The Tennessee timeline, with dates
Here is the order of events when rent due on the 1st goes unpaid, using Tennessee's numbers and an example notice served on the 5th.
- The 1stRent is due (the example due date used throughout this page).
- Not before the 6thLate fee: Tennessee sets a 5-day grace period. 5-day grace period starting the day rent is due; if the 5th day falls on a Sunday or legal holiday, no fee if paid the next business day; cap 10% of past-due rent. Whether the fee can start on that day or the next depends on how Tenn. Code § 66-28-201(d) counts days.
- The 5th (example)You serve the notice: 14-day written notice to pay rent or the rental agreement terminates (Tenn. Code § 66-28-505(a)(2)).
- Not before the 19thThe 14-day period runs out. The exact last day depends on how the statute counts days and on how the notice was delivered.
- Earliest filingIf rent is still unpaid once the notice period has fully run, you can file an eviction case.
The dates are the earliest the numbers allow, not a promise: how days are counted, weekends, and the way the notice is delivered can all push them later. Read Tenn. Code § 66-28-505(a)(2) before you serve anything.
The notice for unpaid rent
14-day written notice to pay rent or the rental agreement terminates. Tenn. Code § 66-28-505(a)(2)
Among the 31 states we have verified, 24 require less notice (3 of them none at all), 6 others use the same 14 days as Tennessee, and none require a longer one. Among states that require a notice, the median is 7 days.
Late fees and the grace period
5-day grace period starting the day rent is due; if the 5th day falls on a Sunday or legal holiday, no fee if paid the next business day; cap 10% of past-due rent. Tenn. Code § 66-28-201(d)
Statutory limit: 10% of the amount of rent past due.
| Monthly rent | Maximum late fee |
|---|---|
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $1,500 | $150 |
| $2,500 | $250 |
Assumes the whole month's rent is unpaid and the lease provides for a late fee.
Tennessee is in the minority with a statutory limit. 12 of the 31 verified states cap late fees by statute, and 10 set a grace period before one can be charged.
What else to know in Tennessee
Notes from our review: These are Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act provisions, which apply only in counties above the statutory population threshold; other counties follow § 66-7-109 (not verified). FindLaw copy current as of Jan 2024.
Cities and counties can add their own rules on top of the state’s. At “covered properties” under the federal CARES Act — generally those with a federally backed mortgage or federal subsidies — a 30-day notice to vacate for nonpayment is required in every state.
Tennessee and its neighbors
| State | Notice | Grace period | Late-fee cap | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | 14 days | 5 days | 10% of rent | Under review |
| Alabama | 7 business days | None statewide | No statutory cap | Unverified |
| Arkansas | 3 days | None statewide | No statutory cap | Unverified |
| Georgia | 3 business days | None statewide | No statutory cap | Verified |
| Kentucky | 7 days | None statewide | No statutory cap | Unverified |
| Mississippi | 3 days | None statewide | No statutory cap | Unverified |
| Missouri | No fixed number of days | None statewide | No statutory cap | Verified |
| North Carolina | 10 days | 5 days | Greater of $15 or 5% | Verified |
| Virginia | 14 days | None statewide | 10% (lesser of two bases) | Verified |
Notice periods across the 31 verified states
| Notice before filing | States |
|---|---|
| No pre-filing notice | 3 |
| 3 days | 10 |
| 5 days | 3 |
| 7 days | 3 |
| 10 days | 5 |
| 14 days | 6 |
| No fixed number | 1 |
Sources
- Notice for unpaid rent: Tenn. Code § 66-28-505(a)(2)
- Late fees and grace period: Tenn. Code § 66-28-201(d)
- Status: statute text read, but an unresolved conflict between sources keeps this state under review.