Carroll County is a sprawling West Tennessee county — 599 square miles of gently rolling loess plains — anchored by the county seat of Huntingdon and the university town of McKenzie. Its economy is grounded in agriculture (generating over $130 million in direct output annually), small-to-mid-size manufacturing, and a growing tourism sector tied to Natchez Trace State Park and the 1,000-acre Carroll County recreational lake. With 14 distinct municipalities spread across the county, Carroll County has a diffuse housing market: rental demand clusters around the Huntingdon and McKenzie cores, while rural areas primarily serve owner-occupants involved in farming or long-established local industries.
At 28,440 residents, Carroll County falls below Tennessee’s 75,000 URLTA threshold — non-URLTA rules apply. Tenancy is governed by common law and general Title 66 provisions. Evictions are heard by the 24th Judicial District’s General Sessions Court at 99 Court Square, Huntingdon. Phone: (731) 986-1926.
📊 Quick Stats
County Seat
Huntingdon
Population
28,440 (2020)
Key Communities
Huntingdon, McKenzie, Bruceton, Trezevant, Atwood
Court System
General Sessions — 99 Court Square, Huntingdon
URLTA Status
❌ Does Not Apply (pop. under 75,000)
Rent Control
None (state preemption)
Just-Cause Eviction
Not required statewide
⚡ Eviction At-a-Glance
Nonpayment Notice
14-Day Pay or Vacate (T.C.A. § 66-28-505)
Lease Violation Notice
14-Day Cure or Vacate
Filing Fee
~$90–$130
Court Address
99 Court Square, Huntingdon, TN 38344
Court Phone
(731) 986-1926
Answer Deadline
6–15 days after filing
Writ Enforcement
Carroll County Sheriff
Carroll County Ordinances & Local Rules
Topic
Rule / Notes
Rent Control
None. T.C.A. § 66-35-102 prohibits local rent control statewide.
URLTA Coverage
❌ Does not apply. Population (28,440) is below the 75,000 threshold. Common law and general Title 66 provisions govern.
Security Deposit
No statutory cap. Return with itemized deductions within a reasonable time (30 days best practice).
Habitability
Common law implied warranty of habitability applies. No statutory repair-and-deduct right as under URLTA.
Self-Help Eviction
Prohibited statewide regardless of URLTA status.
Late Fees
No statutory cap. Must be expressly stated in the lease agreement.
Agricultural Income Tenants
Farming generates $130M+ annually. Some tenants earn seasonal or commodity-based income — verify income stability with 2–3 years tax returns if applicable.
Lake & Recreation Area Rentals
Carroll County Thousand Acre Lake and Natchez Trace State Park generate recreational visitor traffic. Verify county zoning for any STR activity near recreational areas.
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Tennessee has a dual-track eviction system. The URLTA (§66-28-505) applies to counties with population over 75,000 (covering ~75% of the population including Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga). Non-URLTA counties use §66-7-109. Notice periods are 14 days for both tracks for nonpayment. Tenants have a mandatory 5-day grace period (§66-28-201(d)). The 14-day notice cannot be sent until after the 5-day grace period expires. If the same nonpayment recurs within 6 months, landlord can issue a 7-day unconditional quit notice (§66-28-505(a)(2)(B)). Filing fees vary by county ($100-$200).
Serve the required notice based on the eviction reason (nonpayment or lease violation).
Wait for the notice period to expire. If tenant cures the issue (where allowed), the process stops.
File an eviction case with the General Sessions Court. Pay the filing fee (~$130).
Tenant is served with a summons and has the opportunity to respond.
Attend the court hearing and present your case.
If you prevail, obtain a writ of possession from the court.
Law enforcement executes the writ and removes the tenant if necessary.
⚠️ Disclaimer: This page provides general information about Tennessee eviction laws and does not constitute legal advice.
Eviction procedures can vary by county and may change over time. Local jurisdictions may have additional requirements or tenant protections.
