How Long Does a Landlord Have to Return a Deposit in Tennessee?
In Tennessee, a landlord has No fixed statutory deadline (landlord must send notification of any refund due to last known or reasonably determinable address after tenant leaves not owing rent) or 60 calendar days (if tenant does not respond, landlord may remove and retain the deposit free of tenant claims (unclaimed funds rule, not a return deadline)) or 30 calendar days (outer limit for landlord to discover and recover costs of additional physical damages after inspection (or 7 days after a new tenant takes possession, if earlier)) or 7 calendar days (alternate outer limit for discovering additional physical damages after inspection (whichever of 30 days after vacate or 7 days after new possession is earlier)) to return a security deposit. The deadline is measured from this trigger: No fixed statutory deadline (landlord must send notification of any refund due to last known or reasonably determinable address after tenant leaves not owing rent): landlord must send notification of any refund due to last known or reasonably determinable address after tenant leaves not owing rent; 60 calendar days (if tenant does not respond, landlord may remove and retain the deposit free of tenant claims (unclaimed funds rule, not a return deadline)): after landlord sends notification of refund amount due; 30 calendar days (outer limit for landlord to discover and recover costs of additional physical damages after inspection (or 7 days after a new tenant takes possession, if earlier)): after tenant vacated or abandoned the premises; 7 calendar days (alternate outer limit for discovering additional physical damages after inspection (whichever of 30 days after vacate or 7 days after new possession is earlier)): after a new tenant takes possession. The verified penalty formula is landlord may not retain any portion of the deposit if deposit was not held in the required account and a damage listing is not provided as required; tenant may sue in circuit or general sessions court limited to items specifically dissented under Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-301.
Key facts
| Deadline | No fixed statutory deadline (landlord must send notification of any refund due to last known or reasonably determinable address after tenant leaves not owing rent) (no fixed statutory number of days to return the deposit itself; statute requires notification of refund amount but does not set a calendar return deadline); trigger: landlord must send notification of any refund due to last known or reasonably determinable address after tenant leaves not owing rent |
|---|---|
| Deadline (branch 2) | 60 calendar days (if tenant does not respond, landlord may remove and retain the deposit free of tenant claims (unclaimed funds rule, not a return deadline)); trigger: after landlord sends notification of refund amount due |
| Deadline (branch 3) | 30 calendar days (outer limit for landlord to discover and recover costs of additional physical damages after inspection (or 7 days after a new tenant takes possession, if earlier)); trigger: after tenant vacated or abandoned the premises |
| Deadline (branch 4) | 7 calendar days (alternate outer limit for discovering additional physical damages after inspection (whichever of 30 days after vacate or 7 days after new possession is earlier)); trigger: after a new tenant takes possession |
| Penalty formula | landlord may not retain any portion of the deposit if deposit was not held in the required account and a damage listing is not provided as required; tenant may sue in circuit or general sessions court limited to items specifically dissented |
| Bad faith required | No |
| Statute citation | Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-301 |
Statute says
In the event the tenant leaves not owing rent and having any refund due, the landlord shall send notification to the last known or reasonably determinable address, of the amount of any refund due the tenant. In the event the landlord shall not have received a response from the tenant within sixty (60) days from the sending of such notification, the landlord may remove the deposit from the account and retain it free from any claim of the tenant or any person claiming in the tenant's behalf.
What this means
Read the deadline, trigger, and penalty together. Match the date you can prove to the trigger above, then compare the landlord's response to the rule in Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-301.
FAQ
Does Nashville have its own security deposit law?
No separate city security-deposit ordinance is listed in the verified data. Check the applicable Tennessee law and local rules.
What happens if a landlord misses the Tennessee deposit deadline?
The verified penalty formula is landlord may not retain any portion of the deposit if deposit was not held in the required account and a damage listing is not provided as required; tenant may sue in circuit or general sessions court limited to items specifically dissented under Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-301. Keep the move-out date, forwarding address records, and any itemized statement before you act.
Does a demand letter change the legal deadline?
No. The deadline is still No fixed statutory deadline (landlord must send notification of any refund due to last known or reasonably determinable address after tenant leaves not owing rent) or 60 calendar days (if tenant does not respond, landlord may remove and retain the deposit free of tenant claims (unclaimed funds rule, not a return deadline)) or 30 calendar days (outer limit for landlord to discover and recover costs of additional physical damages after inspection (or 7 days after a new tenant takes possession, if earlier)) or 7 calendar days (alternate outer limit for discovering additional physical damages after inspection (whichever of 30 days after vacate or 7 days after new possession is earlier)). The deadline trigger is No fixed statutory deadline (landlord must send notification of any refund due to last known or reasonably determinable address after tenant leaves not owing rent): landlord must send notification of any refund due to last known or reasonably determinable address after tenant leaves not owing rent; 60 calendar days (if tenant does not respond, landlord may remove and retain the deposit free of tenant claims (unclaimed funds rule, not a return deadline)): after landlord sends notification of refund amount due; 30 calendar days (outer limit for landlord to discover and recover costs of additional physical damages after inspection (or 7 days after a new tenant takes possession, if earlier)): after tenant vacated or abandoned the premises; 7 calendar days (alternate outer limit for discovering additional physical damages after inspection (whichever of 30 days after vacate or 7 days after new possession is earlier)): after a new tenant takes possession. A letter documents the timeline and asks the landlord to resolve the deposit before the next step.
If the deadline passed
Send the letter that starts the clock and keeps the demand tied to the verified Tennessee deadline.
build a Tennessee demand letter
If the landlord stays silent, review landlord ignoring the deadline before choosing the next step.