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Tennessee 14-Day Notice to Pay Rent or Vacate
Download the Tennessee 14-Day Notice to Pay Rent or Vacate for ordinary residential nonpayment after identifying the county track: URLTA counties use Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-505, while non-URLTA counties use § 66-7-109. This Tennessee-specific self-help product includes the four editable Word files listed below.
This Tennessee nonpayment packet helps document the county-track determination, unpaid rent, 14-day remediable notice period, service details, and records a landlord should keep before deciding whether a detainer warrant is the next step.
Built for first/ordinary Tennessee residential nonpayment, with fields for the tenant, property, county, amount to remedy, notice date, and 14-day termination date.
Download the editable Word files, customize the notice on your own device, and keep a completed or served copy for your records.
Start by identifying URLTA or non-URLTA status, then document written notice to the last known or lease-designated address using a method that creates reliable proof.
This product includes the notice to vacate / quit files listed below. Use the editable Word files to customize the notice on your own device.
Self-help notice overview
A written Tennessee 14-Day Notice to Pay Rent or Vacate helps document ordinary residential nonpayment after the landlord identifies whether the property is in a URLTA county or a non-URLTA county.
Tennessee law, county track, lease waiver language, late-fee rules, service proof, federal or subsidized-housing overlays, and local General Sessions Court practice can affect the notice and next steps. Review the state-specific guidance and completed notice carefully before serving it.
A notice is not a completed eviction judgment. If the tenant does not remedy or vacate after proper notice, a landlord may still need to file a detainer warrant in General Sessions Court before possession can change.
This page highlights the current downloadable Tennessee 14-Day Notice to Pay Rent or Vacate package, including the four editable Word files included with this product. The state-specific guidance below explains the URLTA/non-URLTA county-track gate, waiver, late-fee, service, and usage considerations before checkout.
The complete notice form is available immediately after checkout. Use the state-specific guidance below to understand timing, service, and next-step considerations before you complete and serve the notice.
ILRG editorial team reviewed this page against the sources linked here.
Primary sources are linked for self-help research. Identify whether the property is in a URLTA county before using the notice, then confirm lease terms, waiver language, service proof, public/subsidized-housing or CARES Act overlays, and current local General Sessions Court requirements.
Quick answer
Start by identifying the county track. URLTA counties use Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-505; non-URLTA counties use § 66-7-109. This 14-day notice is for ordinary first nonpayment and gives the tenant an opportunity to remedy by paying within 14 days or vacate.
Tennessee is different from most states in this notice series because the customer must identify the county track first. The Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act applies only in counties with more than 75,000 people under the 2010 federal census; those counties use Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-505 for ordinary nonpayment. Other counties use § 66-7-109.
The same packet is built to support both tracks, but the county track affects waiver, late-fee, and repeat-violation analysis. Use a current URLTA county reference, such as the HELP4TN / Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services list, before serving.
For an ordinary first nonpayment case, the Tennessee notice is a remediable 14-day notice to pay or vacate. It should not be described as an unconditional termination notice, and it should not be confused with URLTA’s 7-day repeat-violation path or the 30-day non-rent-breach notice.
In URLTA counties, a lease can waive the nonpayment notice and allow a landlord to file immediately only if the waiver appears in 12-point bold font or larger. That waiver does not shorten Tennessee’s late-fee grace period.
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Yes. This product is the Tennessee 14-Day Notice to Pay Rent or Vacate package for residential first/ordinary nonpayment situations, with guidance for both URLTA and non-URLTA county tracks.
This Tennessee product includes four editable Microsoft Word files: the 14-Day Notice to Pay Rent or Vacate, Tennessee Notice Instructions, Notice Service Record, and a #10 Mailing Envelope.
Identify the county track before using the notice. URLTA counties use Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-505; non-URLTA counties use § 66-7-109. URLTA applies only in counties over 75,000 population under the 2010 federal census, so use a current URLTA county list before serving.
For ordinary first nonpayment in either track, yes. The tenant can remedy by paying within 14 days and the tenancy continues. This packet is not the URLTA 7-day repeat-violation notice, a 30-day non-rent-breach notice, or a 3-day violent/drug-activity notice.
Only in URLTA counties, and only if the waiver appears in 12-point bold font or larger. The waiver does not shorten the five-day late-fee grace period, so do not rely on a vague waiver clause without reviewing the lease and county track.
Demand accurate unpaid rent and only authorized late fees. Tennessee has a five-day grace period before late fees, and URLTA counties cap late fees at 10% of past-due rent. Do not pad the cure amount with unauthorized attorney fees, court costs, or collection charges.
Use written notice to the last known or lease-designated address under Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-106, with a method that creates reliable proof. Personal delivery plus mail, certified or trackable mail, or another proof-friendly method may fit the facts; do not rely on posting on the door alone.
No. If the tenant does not pay or vacate after the notice period, the landlord may still need to file a detainer warrant in the county General Sessions Court and prove the lease, ledger, notice, and service. The notice itself is not a court order.
No. ILRG provides self-help legal forms and information, not legal advice. You are responsible for reviewing the completed notice, county track, lease terms, waiver language, Tennessee law, service proof, federal or subsidized-housing overlays, and local court requirements before serving or relying on it.