Tennessee Rent Late Fee Rule: 5-Day Grace & 10% Cap Where URLTA Applies (2026)

Step one is county coverage

Tennessee’s Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act does not apply identically to every county. Use the Tennessee Attorney General coverage list before applying the five-day and 10% rule.

A property outside URLTA coverage may follow a different legal framework, so do not treat this page as a universal statewide late-fee formula.

Count the due date as day one

Section 66-28-201(d) says the five-day grace period begins on the day rent is due and expressly includes that due date in the calculation. For a ledger review, preserve the lease due date and the actual payment date rather than assuming five full days are added after the due date.

Sunday and legal-holiday timing can move the fee date

If the last day of the five-day grace period falls on a Sunday or legal holiday, the landlord may not impose the late-payment charge when the tenant pays on the next business day. Calendar dates therefore matter independently of the percentage calculation.

The ceiling uses rent past due

The late-payment charge may not exceed 10% of the amount of rent past due. Partial payments can therefore change the relevant percentage base. For calculator use, enter the remaining overdue rent amount when that matches the facts rather than automatically using the original full monthly rent.

The 10% figure is a ceiling, not a required charge. Compare the rental agreement and actual ledger amount separately.

Documents to compare

• County where the rental property is located.
• Signed rental agreement and rent due date.
• Payment confirmation or bank record.
• Resident ledger showing any partial payment and the remaining rent past due.
• Date the late fee was first posted.
• Calendar showing whether the fifth grace-period day was a Sunday or legal holiday.
• Exact late-fee term in the rental agreement.

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