SB1088 • 2026

Landlord and Tenant

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 66, relative to rental agreements.

Housing

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: Johnson, Reeves
Last action: 2025-03-18
Official status: Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Commerce and Labor Committee
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not specify the exact date when the bill will take effect for existing rental agreements before July 1, 2025.

Changes to Rental Agreement Notice Periods

This bill shortens the notice period a landlord must give before terminating a lease from 14 days to 7 days in most cases.

What This Bill Does

Reduces the time a landlord needs to wait between notifying a tenant of a breach and ending the rental agreement from 14 days to 7 days, except for certain damages.

Who It Names or Affects

Landlords who manage residential properties in Tennessee.
Tenants living under rental agreements in Tennessee.

Terms To Know

Notice period: The time a landlord must wait before ending a lease after notifying the tenant of a breach.
Breach: A violation or failure to fulfill an agreement, such as not paying rent on time.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not change notice periods for damage beyond normal wear and tear in counties where the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act is not applied.
It's unclear how this will affect existing rental agreements before July 1, 2025.

Bill History

2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Commerce and Labor Committee
2025-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 3/18/2025
2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Failed in s/c Business and Utilities Subcommittee of Commerce Committee
2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 3/18/2025
2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Action deferred in Senate Commerce and Labor Committee to 3/18/2025
2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2025-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor change.
2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 3/11/2025
2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Business & Utilities Subcommittee for 3/12/2025
2025-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor change.
2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Commerce and Labor Committee
2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Business & Utilities Subcommittee
2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to Commerce Committee
2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

This bill reduces from 14 days to sev
en days the period that a landlord must wait between notifying a tenant of a breach in a residential property lease and terminating the lease, except that in counties where the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act does not apply the notice period r
e
mains 14 days only in circumstances where
the termination of tenancy is for damage beyond normal wear and tear to the premises by the tenant, members of the household, or guests
.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HOUSE BILL 1345
By Reeves

SENATE BILL 1088
By Johnson

SB1088
001079
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 66,
relative to rental agreements.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 66-28-505(a)(2), is amended by
deleting "fourteen (14) days" and substituting "seven (7) days".
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 66-28-505(a)(3), is amended by
deleting "fourteen (14) days" and substituting "seven (7) days".
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 66-7-109(a)(1), is amended by
deleting the subdivision and substituting:
(1) Except as provided in this section:
(A) Seven (7) days' notice by a landlord is sufficient notice of termination
of tenancy for the purpose of eviction of a residential tenant, if the termination of
tenancy is for one (1) of the following reasons:
(i) Tenant neglect or refusal to pay rent that is due and is in
arrears, upon demand; or
(ii) The tenant or any other person on the premises with the
tenant's consent willfully or intentionally commits a violent act or behaves
in a manner which constitutes or threatens to be a real and present
danger to the health, safety, or welfare of the life or property of other
tenants, the landlord, the landlord's representatives, or other persons on
the premises; and

- 2 - 001079

(B) Fourteen (14) days' notice by a landlord is sufficient notice of
termination of tenancy for the purpose of eviction of a residential tenant, if the
termination of tenancy is for damage beyond normal wear and tear to the
premises by the tenant, members of the household, or guests.
SECTION 4. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 66-7-109(a)(2), is amended by
deleting the language "subdivision (a)(1)(A) or (a)(1)(B)" and substituting "subdivision
(a)(1)(A)(i) or (a)(1)(B)" and by deleting the language "upon at least fourteen (14) days' written
notice" and substituting "upon at least seven (7) days' written notice for a breach of subdivision
(a)(1)(A)(i) or at least fourteen (14) days' notice for a breach of subdivision (a)(1)(B) and".
SECTION 5. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it, and
applies to rental agreements entered into, amended, or renewed on or after that date.