Tenant Rights by State: Security Deposit Deadlines, Eviction Notices and Repairs (Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Arizona)

This guide is based on state statutes and official state publications (checked 2026-10-23). It is general information, not legal advice. For your situation, check with the court, a lawyer or a legal aid office.

Renting for the first time in the U.S. raises the same questions everywhere. When does the deposit come back? How fast can an eviction start if rent is late? What do you do when the A/C breaks? The answers differ by state, so JOBnaru™ put the five states where many Korean families live into one table.

At a glance

*Tennessee's Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (URLTA) applies only in certain counties. See below.

Which Tennessee counties?

The Tennessee Attorney General's consumer-laws page says: "By statue, the Landlord Tenant Act only applies in counties that have a population greater than 68,000. These counties are: Anderson, Blount, Bradley, Davidson, Greene, Hamilton, Knox, Madison, Maury, Montgomery, Putnam, Rutherford, Sevier, Shelby, Sullivan, Sumner, Washington, Williamson, or Wilson."

The General Assembly's page for HB2683 (2012) says the act was limited "to counties having a population of more than 75,000 instead of 68,000," and that the change "does not affect the current applicability of the Act." The renter booklet posted on tn.gov lists 17 counties, without Greene and Putnam. So we could not confirm the exact current county list. Davidson (Nashville), Shelby (Memphis), Knox (Knoxville), Hamilton (Chattanooga) and Rutherford (Murfreesboro) are on both lists. If you live elsewhere, ask your county General Sessions Court or the AG's Consumer Affairs Division. The Tennessee notes below are for URLTA counties.

1. Security deposits

• Texas. Refund within 30 days after you surrender the unit. The landlord isn't obligated to refund or itemize until you give a written forwarding address, but you don't lose the deposit just for not giving one. No deductions for normal wear and tear, and deductions need a written, itemized list. Missing the 30 days is presumed bad faith. Bad-faith retention costs $100 + three times the amount withheld + attorney's fees (Property Code §§92.103–92.109). Don't skip the last month's rent "because the deposit covers it." That is presumed bad faith and can cost you three times that rent (§92.108).
• Georgia. The state handbook (revised Aug. 2024) says every landlord must return the deposit within 30 days after the lease ends or you move out, whichever is later. If damage is deducted, the landlord must send a notice listing the damage and estimated amounts. You may inspect within 5 business days after move-out. Sign the move-out list or note in writing what you disagree with. Landlords who own more than ten units or use a management agent can owe 3× the amount withheld plus attorney fees. Since July 2024, a deposit may not exceed two months' rent (HB 404).
• Alabama. The refund or itemized list is due 60 days after termination and delivery of possession. When you move out, you must give a forwarding address in writing. A landlord who misses the 60 days owes double the original deposit. Deposits are generally capped at one month's rent (§35-9A-201).
• Tennessee. We could not confirm the refund deadline from the official statute text. The tn.gov booklet says the deposit must be kept in a separate bank account. It tells tenants to give the landlord their new address and ask for the deposit back in writing right away. Do a move-out walk-through within 5 days after moving out, and take photos.
• Arizona. Within 14 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, after the tenancy ends, you deliver possession and you demand it, the landlord must mail an itemized list of deductions and any refund. If not, you may recover twice the amount wrongfully withheld. If you don't dispute the list within 60 days of mailing, it becomes final (ARS §33-1321).

Tip. Photograph the unit and fill out a move-in checklist at move-in, and photograph it again at move-out. Send your new address and refund request in writing with a date, and keep a copy.

