Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed Senate Bill 559 (SB 559) into law, which provides a process through which self-storage operators can handle non-monetary tenant defaults. It also addresses the enforceability of unsigned rental agreements. It’ll take effect on July 1, according to an April 14 email newsletter sent from the national Self Storage Association (SSA) to its members.
Supported by the SSA and the Tennessee Self Storage Association (TNSSA), SB 559 amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 66, Chapter 31. The new law gives facility operators the right to end a tenant’s lease so long as they provide a 15-day notice, which must be hand-delivered, or sent via email or Certified Mail. Operators can also place “reasonable restrictions” on facility access for tenants in default, which might mean allowing them to enter their unit only during official office hours.
In addition, SB 559 states that customers who’ve rented a self-storage unit for at least 30 days automatically accept the terms of the rental agreement even if they haven’t signed it.
Related:State Regs, Tech Pitfalls, Fraud, Etc. Engfer and Greenberger Discuss the Latest Legal Risks in Self-Storage Operation
The SSA represents more than 22,000 U.S. and international member-affiliated self-storage facilities, according to its website. It’s allied with several state and international self-storage associations and has about 6,000 members.
Serving Tennessee self-storage professionals for more than 15 years, the TNSSA offers four quarterly events as well as a two-day legal seminar and conference each year.
Sources:SSA Magazine Weekly, 4/14/25, “Tennessee Self Storage Act Update Will Take Effect on July 1st”Tennessee Senate, Senate Bill 559
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