Landlord guide, Tennessee (TN)
Tennessee eviction process: the landlord’s steps from notice to removal
The eviction process in Tennessee starts with the 14-day notice to pay rent or vacate: 14 calendar days for unpaid rent (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-505(a)(2), (b); § 66-28-102(a); § 66-7-109(a)). Then the landlord files in the general sessions court, where the case is called detainer warrant; the court hears it, and after judgment a court officer carries out the removal.
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- Notice for unpaid rent
- 14 calendar days
- Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-505(a)(2), (b); § 66-28-102(a); § 66-7-109(a)
- Court
- general sessions court
- Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 29-18-115, 29-18-117, 29-18-126, 29-18-128, 27-5-108
- Time to appeal
- 10 days
- Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 29-18-115, 29-18-117, 29-18-126, 29-18-128, 27-5-108
- Checked against the statutes
- 1 November 2026
Step by step
The eviction process Tennessee landlords follow, step by step
Notice and court names are given as they read on Tennessee’s own forms, and timing details are quoted from the statute.
- 1
Step 1
Serve the notice
Unpaid rent: the 14-day notice to pay rent or vacate, 14 calendar days (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-505(a)(2), (b); § 66-28-102(a); § 66-7-109(a)).
Paying everything owed inside the period ends the case, by statute.
Another breach of the lease: the 14-day notice of termination, 14 calendar days (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-505(a)(1) to (3); § 66-7-109(a), (b)).
No reason, month to month: 30 days’ notice (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-512(b)).
What the statute adds, in English
In counties above 75,000 people (2010 census) the landlord-tenant act applies and the tenant ends the notice by paying within 14 days after receiving it, though a lease term in 12-point bold may waive the notice altogether (§ 66-28-505(b)). Elsewhere § 66-7-109(a)(1)(A) also sets 14 days' notice after demand, with a cure. Read via FindLaw's copy of the code, current as of 2 January 2024; the 2025 bill to cut this to 7 days (HB 1345 / SB 1088) failed in subcommittee.
- 2
Step 2
File the eviction in court
File in the general sessions court, where the case is called detainer warrant (Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 29-18-115, 29-18-117, 29-18-126, 29-18-128, 27-5-108).
- 3
Step 3
Go to the hearing
In the statute, in English
trial set not less than 6 days after the warrant is served
- 4
Step 4
Judgment and appeal
If the court rules for you, the tenant has 10 days to appeal.
- 5
Step 5
Removal by a court officer
An officer of the court carries out the removal, on the court’s order.
In the statute, in English
no writ of possession until 10 days after judgment
Tennessee eviction process timeline
- Notice before filing
- 14 calendar days
- Time to answer
- Not confirmed
- Hearing
- Quoted in step 3
- Time to appeal
- 10 days
- Removal
- Quoted in step 5
Only some steps have a number in the statute, so no honest total exists: after filing, the court sets the pace.
Can you change the locks yourself?
No. Tennessee bans self-help eviction (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-504), so only the court process can remove a tenant.
In landlord-tenant act counties a landlord who unlawfully removes or excludes the tenant, or willfully cuts essential services, owes actual and punitive damages and fees and the tenant may recover possession. Outside those counties no equivalent landlord-tenant section was found; § 29-18-101 forbids taking or holding land by force, which is not a full self-help ban.
The court process is the safe course in every state.
Write the Tennessee eviction notice
Fill in the notice for Tennessee in the generator, then read the rest of the state’s landlord law before you serve it.
Where Dardaris comes in
Most evictions start as one late payment. Dardaris sees it on day one.
It notices the missed rent the day it is due, sends the tenant a reminder, and if nothing comes, drafts the Tennessee notice with its 14 calendar days. You read it and sign; nothing goes out without you.
