Uncontested: 21–45 days ·
Contested: 45–120 days · Under T.C.A. § 66-28 (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act)
The Tennessee eviction process requires a court-ordered judgment before a landlord can remove a tenant. Timeline figures below begin after the pre-filing notice period expires and the landlord files the complaint with the court. Add 3–60+ days for the applicable pre-filing notice period (pay-or-quit, cure-or-quit, or no-fault) depending on the eviction reason.
T.C.A. § 66-28 (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act)
Contested eviction (after filing)
45–120 days
T.C.A. § 66-28 (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act)
Pre-filing notice: Nonpayment of rent (URLTA counties)
7 days
TCA § 66-28-505 (as amended by SB-1088)
Pre-filing notice: Material breach (URLTA counties)
14 days
TCA § 66-28-505
Pre-filing notice: Non-curable breach
3 days
TCA § 66-28-517
Pre-filing notice: Non-URLTA county (population under 75,000)
30 days
TCA Title 29 Chapter 18
Court filing fee
$200–$300
T.C.A. § 66-28 (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act)
Step-by-step Tennessee eviction process
Day-by-day, every stage.
Each row's day-label is the cumulative start of that stage on the worst-case clock.
Pre-filingNoticeFileCourtLockout
3–14d
1
Stage 1 · Gate
Serve the notice
Day 1
7 days for nonpayment in URLTA counties (SB-1088, effective 2025-07-01). 14 days for material breach. 3 days unconditional for non-curable breach.
1–3d
2
Stage 2 · Serve
File detainer warrant in General Sessions Court
Day 15
General Sessions Court for the county where the property sits. Filing fee $50-$90.
5–14d
3
Stage 3 · File
Service and 14-day trial
Day 18
Sheriff serves detainer warrant. Trial within 14 days of filing under TCA § 29-18-117.
Same day
4
Stage 4 · Court
Trial and judgment
Day 32
Bench trial. Same-day judgment common. No jury.
0–1d
5
Stage 5 · Court
Writ of possession within 24 hours
Day 32
Writ must be issued within 24 hours of judgment on nonpayment cases (SB-1088). Tenant has 7 days from issuance to vacate.
7d
6
Stage 6 · Lockout
Sheriff lockout
Day 33
Sheriff executes after the 7-day vacate window expires. Among the fastest back-end execution windows in the country.
Day 40
✓
Possession recovered
Worst case · Day 40
Timelines begin at court filing, not notice service.
The Tennessee timelines above start when the landlord files the eviction complaint with the court.
Add pre-filing notice periods (3–60 days depending on eviction reason) to get the full end-to-end timeline.
Self-help eviction, changing locks, removing belongings, or shutting off utilities, is illegal in Tennessee and exposes the landlord to significant damages.
About this page. Researched and written by the NextGen Properties research team — the underwriters, asset managers, and acquisitions staff who have priced, bought, and operated rental property for more than two decades. Reviewed before publication by the NextGen Properties editorial desk. How we work: editorial guidelines · scoring methodology.
