Terminating a lease early is not easy to do without some very specific circumstances occurring, and for the tenant in Tennessee there are few few “outs”. Landlords in Tennessee have a few more reasons for early termination of the rental agreement.
Termination by landlord
The landlord can terminate a rental agreement with certain notice requirements.
- Noncompliance with rental agreement - 14 days written notice
- Misrepresentation by tenant of a material fact on rental application - 14 days written notice
- Tenant or any person on the Premises with Tenant’s consent commits or threatens to commit a violent act, per T.C.A. § 66-28-517 - 3 days written notice
- Noncompliance by the tenant with obligations for maintenance in a way that materially affects health and safety, and tenant fails to comply as promptly as conditions require in case of emergency, or within 14 days after written notice by the landlord if it is not an emergency - 3 days written notice
Termination by the tenant
The tenant is limited to one reason for early termination, which is if the premises is damaged or destroyed by fire or casualty to the point where normal use is substantially impaired. If this were to occur the tenant can provide 14 days notice of their intent to terminate the rental agreement.