Facing Eviction in Tennessee: What Can I Do?
This page covers eviction notices, court papers, the court hearing and what happens after the hearing in Tennessee. Each step says which Tennessee counties it covers.
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In the 17 Tennessee counties in the Legal Aid Society renter booklet, your landlord must first go to court to make you move. You can sue a landlord who breaks the law to force you out.
✓ Sources checked October 3, 2026
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In the 17 Tennessee counties in the Legal Aid Society renter booklet, most unpaid rent cases need 14 days notice. The landlord must tell you in writing. If you do not move, the landlord can go to court.
✓ Sources checked October 3, 2026
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In the 17 Tennessee counties in the Legal Aid renter booklet, you may not have to move if you pay the rent. Paying the rent or fixing the problem must happen within 14 days. The 14 days start the day the landlord tells you in writing to move out. For unpaid rent or late fees, you must pay what you owe.
✓ Sources checked October 3, 2026
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If you have no lease, a landlord in the 17 Tennessee counties in the Legal Aid renter booklet needs no reason to evict you. The landlord must tell you in writing to move before going to court. With rent each month, the notice must give you at least 30 days. With rent each week, it must give you 10 days.
✓ Sources checked October 3, 2026
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In Davidson and Montgomery counties (two of the 17 Tennessee counties in the Legal Aid renter booklet), the court date is on the warrant. In the other counties in the Legal Aid renter booklet, you have at least 6 more days until the court hearing. The 6 days count after you are served with the warrant (court papers that start an eviction case).
✓ Sources checked October 3, 2026
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In the 17 Tennessee counties in the Legal Aid renter booklet, tell the judge if the notice was wrong. Tell the judge if the landlord did not tell you in writing when to move. Tell the judge if the letter gave the wrong number of days. The judge may give you more time to move.
✓ Sources checked October 3, 2026
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In the 17 Tennessee counties in the Legal Aid Society renter booklet, if you lose, you have at least 10 more days to move. During the 10 days, you can ask a lawyer about filing an appeal (asking a higher court to review the decision). An appeal probably won't keep you in your home.
✓ Sources checked October 3, 2026
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The Legal Aid Society rural renter booklet covers all Tennessee counties except 17. They are Anderson, Blount, Bradley, Davidson, Hamilton, Knox, Madison, Maury, Montgomery, Rutherford, Sevier, Shelby, Sullivan, Sumner, Washington, Williamson and Wilson. Most of the time, notice time depends on how often you pay rent. If you agreed to pay rent each week, you get 7 days notice (warning time before an eviction).
✓ Sources checked October 3, 2026
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The Legal Aid Society rural renter booklet covers all Tennessee counties except 17. They are Anderson, Blount, Bradley, Davidson, Hamilton, Knox, Madison, Maury, Montgomery, Rutherford, Sevier, Shelby, Sullivan, Sumner, Washington, Williamson and Wilson. Say you pay rent every 2 weeks or once a month. You get 14 days notice (warning time before an eviction) if you have not paid the rent on time. If you pay the rent during the 14 days, your landlord cannot evict you. If you do the same thing again within 6 months, you cannot stay by paying or fixing again.
✓ Sources checked October 3, 2026
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The rule here applies in Tennessee counties other than the 17 in the Legal Aid Society rural renter booklet. Those 17 are Anderson, Blount, Bradley, Davidson, Hamilton, Knox, Madison, Maury, Montgomery, Rutherford, Sevier, Shelby, Sullivan, Sumner, Washington, Williamson and Wilson. Say you pay rent every 2 weeks or once a month. You get 30 days notice (warning time before an eviction) if all of these are true. You paid rent on time. You did not break or mess up the place. You did not do anything violent. You did not threaten anyone or their property. No one living with you or visiting you was violent. You broke other parts of the lease.
✓ Sources checked October 3, 2026
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The Legal Aid Society rural renter booklet covers all Tennessee counties except 17. They are Anderson, Blount, Bradley, Davidson, Hamilton, Knox, Madison, Maury, Montgomery, Rutherford, Sevier, Shelby, Sullivan, Sumner, Washington, Williamson and Wilson. A detainer warrant (the paper that tells you when to go to court) sets your court date. The court date must be at least 6 days after you get the warrant. Some counties may give you more time.
✓ Sources checked October 3, 2026
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The Legal Aid Society rural renter booklet covers all Tennessee counties except 17. They are Anderson, Blount, Bradley, Davidson, Hamilton, Knox, Madison, Maury, Montgomery, Rutherford, Sevier, Shelby, Sullivan, Sumner, Washington, Williamson and Wilson. If the judge decides that you must move out, you still have 10 days to move after the court hearing. After 10 days, the sheriff's department can set you and your belongings out.
✓ Sources checked October 3, 2026
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In Davidson County, a landlord who wins an eviction case gets a writ of restitution (a court paper used to carry out an eviction). The landlord must contact the sheriff's Warrants Division to plan the eviction. The sheriff must serve the court paper within 20 days of when it is issued.
✓ Sources checked October 3, 2026
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In Shelby County, an appeal to Circuit Court (a higher court) must be filed within 10 days. The 10 days start on the day the court's final decision is entered. Either side can appeal from a final decision.
✓ Sources checked October 3, 2026
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