Healthy Homes - Renters

How is renting different from own a home?
What are my obligations as a tenant?
What can I do to keep my rental home a healthy home?
What if I have an unhealthy condition in my rental home?
What are my rights as a tenant?
Fact sheets for renters and renters throughout COVID-19
What about Residential Or Commercial Property Maintenance Codes?
What is URLTA?
What are the minimum standards for rental housing?
Can I make a protest?
What if I reside in federal government assisted housing?
Does the USDA assist with occupants in backwoods?
Where can I find out more about healthy housing policy?
Additional resources

* * * Our Healthy Homes staff are not physicians or lawyers. The info on our Healthy Homes Website does not provide medical or legal advice. This details is not an alternative to visiting your physician or for seeking advice from a legal representative about your specific situation. * * *

3 Actions a Concerned Renter Should Do:

1. Put everything in writing. Take pictures and videos. Save e-mails, texts, letters, and voicemails. Write a calendar of occasions.

2. Do not stop paying lease. It would likely protest the lease or the law. Keep your rent invoices as proof you paid.

3. Read your lease. Whatever is composed in the lease is a legal agreement. Both renter and property owner have responsibilities.

It is likely prohibited for a proprietor to retaliate versus a renter who submits a grievance, calls Buiding Codes, or takes legal action. Changing locks, shutting down utilities, showing up frequently, or inappropriately raising lease can be retaliation.

How is renting various from home ownership?

Renting is different from home ownership because the tenant must depend on somebody else to make repairs. The renter may not be able to make changes to the home without permission. A renter has both rights and duties. Renting can be a great choice for lots of individuals to maintain a healthy home environment, both indoors and outdoors. Whether you rent a home, apartment or condo, duplex, mobile home or cabin you can keep the seven healthy homes principles. Remember that good health begins in your home.

What are my responsibilities as an occupant?

Renters are accountable for tidiness and security. You may rent without any official contract, or you might have a lease contract. The most common kind of occupant in Tennessee is a renter who signs a lease contract to pay rent each month throughout the year. Renters may be asked to offer a security deposit. Lease contracts are lawfully binding contracts. You are accountable for following the regards to your lease. Some lease agreements have addendums such as pet policies, insect control agreements or for reporting water damage. You are accountable for: paying your lease on time, paying any late charges, keeping the location clean and safe, not letting anyone else damage it, not breaking the law, getting rid of your trash, and following your landlord's guidelines. If you break your lease, then it may become a legal concern.

The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance shared Tips for First-Time Renters along with Tips on How to Spot Rental and Moving Scammers.

What can I do to keep my rental home a healthy home?

There are 8 basic concepts to maintaining a healthy home.

1. Keep it Dry. - Damp homes provide a great environment for mites, roaches, rodents and molds.
2. Keep it Clean. - Clean homes assist minimize insect infestations and direct exposure to contaminants.
3. Keep it Pest-Free. - Exposure to mice and cockroaches may increase asthma attacks. Improper pesticide treatments for bug problems can intensify health issue, given that pesticide residues in homes can posture health dangers.
4. Keep it Safe. - The bulk of kids's injuries occur in the home. Falls are the most regular reason for domestic injuries to children, followed by injuries from objects in the home, burns, and poisonings.
5. Keep it Contaminant-Free. - Avoid exposure to lead, radon, carbon monoxide gas, pesticides, asbestos and environmental tobacco smoke. Remember direct exposure is frequently higher inside.
6. Keep it Ventilated. - Studies have actually shown increasing fresh air in a home enhances respiratory health.
7. Keep it Maintained. - Poorly-maintained homes are at threat of being unhealthy.
8. Keep it Thermally Controlled. - Houses that do not maintain adequate temperatures may position the safety of locals at increased risk from direct exposure to severe heat or cold.

If you utilize these concepts as a guide, you can maintain a safe and healthy home. If you are having a problem maintaining any of these concepts, other parts of this site will have information and resources to help you.

What if I have an unhealthy condition in my rental home?

If you have an unhealthy condition in your rental home, then it might be your duty to repair the issue or it may be your property manager's duty to make repair work. Read your rental lease agreement. Adhere to any requirements for tidiness or safety. Report any required repair work to the landlord as they emerge. Putting your concerns in composing is best. This develops a record of your issues. Repairs to your rental home must be made in a sensible amount of time. The quantity of time may be noted in your lease.

If your proprietor has actually not made repair work in a sensible quantity of time, you might require to interact more directly, such as with additional written grievances or a face-to-face conference. If your property owner continues to disregard your issues, you might need to pursue legal action.

Disputes in between a landlord and a renter are civil issues. Most property manager and renter issues are beyond the authority of the Health Department. These concerns would be ruled on by a civil court judge translating the law. There are some programs that support tenants.

What are my rights as an occupant?

According to the Legal Aid Society, as a tenant you can a habitable location and to live peacefully. Your rights as a renter might differ depending upon which county you live in. The Legal Aid Society has a useful reality sheet to assist you comprehend your rights as an occupant. How to get in touch with the Legal Aid Society or the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services is listed below.

If your rental home requires an emergency situation repair to keep it healthy, such as a repair work of the heat, gas, lights, water, sewage, pipes or air conditioning, you should notify your landlord right away.

