Tennessee’s landlord-tenant laws, governed by the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (URLTA) in counties with populations over 75,000 and common law elsewhere, outline clear rights and duties for renters and owners. Tenants enjoy protections like habitable housing and privacy, while landlords can enforce rent collection and property maintenance rules. Key distinctions between renting and owning hinge on these regulations, security deposits, and eviction processes.
Landlord Duties
Landlords must deliver and maintain habitable units compliant with health, safety, and building codes, including working plumbing, heating (if provided), and common area cleanliness. They supply trash removal for multi-unit buildings, make timely repairs, and provide at least 24 hours’ notice for non-emergency entry. Failure to comply risks tenant remedies like rent abatement or lease termination.
Tenant Obligations
Tenants pay rent on time, keep units clean, avoid damage beyond normal wear, and report maintenance issues promptly. They cannot disturb neighbors, engage in illegal acts, or alter property without approval, facing eviction for violations.
Security Deposits and Rent
No cap exists on deposits, typically one to two months’ rent, with refunds due within 30 days post-move-out minus deductions for damages or unpaid rent. Rent increases require 30 days’ notice for month-to-month leases; no statewide rent control applies.
Eviction Procedures
Nonpayment prompts a 14-day pay-or-quit notice; other breaches get 14 days to remedy or 30-day quit notice. Illegal activity or health/safety violations allow 3-day quit notices, with court summons required for formal eviction—no self-help evictions permitted.
Lease Termination
Fixed-term leases end without notice; month-to-month requires 30 days, week-to-week 10 days. Tenants may break early for domestic violence or military duty with proper notice.
SOURCES
[1](https://ipropertymanagement.com/laws/tennessee-landlord-tenant-rights)…