In Tennessee, you may send the written lien notice after the tenant has been in default 15 continuous days, and the sale cannot be set sooner than 60 days after default. The notice must give the tenant at least 30 days to pay.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Review your facility's notices and sale plan with your attorney before you act.
Tennessee lien timeline at a glance
Tennessee's Self-Service Storage Facility Act is Tenn. Code Ann. 66-31-101 and the sections after it, with the key rules in 66-31-104 through 66-31-106. It was last changed in 2020 (Pub. Ch. 674), which added online sales.
| Step | Earliest timing | What the law requires | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Rent due, default | Day 0 | Default is failure to perform any obligation under the act or the lease on time. | 66-31-102(1); 66-31-105(1) |
| 2. Late fee | Day 0, with notice | Reasonable monthly fee. The lease must state the fee and when it applies, or you send notice first. No grace period is set. | 66-31-104(b)-(d) |
| 3. Deny access (overlock) | Day 0 | You may deny access without notice when rent is not paid when due. | 66-31-105(1)(A) |
| 4. Move property | At least 5 days after rent is due | You may enter and move the property to other suitable storage pending sale, without notice. | 66-31-105(1)(A) |
| 5. Lien notice | After 15 continuous days of default | Hand delivery, verified mail or email. Itemized claim, a demand for payment in at least 30 days, and the sale date. | 66-31-105(2)(A)-(C) |
| 6. Advertisement | After the notice period ends | Advertise in a commercially reasonable manner. Newspaper is optional. | 66-31-105(2)(F) |
| 7. Sale | Not sooner than 60 days after default | At the facility, online or at the nearest suitable place, matching the notice. | 66-31-105(2)(C), (E) |
| 8. Surplus | 1 year after sale | Pay unclaimed money to the state treasurer. | 66-31-105(2)(H)-(J) |
Both clocks apply: the notice must give 30 days to pay, and the sale cannot be before day 60 of default. The later date controls. The statute also describes a short-term default track with no stated day count for the notice, so ask your attorney which track fits your case.
Worked example
Say a $95 unit's rent is due on May 1 and unpaid. On May 16, day 15, you email the lien notice. It demands payment by June 15, which is 30 days later, and sets a sale for a date on or after June 30, day 60 of default. If the tenant pays everything owed before the sale, the sale stops. If you sent the notice on May 16 but set the sale for June 20, that date would be too early, because day 60 falls on June 30.
Notice requirements
Send the written notice by one of three methods:
- Hand delivery.
- Verified mail, meaning a USPS method that gives evidence of mailing.
- Email to the tenant's last known address. Tennessee puts no special conditions on email. The last known address includes the street, P.O. box or email address in the latest rental agreement or a later written change.
The notice must include an itemized claim and due dates, a demand for payment within a specified time not less than 30 days after the notice date plus approximate added expenses, a statement that the contents are subject to your lien, a statement of any access denial or removal, your name, address and phone, and a conspicuous statement that unless paid, the property will be advertised for sale or disposed of at a specified time and place not sooner than 60 days after default.
Alternate contact
Tennessee has no alternate contact rule. The lease must tell the tenant to disclose any lienholder that has an interest in the stored property (66-31-106(b)(2)). For vehicles, lienholders are found through state or county clerk records.
Advertising the sale
Advertise the sale in a commercially reasonable manner after the notice period ends. It is deemed commercially reasonable if at least 3 potential bidders take part at the advertised time and place. You may publish in a newspaper one time before the sale, but the statute does not require it and does not set a minimum number of days between ad and sale. The ad should say the contents will be sold to satisfy the lien, give the facility address, the space number or description and the occupant name, and state the time, place and manner of sale.
Late fee limits
You may charge a reasonable late fee each month rent is unpaid, up to the greater of $20 per month or 20% of the monthly rent (66-31-104(c)-(d)). You must give adequate notice first: the lease states the fee and when it is imposed, or you send a notice to the last known address. On a $150 unit, 20% is $30, which beats $20.
Sale rules, surplus and records
The statute does not use the words public auction. A sale or disposition may take place at the facility, online or at the nearest suitable place to where the property is stored, and it must follow the notice. You may buy at the sale. A good faith purchaser takes free of the tenant's rights, even if you missed a step. The tenant may redeem before the sale by paying the lien and reasonable expenses.
Surplus: keep your lien and sale costs and hold the rest for the tenant on demand. If it is unclaimed 1 year after the sale, it is abandoned and goes to the state treasurer under the Uniform Unclaimed Property Act. Follow the notice terms exactly, because a failure to comply can cost you your remedies. Keep the notice, proof of delivery, ad and bid records.
Vehicles, boats and trailers
If rent on a vehicle (motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer or vessel) is unpaid 60 days after maturity, you may have it towed, with no further liability once the tower takes it. Or you may contact the state division (wildlife resources agency for motorized watercraft, revenue department for others), and the county clerk for a motor vehicle, to identify the owner and lienholders. Within 10 days of receiving that information, send verified mail to the lienholders and any non-occupant owner saying the vehicle is held, a lien attached and payment is due in 30 days. If unpaid, you may sell it in any manner, including public auction (66-31-105(2)(K)).
Active-duty military (SCRA)
Research found no Tennessee-specific military provision in 66-31-101 and the sections after it. Federal law adds protections for servicemembers, and owners must check a tenant's military status before a sale. See 50 U.S.C. 3958 for the federal rule.
Common mistakes checklist
- Setting the sale date before day 60 of default.
- Giving less than 30 days to pay in the notice.
- Skipping the lease clause that tells the tenant to disclose lienholders.
- Charging a late fee with no lease clause or prior notice.
- Selling a vehicle without checking state and county records for lienholders.
- Departing from the terms stated in your own notice.
- Keeping surplus past one year instead of paying the state treasurer.
- Not checking active-duty status before the sale.
Tools and next steps
Plan your dates with the lien timeline calculator. Compare other states on the self storage lien laws hub. Read the self storage auction process guide for the full walk-through, and start from the lien notice template. If you want the dates tracked for you, see lien and auction management.
Sources and review
Statute text was read on the official or published sources listed in this page's source list. Last reviewed: October 19, 2026. Laws change, and courts read them differently. This is general information, not legal advice. Review every notice and sale with your attorney before you act.