For specific legal guidance, consult a qualified Tennessee attorney or local legal aid organization.
🔍 Reduce Your Risk Before Signing a Lease:
Tennessee landlords who screen tenants carefully before signing a lease significantly
reduce their risk of ending up in eviction court. Understanding
tenant screening in Tennessee —
including background checks, credit history, income verification, and rental references — is one of the most
cost-effective steps you can take to protect your rental property. Before you ever need Tennessee's
eviction process, proper tenant screening can help
you identify red flags early and avoid problem tenancies altogether.
Ready to File?
Generate Tennessee-Compliant Legal Documents
AI-generated, state-specific eviction notices, pay-or-quit letters, lease termination documents, and more — pre-filled with your tenant's information and built to Tennessee requirements.
Select your state, eviction reason, and the date you plan to serve notice. We'll calculate your earliest filing date and key milestones.
⚠️ Disclaimer: These calculations are estimates based on state statutes and typical court timelines. Actual results vary by county, court backlog, and case specifics. Always verify current requirements with your local courthouse. This is not legal advice.
Agricultural income verification: Carroll County agriculture generates over $130M annually. Tenant farmers and farm-adjacent workers may have seasonal or commodity-price-variable income. For renters whose income is tied to farming, request 2 years of tax returns in addition to recent paystubs to verify income stability across seasons.
McKenzie university influence: Bethel University in McKenzie creates a student and faculty rental sub-market. Student tenants typically benefit from a guarantor/co-signer arrangement; academic-year lease terms should be explicitly structured to avoid mid-year vacancy surprises.
Carroll County Landlord Guide: Agricultural Income Verification, Non-URLTA Rules, and West Tennessee Rural Rentals
Carroll County sits at the agricultural heart of West Tennessee, a region where the rhythms of row crop farming — soybeans, corn, cotton — and the corresponding cycles of income and expense shape community life in ways that urban Tennessee landlords rarely encounter. Understanding the economic texture of Carroll County is essential context for any landlord operating here, because many tenants’ financial lives are interwoven with the agricultural calendar in ways that don’t show up neatly on a standard rental application.
Agricultural Income and Seasonal Cash Flow
Carroll County agriculture generates over $130 million in direct output annually. A meaningful portion of the county’s workforce is employed in farming, farm-support services, agri-processing, or commodity marketing — and many of these workers experience income that is lumpy, seasonal, or tied to crop prices. A tenant who works as a crop consultant, machinery operator, or farm manager may earn strong gross annual income but receive it in irregular installments tied to planting and harvest seasons. For these tenants, monthly rent-to-income ratios assessed from a single recent paystub can be misleading. Best practice is to request two years of federal tax returns to assess annualized income, alongside bank statements showing consistent financial management across low-income months.
Non-URLTA Framework: Common Law Governs
Carroll County’s population of 28,440 places it well below the URLTA threshold. Common law and Tennessee’s general Title 66 provisions apply. This means landlords are not bound by URLTA’s mandatory habitability maintenance timelines or the statutory repair-and-deduct remedy, but courts have recognized an implied warranty of habitability in residential leases. Document property condition thoroughly at move-in with a signed move-in checklist and dated photos, and respond to legitimate maintenance requests in writing with a documented timeline. This protects against breach-of-warranty claims regardless of URLTA status.
Huntingdon Courthouse and Filing Process
Carroll County General Sessions Court operates from the Carroll County Courthouse at 99 Court Square, Huntingdon, TN 38344. Phone: (731) 986-1926. County offices are open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The courthouse is a notable three-story gray stone structure with large columned porticoes — an impressive example of mid-20th century Tennessee civic architecture. After the 14-day notice period expires without payment or cure, file your detainer warrant at the Courthouse Square. The Carroll County Sheriff enforces writs of possession post-judgment.
⚠️ Legal Disclaimer: This page is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Consult a licensed Tennessee attorney or contact Carroll County General Sessions Court for guidance on specific matters. Last updated: March 2026.
