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Early Lease Termination Laws in Tennessee

In Tennessee, victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault or stalking can end a lease entered into or renewed on or after July 1, 2021 with written notice, a mutually agreed release date within 30 days and qualifying documentation, and in counties covered by the URLTA a landlord must try to re-rent an abandoned unit.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Tennessee at a glance

Domestic violence victims
Yes, with documentation
Requires a valid order of protection or documentation of a criminal charge dated within 60 days of the notice; the tenant owes rent for the full month the tenancy ends.
Landlord must re-rent
Limited: URLTA counties
The URLTA duty applies only in counties with more than 75,000 people under the 2010 census.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Tennessee

Can domestic violence or sexual assault victims end a lease early in Tennessee?

Yes, with documentation. Domestic violence victims in Tennessee: yes, with documentation. Requires a valid order of protection or documentation of a criminal charge dated within 60 days of the notice; the tenant owes rent for the full month the tenancy ends.

Does a landlord in Tennessee have to try to re-rent the unit after a tenant leaves early?

Limited: URLTA counties. Landlord must re-rent in Tennessee: limited: urlta counties. The URLTA duty applies only in counties with more than 75,000 people under the 2010 census.

Where do the Tennessee early lease termination laws come from?

The rules above come from Tenn. Code Ann. 66-28-205, Tenn. Code Ann. 66-7-112, Tenn. Code Ann. 66-28-507(c) and Tenn. Code Ann. 66-28-102(a). Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

Good to know

The same early termination right appears in Tenn. Code 66-28-205 (URLTA counties) and 66-7-112 (general landlord and tenant chapter).

What this means in practice

Read the lease first. Many leases contain an early termination clause, a buyout fee or a sublease option that may be easier to use than a statutory right. A statutory right usually applies even if the lease says nothing about it, and a lease generally cannot waive it.

Statutory early termination rights usually come with conditions. Common ones are written notice to the landlord, a minimum notice period, and proof such as a protective order, police report, military orders or a doctor's statement. Keep copies of everything you send and note the date and method of delivery.

If you leave without a statutory right, you may still owe rent until the unit is re-rented or the lease ends. Where a landlord has a duty to mitigate, it must make reasonable efforts to find a new tenant, and the amount you owe is reduced by rent the landlord collects or reasonably could have collected. Returning keys and documenting the condition of the unit can help limit disputes.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.