Security deposit law in Tennessee

No statutory limit. The return rule is no fixed statutory deadline. The controlling text is Tenn. Code § 66-28-301.

Shared move-in, deduction, and refund workflow: the national state-law hub.

The itemized statement rule

You must inspect the unit, list any damage, and give the tenant a chance to inspect before deducting. The itemized list and the tenant's inspection right are the core requirements even without a day-count.

Where the deposit must be held

A landlord who operates more than one unit must hold every deposit in a separate account used only for tenant deposits at a regulated financial institution. Failing to keep the separate account forfeits the right to retain any of the deposit.

Exposure for wrongful withholding

Forfeit right to withhold (no separate account).

A landlord who does not maintain the required separate account, or skips the inspection and itemization steps, loses the right to keep any part of the deposit and owes it back in full. Here the separate-account rule, not a missed deadline, is the usual failure.

Tennessee has no statutory deposit maximum

No statutory limit.

The return rule without a fixed day count

no fixed statutory deadline.

Tennessee sets no fixed number of days to return a deposit. Instead, you must send written notice of any refund due to the tenant's last known address, and if the tenant does not respond within 60 days you may keep the deposit. The duty runs on that notice-and-response clock rather than a hard deadline.

Compare Tennessee with neighboring states

• Kentucky: no statutory limit; return rule: 30 to 60 days.
• Virginia: two months' rent; return rule: 45 days.
• North Carolina: two months' rent; return rule: 30 days.
• Georgia: two months' rent; return rule: 30 days.
• Alabama: one month's rent; return rule: 35 days.
• Mississippi: no statutory limit; return rule: 45 days.
• Arkansas: two months' rent; return rule: 60 days.
• Missouri: two months' rent; return rule: 30 days.