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Dardaris
The statutes
Tennessee eviction laws, with the statute behind each step
| Step | What the law says | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Notice for unpaid rent | 14-day notice to pay rent or vacate14 calendar daysPaying in full within the period stops itIn counties above 75,000 people (2010 census) the landlord-tenant act applies and the tenant ends the notice by paying within 14 days after receiving it, though a lease term in 12-point bold may waive the notice altogether (§ 66-28-505(b)). Elsewhere § 66-7-109(a)(1)(A) also sets 14 days' notice after demand, with a cure. Read via FindLaw's copy of the code, current as of 2 January 2024; the 2025 bill to cut this to 7 days (HB 1345 / SB 1088) failed in subcommittee. | Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-505(a)(2), (b); § 66-28-102(a); § 66-7-109(a) |
| Notice for a lease breach | 14-day notice of termination14 calendar daysThe tenant cannot fix the breach to stayIn landlord-tenant act counties a breach that payment cannot remedy ends the lease on a date at least 14 days after the tenant receives notice, with no cure; a breach payment can remedy gets 14 days to cure, and a repeat within six months allows 7 days' notice. Outside those counties tenant damage gets 14 days with a cure, a violent or dangerous act 14 days, and any other default 30 days (§ 66-7-109). Read via FindLaw's copy, current as of 2 January 2024. | Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-505(a)(1) to (3); § 66-7-109(a), (b) |
| Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy | 30 daysWritten notice at least 30 days before the periodic rental date specified in the notice. | Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-512(b) |
| How a notice is served | No method is prescribed | Not confirmed from the statute |
| Court and action | general sessions courtdetainer warrant | Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 29-18-115, 29-18-117, 29-18-126, 29-18-128, 27-5-108 |
| Time to answer | Not confirmed from the statute | Not confirmed from the statute |
| Hearing | trial set not less than 6 days after the warrant is served | Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 29-18-115, 29-18-117, 29-18-126, 29-18-128, 27-5-108 |
| Time to appeal | 10 days | Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 29-18-115, 29-18-117, 29-18-126, 29-18-128, 27-5-108 |
| Removal | no writ of possession until 10 days after judgment | Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 29-18-115, 29-18-117, 29-18-126, 29-18-128, 27-5-108 |
| Self-help (lockouts, utilities) | BannedIn landlord-tenant act counties a landlord who unlawfully removes or excludes the tenant, or willfully cuts essential services, owes actual and punitive damages and fees and the tenant may recover possession. Outside those counties no equivalent landlord-tenant section was found; § 29-18-101 forbids taking or holding land by force, which is not a full self-help ban. | Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-504 |
Read against the official texts below on 1 November 2026. The month-to-month period was checked on 29 September 2026.
- https://www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/tncode/
- https://codes.findlaw.com/tn/title-66-property/tn-code-sect-66-28-201/
- https://codes.findlaw.com/tn/title-66-property/tn-code-sect-66-28-301/
- https://codes.findlaw.com/tn/title-66-property/tn-code-sect-66-28-403/
- https://codes.findlaw.com/tn/title-66-property/tn-code-sect-66-28-512/
Questions landlords ask about eviction in Tennessee
How long does an eviction take in Tennessee?
The notice for unpaid rent runs 14 calendar days before you can file. After that the court sets the pace, so there is no honest total: the hearing, the judgment and the removal follow the court’s calendar and the timing rules quoted on this page.
What notice does a Tennessee landlord serve for unpaid rent?
The 14-day notice to pay rent or vacate, which gives the tenant 14 calendar days (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-505(a)(2), (b); § 66-28-102(a); § 66-7-109(a)). Paying everything owed inside the period ends the case, by statute.
Can a landlord change the locks in Tennessee?
No. Tennessee bans self-help eviction (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-504), so only the court process can remove a tenant. The exact limits are quoted on this page.
Where is an eviction filed in Tennessee?
In the general sessions court, where the case is called detainer warrant (Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 29-18-115, 29-18-117, 29-18-126, 29-18-128, 27-5-108).
How does a landlord end a month-to-month tenancy in Tennessee?
With 30 days’ notice (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-512(b)). If the tenant stays on after that, the eviction process on this page applies.
Can the tenant appeal an eviction in Tennessee?
Yes. The tenant has 10 days after the judgment to appeal.
How long does the TN eviction process take?
The notice for unpaid rent runs 14 calendar days before you can file. After that the court sets the pace, so there is no honest total: the hearing, the judgment and the removal follow the court’s calendar and the timing rules quoted on this page.
The eviction process in other states
- Pennsylvania: 10 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Rhode Island: 5 calendar days for unpaid rent
- South Carolina: 5 court days for unpaid rent
- South Dakota: no notice before filing
- Texas: 3 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Utah: 3 business days for unpaid rent
- Vermont: 14 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Virginia: 14 calendar days for unpaid rent
General information, not legal adviceEviction law changes, and a court can read a statute differently from this summary. Check the current text and your local court’s rules, or ask a lawyer licensed in the state, before you serve a notice or file.
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