Security Deposit Not Returned in Tennessee: What Can I Do?
This page covers what to do when your Tennessee landlord does not return your security deposit. It covers moving out, money your landlord takes out of the deposit, and going to court.
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The Legal Aid Society has two Tennessee renter booklets. One is for 17 counties. They are Anderson, Blount, Bradley, Davidson, Hamilton, Knox, Madison, Maury, Montgomery, Rutherford, Sevier, Shelby, Sullivan, Sumner, Washington, Williamson and Wilson. The other covers all other Tennessee counties. Renters in the 17 counties have different rights.
Legal Aid Society, renter booklet hosted by the Tennessee Department of Health (7/15) Page 1, counties Legal Aid Society, renter brochure hosted by the Tennessee Department of Health (8/15) Page 1, counties✓ Sources checked October 3, 2026
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Legal Aid's renter booklet for 17 Tennessee counties says: pay all the rent you owe and any late fees before you move out. If you do not, your landlord can take that money out of your security deposit.
✓ Sources checked October 3, 2026
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In the 17 counties listed in the Legal Aid Society renter booklet, say you paid a deposit. Say your lease says you get it back if you did not break or mess up anything. When you are ready to move, do a walk-through with your landlord. A walk-through is a check of the home with your landlord. Set a time. Make a list of anything broken or messed up. Take pictures. You have 5 days to do this. The 5 days start on the day you move out.
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In the 17 Tennessee counties in the Legal Aid Society renter booklet, you do not pay for things broken before you moved in. The list you and your landlord signed before you moved in proves what was already broken.
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In the 17 Tennessee counties in the Legal Aid Society renter booklet, you do not pay for normal wear and tear. Normal wear and tear (damage from just living in the home) includes worn rugs or paint wearing off.
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Legal Aid's renter booklet for 17 Tennessee counties says you must pay for anything worse than normal wear and tear (normal use over time). Examples are broken windows, doors pulled off and cigarette burns in the rug. Your landlord can make you pay to fix damage that you or someone you let in caused.
✓ Sources checked October 3, 2026
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Say you rent in one of the 17 counties in the Legal Aid Society renter booklet. Do not sign a list of things you must pay to fix unless you agree. If you disagree, make a list of what you think you should not pay for. Sign and date it, give it to your landlord and keep a copy. If you go to court, the judge will look at your list and decide what you have to pay for.
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In the 17 Tennessee counties in the Legal Aid Society renter booklet, you will get your security deposit back when you move out. That is true if you have not broken or messed up anything. You must also not owe any rent.
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In the 17 Tennessee counties in the Legal Aid Society renter booklet, give your landlord your new address. Ask in writing for your security deposit back right away. Put the date on the letter and keep a copy. If your landlord keeps your deposit wrongly, you may go to court to get it back. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.
RenterLaw editorial Legal Aid Society, renter booklet hosted by the Tennessee Department of Health (7/15) Page 1, counties✓ Sources checked October 3, 2026
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In 2020, a Tennessee Court of Appeals case came from Rutherford County. Rutherford is one of the 17 Tennessee counties in the Legal Aid Society renter booklet. The court said the lease and state law let a landlord use a $1,250 deposit to repair damage the tenants caused. The landlord could also ask for more for damage above the deposit.
Legal Aid Society, renter booklet hosted by the Tennessee Department of Health (7/15) Page 1, counties Tennessee Court of Appeals, Dykes v. Okorie, No. M2019-01332-COA-R3-CV (May 29, 2020), copy on CourtListener Dykes v. Okorie, Part III.A✓ 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. A security deposit pays for damage you cause beyond normal wear and tear (usual wear, such as worn floors or a roof that leaks). When you move, you do not have to pay for normal wear and tear. The landlord must pay for these repairs. You must pay for any unusual or extra problems you cause. Examples are a broken window or a hole in the carpet.
✓ 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. Under the booklet, you do not pay for normal wear and tear (usual wear, such as worn floors or a roof that leaks). Your landlord must pay for those repairs.
✓ 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. In the counties the booklet covers, you should get your whole security deposit back when you move. That is true if you owe no rent. You must also not have broken or messed up the property. You must not have broken 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. In the counties the booklet covers, do not wait too long to ask for your deposit back. If your landlord keeps your deposit wrongly, you may go to court to get it back. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.
RenterLaw editorial Legal Aid Society, renter brochure hosted by the Tennessee Department of Health (8/15) Page 1, counties✓ Sources checked October 3, 2026
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