A Tennessee lease agreement is a legally binding document a landlord uses to define the rental terms for a dwelling. This agreement includes standard provisions, such as the names and identifying details of the landlord and tenant, the property’s address, the lease term, pet allowances, risk disclosures, and security deposit details.
Rental Lease Laws Overview
- Rent Control: No.
- Limit on Late Fees: Yes.
- Late Fees in Rental Agreement: Yes.
- Grace Period: Yes.
- License Required for Landlord: No.
Tennessee landlords typically issue a rental application form to decide how reliable a prospective tenant is.
By Type (6)
Month-to-Month Rental Agreement
Allows tenants to live on a property on a monthly basis without a long-term commitment.
Commercial Lease Agreement
An agreement that permits a tenant to use a property exclusively for business activities under agreed terms.
Room Rental Agreement
A contract for renting a private room in a shared residence, outlining terms like rent, utilities, and personal space rights.
Sublease Agreement
Allows the subtenant to rent all or part of the leased property for a specified period.
Required Lease Disclosures
Explore the lease disclosures that a Tennessee landlord must make:
- Identification. A landlord must disclose in writing to the tenant the contact details (name and address) of the property owner or agent authorized to act on behalf of the owner. [1]
- Showings. A landlord must disclose their right to show a prospective tenant a property within 30 days of the end of the current lease term, and they must list the right of access within the lease agreement. [2]
- Disclosure of Lead-Based Hazards. Landlords must inform tenants of the potential risks of living in a property built before 1978 due to the potential presence of lead-based paint. [3]
- Notice of Abandoned Personal Property. Landlords should attempt to notify all tenants of the presumed abandonment of personal property before proceeding with disposing of it. [4]
- Security Deposit Notice. The landlord must provide an itemized list of damages to the tenant. [5]
Security Deposit
- Maximum Amount: A landlord can charge any amount they’d like for a security deposit, as Tennessee doesn’t have a statute establishing a maximum amount.
- Receipts: Landlords don’t have to provide receipts when they receive security deposits.
- Interest Payments: There is no statute requiring a landlord to pay interest to a tenant on a security deposit.
- Bank Account: If a landlord collects a security deposit, they must keep it in a separate account. [6]
- Returning Requirements: Tennessee law dictates that a landlord must return a tenant’s security deposit within 30 days of the end of the tenancy if there’s no unpaid rent or damages to account for. [7]
- Withholding Rules: If the tenant asks for a list of deductions from the security deposit, the landlord must issue a written copy. [8]
Rent Payments
- Laws: Tenants must pay rent at the beginning of the month. [9] The lease agreement can dictate another arrangement.
- Rent Control: Tennessee landlords can raise the rent any amount they’d like, as there are no rent control laws.
- Late Fees and Grace Period: The landlord can charge no more than 10% of the past-due rent. They must also give a five-day grace period to pay rent. [10] Afterward, the landlord can send a 7-day notice to quit for non-payment.
- Withholding Rent: The tenant can procure vital utility services and pay for them by deducting a reasonable and accurate portion of the rent. [11]
Landlord Right of Entry
- Notice Requirements: The landlord may enter the property without the tenant’s consent in cases of emergency. [12]
- Keys, Locks, and Security: Tennessee doesn’t require landlords to change locks, but they must not purposefully lock a tenant out with the intention of evicting them. [13]
Property Repairs
- Landlord Responsibilities: The landlord must make all repairs necessary, comply with building codes, and provide appropriate receptacles in multi-unit complexes of four or more units. [14]
- Tenant Repairs: Tenants must comply with applicable provisions of housing and building codes, keep their part of the premises clean and safe, and properly dispose of waste. [15]
- Abandonment: A landlord can assume that the tenant has abandoned the property if there’s an unexplained or extended absence from the property for 30 or more days without rent payment. [16]
- They can also make this assumption if the tenant fails to pay rent 15 days past the due date and reasonable circumstances indicate that the tenant has abandoned the property.
Terminating a Lease
- Month-to-Month Tenancy: The landlord must send a 30-day notice to end a monthly lease. [17]
- Unclaimed Property: The landlord should store the property of a tenant who has left the property for 30 days. After this period, they can throw it away or sell it. [16]
Sample
Below, you can view our Tennessee lease agreement template to get an idea of what to include in yours. Download it as a PDF or Word file to get started:
