Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has signed Senate Bill 559 (SB 559) into law, introducing new procedures for self-storage operators to address non-monetary tenant defaults and clarifying the enforceability of unsigned rental agreements. The legislation will take effect on July 1, according to an April 14 email newsletter from the national Self Storage Association (SSA).
Backed by both the SSA and the Tennessee Self Storage Association (TNSSA), SB 559 amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 66, Chapter 31. Under the new law, facility operators can terminate a tenant’s lease by providing a 15-day notice—either hand-delivered, emailed, or sent via Certified Mail. Operators are also permitted to impose “reasonable restrictions” on access for tenants in default, such as limiting entry to regular office hours.
Another key provision of the bill states that tenants who have rented a unit for 30 days or more are considered to have accepted the terms of the rental agreement, even if they haven't signed it.
The SSA, which represents over 22,000 self-storage facilities in the U.S. and abroad, works closely with several state and international associations and has a membership base of approximately 6,000.
The TNSSA, serving the state’s self-storage industry for more than 15 years, hosts four quarterly events annually along with a two-day legal seminar and conference.
