Tennessee Notice to Pay Rent or Quit (14-Day)
Create a free Tennessee notice to pay rent or quit. Tennessee requires a 14-day notice to pay rent or quit. Fill in the details, preview it live, and download a PDF or email it.
Tennessee requirement
Tennessee requires a 14-day notice to pay rent or quit. 14 days is the long-standing statutory pay-or-quit period and the safe default for existing (pre-July-2025) leases. Nonpayment of rent is a REMEDIABLE breach: URLTA Tenn. Code Ann. 66-28-505(a)(2) gives the tenant 14 days after receipt of written notice to pay (cure) before the agreement terminates; non-URLTA counties use 66-7-109(a)(1)(A) (14 days). CRITICAL REFORM: HB 1345 / SB 1088 (eff. July 1, 2025) amended 66-28-505(a)(2) AND 66-28-505(a)(3) AND 66-7-109(a)(1)/(a)(2), reducing the nonpayment notice from 14 days to SEVEN (7) days — but ONLY for rental agreements entered into, amended, or renewed on or after July 1, 2025. For leases predating 7/1/2025 the period remains 14 days. Calendar days. Note: the spec's earlier citation to (a)(3) for nonpayment was wrong — nonpayment is the (a)(2) remediable track; (a)(3) is the non-remediable track. Separately, 66-28-201 gives a 5-day grace period before rent is 'late' (no late fee until day 6); the grace period does not extend the cure window. Tenant may pay the full amount due before the termination date to stop the eviction.
Tenant Name(s)
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⚠ Tennessee requires a 14-day notice for a notice to pay rent or quit; the count runs from the date of SERVICE, and some states exclude weekends/holidays — verify before relying on a date. 14 days is the long-standing statutory pay-or-quit period and the safe default for existing (pre-July-2025) leases. Nonpayment of rent is a REMEDIABLE breach: URLTA Tenn. Code Ann. 66-28-505(a)(2) gives the tenant 14 days after receipt of written notice to pay (cure) before the agreement terminates; non-URLTA counties use 66-7-109(a)(1)(A) (14 days). CRITICAL REFORM: HB 1345 / SB 1088 (eff. July 1, 2025) amended 66-28-505(a)(2) AND 66-28-505(a)(3) AND 66-7-109(a)(1)/(a)(2), reducing the nonpayment notice from 14 days to SEVEN (7) days — but ONLY for rental agreements entered into, amended, or renewed on or after July 1, 2025. For leases predating 7/1/2025 the period remains 14 days. Calendar days. Note: the spec's earlier citation to (a)(3) for nonpayment was wrong — nonpayment is the (a)(2) remediable track; (a)(3) is the non-remediable track. Separately, 66-28-201 gives a 5-day grace period before rent is 'late' (no late fee until day 6); the grace period does not extend the cure window. Tenant may pay the full amount due before the termination date to stop the eviction.
Notice to Pay Rent or Quit (Tennessee)
NOTICE TO PAY RENT OR QUIT
Date of Notice: ________________
From (Landlord/Agent): [LANDLORD/AGENT NAME], [LANDLORD ADDRESS]
To: [TENANT NAME(S)], Tenant(s) in possession of: [PROPERTY ADDRESS]
YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that rent is now due and unpaid in the amount of $________. This amount is for unpaid RENT only and excludes late fees, utilities, and other charges unless your state and lease allow them.
You are required to PAY the full amount of rent due within 14 days after this notice is served on you, OR to vacate and surrender possession of the property. Payment must be made to [LANDLORD/AGENT NAME] at [LANDLORD ADDRESS], by cash, check, or money order. If you mail payment, it must be RECEIVED by the deadline.
If you do not comply with this notice within the time stated, the landlord may begin legal proceedings to recover possession of the property under Tenn. Code Ann. (TCA) Title 66, Ch. 28 (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act) — 66-28-505 (noncompliance / failure to pay rent), 66-28-512 (termination of periodic tenancy), 66-28-517 (3-day termination for violence/danger/unauthorized occupant); and TCA Title 66, Ch. 7, 66-7-109 (non-URLTA counties), as amended by 2025 Pub. Ch. (HB 1345 / SB 1088), eff. July 1, 2025.
Only a court can order you to move out. The landlord may NOT lock you out, remove your belongings, or shut off your utilities; doing so is illegal.
This notice is given without waiving, and the landlord expressly reserves, all other rights and remedies, including the right to recover unpaid rent and damages.
How this notice may be served: Statute requires 'written notice' delivered to / received by the tenant; the notice periods run from the tenant's RECEIPT of notice (66-28-505, 66-28-517). Tennessee URLTA does not enumerate one exclusive method — safe practice is personal delivery to the tenant, or posting on the unit, with mailing as backup. Electronic delivery is permitted only if the tenant signed an e-notice consent under 66-28-105. Notice must specify the breach (and, for 66-28-517, detail the specific violation). The detainer warrant (the eviction lawsuit itself) is separately served by the sheriff/officer.
