Under Tenn. Code § 66-28-301, your landlord had about 30 days (no fixed statutory day-count) to return your security deposit or itemize deductions. If they blew that deadline, Tennessee law can make them owe damages plus your fees.
Tennessee's security-deposit statute, Tenn. Code § 66-28-301, gives your landlord about 30 days (no fixed statutory day-count) after your tenancy ends to either return your full deposit or send you an itemized list of lawful deductions. This is a hard deadline — not a suggestion.
If your landlord let that window pass without returning your money and without a proper written accounting, they have almost certainly violated the statute — and in most states that alone forfeits their right to keep a single dollar.
This is the leverage most renters don't know they have. Under Tennessee law, a landlord who wrongfully withholds a deposit can be liable for failure to inspect and itemize forfeits the right to withhold; you may recover actual damages and attorney fees.
Answer a few questions and we'll generate a letter citing Tenn. Code § 66-28-301, your exact deadline, and the penalty your landlord now faces — ready to sign and send.
Build my demand letter →Under Tenn. Code § 66-28-301, your landlord generally has about 30 days (no fixed statutory day-count) after your tenancy ends to return your deposit or provide an itemized statement of any deductions. Missing that deadline usually forfeits their right to keep any of it.
Tennessee law provides for failure to inspect and itemize forfeits the right to withhold; you may recover actual damages and attorney fees. For example, you can pursue your full $1,500 back — plus the penalties and fees described above. That exposure is exactly what makes a properly worded demand letter effective.
Usually no. A demand letter that cites Tenn. Code § 66-28-301, the about 30 days deadline, and the penalty your landlord faces resolves most disputes. If it doesn't, security-deposit cases are common and inexpensive in Tennessee small claims court.
It should state the amount withheld, the date your tenancy ended, the specific statute (Tenn. Code § 66-28-301), the return deadline your landlord missed, and the statutory penalty they now risk — then demand payment by a firm date. DepositProtector builds this for you automatically.