Tennessee Rent Increase Law
Tennessee has no statute fixing notice for a rent increase, so a fixed-term lease controls; on a month-to-month tenancy in URLTA counties, giving at least 30 days' written notice before a rent due date matches the termination rule (Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 66-28-201, 66-28-512(b)). Tennessee has no rent control and bars cities and counties from adopting it.
Last verified: · Researched and cited by MakeLease · not yet attorney-reviewed
Tennessee rent increase rules at a glance
| Notice of a rent increase | No state ruleTenn. Code Ann. §§ 66-28-201, 66-28-512(b), Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-301 (as amended by 2011 Pub. Ch. 272) |
|---|---|
| Rent control | None; cities barred from adopting it2018 Tenn. Pub. Acts ch. 685 (amending Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-35-102), 2024 Tenn. Pub. Acts ch. 1051, § 3 (amending § 66-35-102(b)(2)), Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-35-102 (2024), archived Justia copy |
| Ending a month-to-month tenancy | 30 days (either side)Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-512(b) |
What Tennessee law says
How much notice is required for a rent increase in Tennessee?
Tennessee has no statute fixing notice for a rent increase, so a fixed-term lease controls; on a month-to-month tenancy in URLTA counties, giving at least 30 days' written notice before a rent due date matches the termination rule (Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 66-28-201, 66-28-512(b)).
Does Tennessee have rent control?
Tennessee has no rent control, and no city or county may adopt or enforce a measure that controls the rent charged for private housing (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-35-102(a)) (2018 Tenn. Pub. Acts ch. 685 (amending Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-35-102)).
How much notice ends a month-to-month tenancy in Tennessee?
Within the 17 URLTA counties, either the landlord or the tenant can end a month-to-month tenancy with written notice delivered at least 30 days before the rent date named as the end date (Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-512(b)).
How Tennessee compares
23 of 51 verified jurisdictions set a statewide period.
Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri and North Carolina follow the same rule as Tennessee; 1 of its 8 neighbors differs.
| Rent-increase notice | States |
|---|---|
| No statewide period | Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina |
| 30 days (more in some cases) | Virginia |
Local rules in Tennessee
Tennessee's Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (Tenn. Code Ann. Title 66, Ch. 28), which holds the deposit and late-fee rules below, applies only in counties with more than 75,000 people per the 2010 federal census (currently Anderson, Blount, Bradley, Davidson, Hamilton, Knox, Madison, Maury, Montgomery, Rutherford, Sevier, Shelby, Sullivan, Sumner, Washington, Williamson and Wilson). In other counties these statutory rules do not apply and the lease and general contract law govern.