The law in plain English
Return deadline
Under Tenn. Code Section 66-28-301, the deposit response usually has to be sent within 60 days of the move-out timeline described by the state rule.
Required notice
Tennessee generally requires the deposit to be held in a dedicated account and any deductions to be documented with an itemized list before the landlord keeps part of the deposit.
This dispute type
Painting deductions are usually weakest when the landlord is refreshing the unit for the next tenant, covering faded walls, or addressing minor marks from normal occupancy. In Tennessee, the refund deadline and deduction notice rules still apply even if the landlord claims the walls needed work.
Penalty leverage
If the withholding was wrongful or in bad faith, the exposure allowed under the statute is: You can recover actual damages plus reasonable attorney's fees; landlord forfeits right to retain if deposit was not held in a dedicated account or no itemized list provided