2. Eviction notices: only a court can evict

• Texas. Before filing, the landlord must give at least 3 days' written notice to vacate, unless the lease sets a different period. If you weren't late before that month, a nonpayment notice must be a "notice to pay rent or vacate." Cases go to the justice court in the precinct where the property is (§§24.004, 24.005). A landlord may not lock you out except by court process. The one exception is a lock change for unpaid rent, which needs a lease clause and advance notice. Even then, the landlord must give you a new key at any hour, whether or not you pay. Cutting off utilities you pay for directly is also banned. Violations can cost the landlord one month's rent + $1,000 plus damages (§§92.0081, 92.008).
• Georgia. If rent, late fees, utilities or other charges are unpaid, the landlord must first give a notice to vacate or pay within three business days. It is posted on the door in a sealed envelope and also sent any way the lease provides. This applies to leases entered into or renewed on or after July 1, 2024 (HB 404). Cases are usually filed in the county magistrate court, and the tenant must answer within 7 days of service. The handbook says self-help evictions are illegal and that you may stay with active utilities until the court decides.
• Alabama. For unpaid rent, the landlord must give a written notice stating what's owed and allow at least seven business days. Paying in that time keeps the lease (§35-9A-421). Evictions are heard by the district court in the county. Self-help removal or cutting essential services can cost the landlord up to three months' rent or actual damages, whichever is greater (§§35-9A-407, 35-9A-427).
• Tennessee. In URLTA counties, the tn.gov booklet says monthly renters get 14 days' written notice (weekly renters, 10). Paying within 14 days may let you stay. A lease clause can waive the notice, though. Lockouts and utility shutoffs to force you out are illegal. A case starts with a detainer warrant from General Sessions Court. That is a court summons, not an arrest warrant.
• Arizona. If rent is unpaid, the landlord may file a special detainer action after a 5-day written notice. Paying past-due rent and a reasonable late fee before filing reinstates the lease (ARS §33-1368). Landlord-provided utilities can be cut only the day after a writ of restitution is executed. An unlawful ouster can cost up to two months' rent or twice actual damages, whichever is greater (§33-1367).

If you get court papers, go to the hearing. Tenants who don't show up usually lose by default.

3. Repairs: ask in writing and keep paying rent

• Texas. Report conditions that affect health or safety to the place you normally pay rent. The report must be in writing if your written lease requires it, and your rent must be current when you give notice. To use legal remedies, send a second written notice after a reasonable time, or send the first one by certified or other tracked mail. Seven days is presumed reasonable. Repair-and-deduct is allowed only in listed situations, such as a sewage backup or water cut off, and is capped at the greater of one month's rent or $500 (§§92.052, 92.056, 92.0561). Withholding rent outside these rules can cost one month's rent + $500 (§92.058).
• Georgia. Since 2024, every residential lease is deemed to include a promise that the home is "fit for human habitation" (§44-7-13). The state handbook says to give prompt notice, preferably in writing, and warns that "even if the Landlord fails to make repairs, you generally must continue to pay rent." It describes repair-and-deduct with cautions: give written notice first, use a licensed professional, keep receipts. The landlord can challenge it.
• Alabama. Landlords must keep the home habitable and maintain electrical, plumbing, heating and A/C (§35-9A-204). A tenant can give written notice that the lease ends in 14 days if the problem isn't fixed, or sue for damages (§35-9A-401). We didn't find a repair-and-deduct or rent-withholding section among the sections we checked.
• Tennessee. The URLTA-county booklet says to ask in writing, keep a dated copy and wait 14 days. It also says, "Never skip paying rent because repairs have not been made." There are separate options when essential services such as power, heat, gas or water are out.
• Arizona. Tenants must "promptly notify the landlord in writing" about needed repairs (§33-1341). A health or safety breach allows a 5-day termination notice. For minor defects costing less than the greater of $300 or half a month's rent, if the landlord doesn't act within 10 days of written notice, you may hire a licensed contractor and deduct the cost with an itemized statement (§33-1363). But "a tenant may not withhold rent for any reason not authorized by this chapter" (§33-1368).

Everywhere: 1. Put it in writing, with dates and photos. 2. Keep paying rent. 3. For dangerous conditions, call your city or county code enforcement or health department.

Several of these states ban retaliation, such as rent hikes or eviction, for asking for repairs.

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Laws and court procedures change, and this article is not legal advice. Tennessee's URLTA covers only some counties, so check your situation with your county court, a legal aid office or a lawyer. Checked 2026-10-23.

Cite this article as: JOBnaru™ — https://jobnaru.com/en/news/tenant-rights-deposit-eviction-repairs-by-state