Grace period, late fee cap, and pay-or-quit notice rules , Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-201(c)
Before a Tennessee landlord can file to evict for unpaid rent, the tenant must first get a written notice giving them a chance to pay or move out. The core number to know is 14 days — but which statute controls, and whether the notice doubles as a cure opportunity, depends on the county your property sits in. Tennessee splits into two regimes: counties covered by the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (URLTA) and everywhere else.
There is no federal law setting a general pay-or-quit period; state law governs. The one federal wrinkle is the CARES Act 30-day notice, which still applies to federally backed or subsidized "covered" properties. For a standard private rental, Tennessee's rules below control.
In the 17 URLTA counties, nonpayment is governed by Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-505. Because unpaid rent is a breach that can be fixed by paying, the landlord must give notice that the rental agreement terminates in 14 days unless the tenant pays what is owed. This is a true cure right: if the tenant pays in full within the 14-day window, the tenancy continues and the landlord cannot proceed.
URLTA applies to any county with a population over 75,000 per the 2010 U.S. Census. The covered counties are Anderson, Blount, Bradley, Davidson, Hamilton, Knox, Madison, Maury, Montgomery, Rutherford, Sevier, Shelby, Sullivan, Sumner, Washington, Williamson, and Wilson. If your rental is in Nashville (Davidson), Memphis (Shelby), Knoxville (Knox), or Chattanooga (Hamilton), you are in URLTA territory.
In counties not covered by URLTA, the controlling statute is Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-109. It provides that 14 days' notice is sufficient to terminate a residential tenancy when the reason is the tenant's neglect or refusal to pay rent that is due and in arrears, upon demand. The day count matches URLTA, but the framing is a termination notice rather than the URLTA cure structure. Section 66-7-109 expressly does not apply to property in URLTA counties, so the two regimes never overlap.
For repeat conduct, if substantially the same violation recurs within six months of a prior noticed breach, the landlord may terminate on at least 14 days' written notice specifying the breach and the termination date.
Separate from the notice period, URLTA gives tenants a 5-day grace period under Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-201 before any late fee can be charged; the due date itself counts as day one of the five. A late fee cannot exceed 10% of the past-due rent. If the fifth grace day lands on a Sunday or a legal holiday, no late fee may be imposed if the tenant pays the next business day.
Section 66-28-505 ties this in: before terminating for nonpayment or charging a late fee, the tenant is entitled to that 5-day grace period after the rent due date. In practice, serving your 14-day notice after the grace period has run keeps the sequence clean.
Put the notice in writing, state the amount owed, and give the tenant the full 14 days to pay or vacate. Keep proof of delivery. A lease may include a waiver under § 66-28-505 that lets the landlord file a detainer warrant immediately upon nonpayment without separate notice — but even a valid waiver cannot shorten the 5-day grace period set by § 66-28-201.
Watch the acceptance trap: if you accept rent knowing the tenant is in default, you waive the right to terminate the lease for that breach. Do not take a partial payment on the side while a notice is running unless you intend to reset the clock.
If the tenant neither pays nor moves out by the end of the 14-day period, the landlord files a detainer warrant in the General Sessions Court for the county where the property is located. That filing is what officially opens the eviction case and asks the court to restore possession. Circuit Court is an alternative forum but requires additional bond and security. Self-help — changing locks or removing belongings — is never a substitute for the court process.
Once rent is late and the 5-day grace period has expired, the landlord must serve a formal 14-day pay-or-quit notice (T.C.A. § 66-28-505) before filing for eviction. This notice must state the total amount owed and give the tenant the option to either pay in full or vacate. If the tenant does neither, the landlord may file an unlawful detainer action in Tennessee court.
This page summarizes Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 66-28-505, 66-7-109, and 66-28-201 as they stand in 2026. County URLTA coverage is based on 2010 Census population thresholds. It is general information for landlords, not legal advice; confirm the current statute text and your county's status, and consult a Tennessee attorney before filing a detainer warrant.
Fourteen days. In URLTA counties it is a 14-day cure-or-quit notice under Tenn. Code Ann. 66-28-505; in non-URLTA counties it is a 14-day termination notice under 66-7-109. Either way, the tenant gets 14 days to pay or move out before you can file.
Yes. Under 66-28-201, tenants get a 5-day grace period after the rent due date (the due date counts as day one) before a late fee applies, and 66-28-505 extends that grace period before termination for nonpayment. The late fee is capped at 10% of the past-due rent.
URLTA covers counties over 75,000 population per the 2010 Census: Anderson, Blount, Bradley, Davidson, Hamilton, Knox, Madison, Maury, Montgomery, Rutherford, Sevier, Shelby, Sullivan, Sumner, Washington, Williamson, and Wilson. Everywhere else follows 66-7-109.
In URLTA counties, yes — 66-28-505 makes nonpayment a curable breach, so paying the full amount owed within 14 days keeps the tenancy alive. Be careful: accepting rent while knowing the tenant is in default waives your right to terminate for that breach.
Only if your lease includes a waiver under 66-28-505, which lets you file a detainer warrant immediately on nonpayment without separate notice. Even then, you cannot shorten the 5-day grace period under 66-28-201. Without a valid waiver, serve the 14-day notice first.
File a detainer warrant in the General Sessions Court for the county where the property is located. Circuit Court is available but requires additional bond and security. Do not use lockouts or self-help — possession must come through the court.
No federal statute sets a general pay-or-quit period; Tennessee law controls. The exception is the CARES Act, which still requires a 30-day notice for federally backed or subsidized 'covered' properties. Standard private rentals follow the 14-day state rule.
Data sourced from Tennessee published statutes (T.C.A. § 66-28-505), U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2023 5-Year Estimates. Last updated July 14, 2026. This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Consult a licensed attorney for your specific situation.
