.
  3. If you still aren't paid, file in General Sessions Court. Deposit claims up to $25,000 can be filed there, usually without a lawyer. Check the court's website for current filing fees and forms.

What a Tennessee demand letter looks like

Re: Demand for return of security deposit / Rental address: [Street address, unit, city, state ZIP]

Dear [Landlord name]:

I rented the property above from you under a lease that began on [lease start date]. I paid a security deposit of $[deposit amount] on [date paid]. I moved out and returned possession on [move-out date].

My forwarding address is [forwarding address]. Please send my deposit and any required statement to that address.

[A.] I have not received my deposit or an itemized statement of deductions. Under Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-301, I am entitled to the return of my deposit, less only the deductions the law allows. It has been [number] days since I moved out, which is more than a reasonable time. [Confirm the current rule in the statute before sending.]

Preview of the first part of letter one. Yellow marks the parts you fill in.

Common questions

How long does a landlord in Tennessee have to return a security deposit?

No fixed number of days to return the deposit was found in § 301. A move-out inspection is to occur within four calendar days of the tenant vacating. If a refund is due, the landlord must send notice of the amount to the tenant's last known address; if the tenant does not respond within 60 days, the landlord may keep it.

What happens if a Tennessee landlord keeps the deposit wrongfully?

Section 301 has no fixed multiplier or penalty. Under § 66-28-501(a) a tenant may recover damages and reasonable attorney's fees for landlord noncompliance after giving 14 days' written notice. If the tenant disputes the damage listing, the tenant may sue in circuit or general sessions court. A landlord cannot retain any part of the deposit if it was not held in the required separate account and a damage listing was not provided (§ 301(c)).

Do I have to give my Tennessee landlord a forwarding address?

Our review of Tennessee's statute didn't find a forwarding-address rule that starts the deadline. Give one in writing anyway, so you can prove where to send the deposit.

Where do I sue for my deposit in Tennessee?

Deposit claims up to $25,000 can be filed in General Sessions Court. Check the court's website for current filing fees and forms.

Other states

Rules reviewed October 2026. Laws change, so confirm with the statute before you rely on this page.