_______________________________________
[LANDLORD/AGENT NAME] — Landlord / Authorized Agent
[LANDLORD ADDRESS]
Date: ________________
PROOF OF SERVICE
I served this notice on the tenant(s) on ____________ (date).
Method of service (use a method permitted in your state — see the service note above):
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________ Date: ____________
Signature of person serving the notice
Email yourself a copy (PDF)
Self-help template, not legal advice. You cannot remove a tenant yourself — serve a proper notice and, if needed, file in court. Confirm Tennessee and local rules first.
Tennessee Notice to Pay Rent or Quit Rules
A Notice to Pay Rent or Quit is the first step a landlord takes when a tenant has not paid rent. It demands that the tenant pay the full amount owed within the state's required number of days or move out, before the landlord can file for eviction.
Tennessee requires a 14-day notice to pay rent or quit. 14 days is the long-standing statutory pay-or-quit period and the safe default for existing (pre-July-2025) leases. Nonpayment of rent is a REMEDIABLE breach: URLTA Tenn. Code Ann. 66-28-505(a)(2) gives the tenant 14 days after receipt of written notice to pay (cure) before the agreement terminates; non-URLTA counties use 66-7-109(a)(1)(A) (14 days). CRITICAL REFORM: HB 1345 / SB 1088 (eff. July 1, 2025) amended 66-28-505(a)(2) AND 66-28-505(a)(3) AND 66-7-109(a)(1)/(a)(2), reducing the nonpayment notice from 14 days to SEVEN (7) days — but ONLY for rental agreements entered into, amended, or renewed on or after July 1, 2025. For leases predating 7/1/2025 the period remains 14 days. Calendar days. Note: the spec's earlier citation to (a)(3) for nonpayment was wrong — nonpayment is the (a)(2) remediable track; (a)(3) is the non-remediable track. Separately, 66-28-201 gives a 5-day grace period before rent is 'late' (no late fee until day 6); the grace period does not extend the cure window. Tenant may pay the full amount due before the termination date to stop the eviction. The notice is served under Tenn. Code Ann. (TCA) Title 66, Ch. 28 (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act) — 66-28-505 (noncompliance / failure to pay rent), 66-28-512 (termination of periodic tenancy), 66-28-517 (3-day termination for violence/danger/unauthorized occupant); and TCA Title 66, Ch. 7, 66-7-109 (non-URLTA counties), as amended by 2025 Pub. Ch. (HB 1345 / SB 1088), eff. July 1, 2025.
How to Serve a Notice to Pay Rent or Quit in Tennessee
Statute requires 'written notice' delivered to / received by the tenant; the notice periods run from the tenant's RECEIPT of notice (66-28-505, 66-28-517). Tennessee URLTA does not enumerate one exclusive method — safe practice is personal delivery to the tenant, or posting on the unit, with mailing as backup. Electronic delivery is permitted only if the tenant signed an e-notice consent under 66-28-105. Notice must specify the breach (and, for 66-28-517, detail the specific violation). The detainer warrant (the eviction lawsuit itself) is separately served by the sheriff/officer. A defective notice or improper service can get an eviction dismissed.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days is a Tennessee notice to pay rent or quit?
Tennessee requires a 14-day notice to pay rent or quit. 14 days is the long-standing statutory pay-or-quit period and the safe default for existing (pre-July-2025) leases. Nonpayment of rent is a REMEDIABLE breach: URLTA Tenn. Code Ann. 66-28-505(a)(2) gives the tenant 14 days after receipt of written notice to pay (cure) before the agreement terminates; non-URLTA counties use 66-7-109(a)(1)(A) (14 days). CRITICAL REFORM: HB 1345 / SB 1088 (eff. July 1, 2025) amended 66-28-505(a)(2) AND 66-28-505(a)(3) AND 66-7-109(a)(1)/(a)(2), reducing the nonpayment notice from 14 days to SEVEN (7) days — but ONLY for rental agreements entered into, amended, or renewed on or after July 1, 2025. For leases predating 7/1/2025 the period remains 14 days. Calendar days. Note: the spec's earlier citation to (a)(3) for nonpayment was wrong — nonpayment is the (a)(2) remediable track; (a)(3) is the non-remediable track. Separately, 66-28-201 gives a 5-day grace period before rent is 'late' (no late fee until day 6); the grace period does not extend the cure window. Tenant may pay the full amount due before the termination date to stop the eviction.
What happens after I serve the notice?
If the tenant does not comply by the deadline, you can file an eviction case in Tennessee court. Only a court order, enforced by a sheriff or constable, can remove the tenant.
Can I email or download the notice?
Yes — fill in the form above, then download the PDF or email a copy to yourself. Serve it on the tenant using a method Tennessee allows.
Disclaimer
This Tennessee notice to pay rent or quit generator is a self-help tool for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Confirm Tennessee and local requirements before serving.