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Tennessee General Sessions handles most residential evictions. Circuit Court applies if the tenant counterclaims or the case is contested. Attorney fees default to $0 — adjust if you hire counsel ($500–$1,500 is typical for a straightforward case). Vacant weeks: the eviction process in Tennessee typically runs 6–10 weeks from notice to writ execution. Unpaid rent is money owed but realistically uncollectible from most tenants being evicted.
Total Eviction Cost
What drives eviction costs in Tennessee
The filing fee gets quoted most often because it is the only fixed number. General Sessions Court filing runs $187 for a residential detainer warrant. Circuit Court is $351 if the case is contested or the tenant files a counterclaim. Add $80 for the writ of possession (service $40, execution $40) and $50 for the sheriff or process server, and the hard court costs land between $317 and $481.
Those numbers are not what makes evictions expensive. The vacancy is. A standard Tennessee eviction — from the 14-day pay-or-quit notice through the court date, judgment, writ issuance, and physical removal — typically runs 6 to 10 weeks for an uncontested case. At $1,200/month, that is $1,662 to $2,769 in lost rent before you factor in any make-ready costs.
The Tennessee eviction timeline
The clock starts when you serve the written notice. For nonpayment, you serve a 14-day pay-or-quit notice (TCA § 66-28-505). After 14 days with no payment and no cure, you file the detainer warrant in General Sessions. The court sets a hearing date — typically 6 to 10 days out. If you get a judgment, you request the writ of possession. The sheriff executes the writ, usually within a week. From notice to empty unit: 6 to 10 weeks, minimum, for an uncontested case.
Attorney fees: when they're worth it
Most straightforward nonpayment evictions in General Sessions do not require an attorney. The paperwork is manageable and the court is designed for self-representation. When an attorney earns their fee: contested cases, tenants who file counterclaims (particularly fair housing claims), properties with habitability issues the tenant will use as leverage, or any case going to Circuit Court. Budget $500 to $1,500 for a straightforward case, $2,000 to $5,000 for contested litigation.
Make-ready after eviction
Properties vacated under eviction typically require more make-ready work than standard turnovers. Tenants who knew they were being removed had little incentive to maintain the property. Budget $800 to $2,500 for a standard unit — more if there is significant damage. The security deposit rarely covers it; in Tennessee, the deposit cap is two months' rent, and that often disappears in back rent before make-ready costs are counted.
The cost of a bad tenant placement runs $3,000 to $8,000 all-in.
Covendell's screening process — income verification, credit, criminal background, landlord references, and eviction history — is designed to keep this number at zero. We walk your property and show you exactly how we evaluate applicants before you sign anything.
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