Tennessee Room Rental Agreement Template

An agreement for renting one bedroom in a shared home, with private and shared areas, house rules, a fair utility split and clear notice terms. This edition fills in the Tennessee rules we could confirm and marks the rest as blanks to check.

Tennessee rules for this form

Deposit limit. Tennessee law generally does not set a limit on the size of a security deposit. (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act)

Deadline to return the deposit. The Act sets no fixed number of days to refund a deposit; the landlord sends notice of any refund due to the tenant's last known address, and if the tenant does not respond within 60 days the landlord may keep it. (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act)

Notice before entry. Tenants may not unreasonably refuse entry for inspections, repairs or showings, and in covered counties a landlord may show the unit in the last 30 days of the lease with 24 hours of notice if the lease allows it. (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act)

Late fees. In covered counties a late fee cannot exceed 10 percent of the rent that is past due. (Tenn. Code Ann. 66-28-201(d))

Month-to-month notice. In covered counties either side ends a month to month tenancy with written notice at least 30 days before the rent date named in the notice. (Tenn. Code Ann. 66-28-512)

Required disclosures. The landlord must tell the tenant in writing that the landlord does not provide fire or casualty insurance for the tenant's belongings. (Tenn. Code Ann. 66-28-201(a))

Required disclosures. When the lease is signed and the deposit paid, the landlord tells the tenant where the deposit account is kept. (Tenn. Code Ann. 66-28-301)

Required disclosures. Homes built before 1978 need the federal lead-based paint disclosure and the EPA pamphlet. (Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act (42 U.S.C. 4852d))

Cities and counties in Tennessee can add their own rules on top of these. Check local ordinances before you sign.

What is in the template

1. Parties
2. The room and shared areas
3. Term
4. Rent
5. Utilities and household costs
6. Security deposit
7. House rules
8. Privacy and entry
9. Care and repairs
10. Ending this Agreement for a breach
11. Moving out
12. General terms
13. Signatures

Before you use it

• A room rental agreement covers one private room plus shared use of common areas like the kitchen and bathroom.
• House rules on guests, quiet hours, cleaning and shared costs prevent most housemate disputes.
• Some states treat a renter who lives with the owner differently, especially for eviction, so check before you rely on it.
• Fair housing law still applies to most room rentals, though some owner-occupied homes have narrow exemptions.

For the full explanation of this form, read our guide to the room rental agreement.