What your landlord can hold, and when it's due back
Enter your rent for the Tennessee maximum, plus the return-deadline clock.
Deposit calculator · Tennessee
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Most a landlord can hold
No legal maximum
Tennessee sets no statutory cap; the lease controls the amount.
—days
Return clock: No fixed statutory return deadline; a 60-day notice rule applies
The deadline runs The statute does not set a specific number of days to return the deposit. When the tenant leaves owing no rent and is due a refund, the landlord must send written notice of the refund amount to the tenant's last known address. If the tenant does not respond within 60 days of that notice, the landlord may remove the deposit from the account and keep it free of the tenant's claim.. Give your landlord a written forwarding address at move-out so the clock starts.
Estimate only, based on Tennessee's statutory cap. Your lease may set a lower deposit, and local ordinances can be stricter. Not legal advice.
The full rules, with the statute
Every requirement and where it comes from in the code.
Maximum deposit
Tennessee sets no statutory limit on how much a landlord may charge for a security deposit. The amount is whatever the lease specifies.
Exceptions: Section 66-28-301 contains no ceiling on the deposit amount. Market norms are usually one month of rent, sometimes with an added half month for pets, but the statute itself imposes no maximum.
Return deadline
Tennessee's statute does not impose a fixed deadline in days for returning the deposit. The landlord must notify the tenant in writing of any refund due at the tenant's last known address, and if the tenant does not respond within 60 days, the landlord may retain the funds. Because there is no hard return clock, tenants should send a written forwarding address and follow up promptly.
Interest to tenant
Not requiredTennessee law does not require landlords to pay interest on a residential security deposit. Section 66-28-301 says nothing about interest, so a landlord may keep any interest the account earns unless the lease provides otherwise.
Separate account
RequiredA landlord who requires a security deposit must place all tenants' deposits in an account used only for that purpose, at a bank or other lending institution regulated by the state or federal government. The landlord must tell the tenant where the deposit is held when the lease is signed, though the account number need not be disclosed.
Itemization
When a tenant moves out, the tenant may ask for a joint inspection. The landlord and tenant then compile a written list of any presently ascertainable damage that is the basis for a charge against the deposit, with the estimated cost of repair, and both parties sign it. A signed listing is conclusive evidence of its accuracy. The inspection must occur on the day the tenant vacates or within four calendar days after. A tenant who leaves without notice, abandons the unit, is removed by court order, or fails to respond to the inspection notice waives the right to be present.
Local ordinances
The Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (Chapter 28) applies only in counties above the statutory population threshold (roughly 75,000 or more) and in cities that adopt it. In smaller Tennessee counties, common-law lease terms govern instead, so the exact rules can differ by location.
Penalties & recent changes
What happens if the landlord keeps your deposit wrongfully.
If the landlord withholds wrongfully
A landlord loses the right to retain any part of the deposit if the money was not held in the required separate account and a listing of damages was not provided. A tenant can then sue for the full deposit, and courts may award additional relief such as attorney's fees under the general landlord-tenant enforcement provisions.
What Tennessee renters get wrong
Tennessee puts no ceiling on the security deposit a landlord can charge, and it does not require any interest to be paid on it. What the state cares about most is where your money sits: the landlord must hold every deposit in a separate account used only for deposits, at a regulated bank, and tell you where it is when you sign the lease. There is no fixed number of days for returning your money. Instead the landlord must mail written notice of any refund to your last known address, and if you do not respond within 60 days, the landlord can keep it. If a dispute over damage arises, you can ask for a joint move-out inspection, and the signed damage list you both agree to is treated as conclusive. The strongest protection is procedural: if a landlord never used the required separate account and never gave you a damage listing, they lose the right to keep any part of your deposit.
Common questions
Is there a limit on how much a landlord can charge for a deposit in Tennessee?
No. Tennessee sets no statutory cap on security deposits, so the amount is whatever your lease says. It is commonly one month of rent, sometimes with an added half month for a pet.
How long does a landlord have to return my security deposit in Tennessee?
The statute does not set a fixed deadline in days. The landlord must send written notice of any refund to your last known address, and if you do not respond within 60 days, the landlord may keep the deposit. Give a written forwarding address when you leave and follow up in writing so the clock does not run against you.
Does my landlord have to keep my deposit in a separate account or pay interest in Tennessee?
A separate account is required: the landlord must hold all deposits in an account used only for deposits at a regulated bank and tell you where it is at lease signing. Interest is not required, so the landlord may keep any interest the account earns unless your lease says otherwise.
What can I do if my landlord wrongfully keeps my deposit in Tennessee?
If the landlord failed to use the required separate account and did not give you a written damage listing, they lose the right to retain any part of your deposit, and you can sue to recover it in general sessions (small claims) court. Ask for a joint move-out inspection so damages are documented and signed, which protects both sides.
FindLaw reproduction of Tenn. Code Ann. §66-28-301 · codes.findlaw.com
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Draft: pending editorial review Statutory text and figures were confirmed against the verbatim FindLaw reproduction of Tenn. Code Ann. §66-28-301 plus a Tennessee attorney analysis, with the no-cap, no-interest, and separate-account points also agreeing across several independent summaries. The official Tennessee legislature portal and Justia were bot-blocked (403), so a human should open the official section in a browser before this is marked verified. Note: several landlord-tech blogs claim a fixed 30-day return deadline; the statute itself sets no fixed return clock, only a 60-day notice-and-retention rule, so this file follows the statute. Editorial standards →
Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.