If the requirement for repair in not an emergency situation, then 2 week is typically considered as a reasonable amount of time for the proprietor to make repair work. Hopefully, many repairs will be made rather after a landlord is made aware. Use your routine method of reporting requirements for repair work such as a website, call, text message, or office check out. Put something into composing to document when you made the property manager mindful of the requirement for repair.

In some counties you can utilize some of your rent cash to make these immediate repairs. If the issue was your fault, you may need to assist spend for the repairs.

You can not be dislodged of your rental home. You can not be evicted without notification. The proprietor can not change the locks or turned off your utilities to make you leave. The majority of the time, a landlord needs to go to court before evicting you. If you did something harmful or threatening, the property manager just needs to provide you three (3) days to leave. If you did not pay rent or broke your lease arrangement, you may be given a thirty (30) day observe to leave. If you have legal questions about housing, you need to talk to an attorney or legal services.

The Tennessee Alliance for Legal Serices has a HELP4TN site, chatbot, and telephone to help individuals who require assist with their legal concerns. If you do not have your own attorney, this is an excellent website to start.

If you certify based upon income or support status, the Legal Aid Society might have the ability to help. Bear in mind, Legal Aid has a client waiting list and hardly ever will cases happen fast. Contact the office near you for additional information.

Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands - 1-800-238-1443
Offices in Clarksville, Columbia, Cookeville, Gallatin, Murfreesboro, Nashville, Oak Ridge, and Tullahoma

Legal Aid Society of East Tennessee - 1-865-637-0484
Offices in Knoxville, Johnson City, Chattanooga, and Cleveland

West Tennessee Legal Services - 1-800-372-8346
Offices in Jackson, Dyersburg, Huntingdon, and Selmer

Memphis Area Legal Services - 1-888-207-6386
Offices in Memphis and Covington

The Legal Aid Society developed these truth sheets to help you understand your rights and duties as an occupant. Click the left image for counties of 75,000 or more population and the ideal image for smaller counties.

Anderson, Blount, Bradley, Davidson, Hamilton, Knox, Madison, Maury, Montgomery, Rutherford, Sevier, Shelby, Sullivan, Sumner, Washington, Williamson, or Wilson

Bedford, Benton, Bledsoe, Campbell, Cannon, Carroll, Carter, Cheatham, Chester, Claiborne, Clay, Cocke, Coffee, Crockett, Cumberland, Decatur, DeKalb, Dickson, Dyer, Fayette, Fentress, Franklin, Gibson, Giles, Grainger, Greene, Grundy, Hamblen, Hancock, Hardeman, Hardin, Hawkins, Haywood, Henderson, Henry, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Lake, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Loudon, McMinn, McNairy, Macon, Marion, Marshall, Meigs, Monroe, Moore, Morgan, Obion, Overton, Perry, Pickett, Polk, Putnam, Rhea, Roane, Robertson, Scott, Sequatchie, Sevier, Smith, Stewart, Tipton, Trousdale, Unicoi, Union, Van Buren, Warren, Wayne, Weakley, or White

What about Residential Or Commercial Property Maintenance Codes?

Residential Or Commercial Property Maintenance Codes or Building and Safety Codes are minimum residential or commercial property maintenance standards. Codes can use to residential or non-residential residential or commercial properties or both. Codes examinations can occur at any time, though they are most typical with brand-new construction or restoration. Building regulations assist to ensure security within a structure. It is essential to have buildings up to code. Landlords are responsible for satisfying Codes.

All cities in Tennessee have their own codes departments to impose Residential or commercial property Maintenance Codes. Many big county or city federal governments have codes departments. Though, numerous towns and rural locations do not have any standardized minimum residential or commercial property maintenance codes. Several codes departments across the state have actually embraced the International Residential or commercial property Maintenance Code. Codes inspectors might check electrical, plumbing, gas, zoning, and other physical aspects of a home. Contact your local codes department for info specific to your area.

Often Building Codes will ask if a tenant has actually already notified their landlord about the requirement for repair work and given the property manager sensible time to make the repair work. Afterward, Buiding Codes may carry out an assessment. If there is an evaluation, be sure to ask for a copy of any notes or citations. Bear in mind that Building regulations can only go to homes where the occupant has legal right to enable their go to.

What is URLTA?

Tennessee Code Annotated § 66-28 is the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. URLTA only applies in counties of greater than 75,000 population as of the 2010 U.S. Census. For these more populated counties, there are written requirements and securities to rental arrangements including responsibilities for upkeep by the property manager to adhere to requirements of appropriate structure and housing codes materially affecting healthy and safety, as noted in 66-28-304.( a).

What are the minimum requirements for rental housing?

The Tennessee Department of Health is responsible for promulgating rules for minimum health requirements for rental housing. These guidelines become part of Tennessee Code Annotated § 53-5502 restructured as § 68-111 in Chapter 1200-1-2. The guidelines cover basic devices and facilities, light and ventilation, temperature, and sanitation.

Can I make an official complaint?

If a rental residential or commercial property violates minimum health standards it may be unfit for habitation. According to Tennessee Code Annotated § 68-111-101, occupants whose lease is $200 or less weekly may submit a problem with their local building inspector or county public health department. Complaints need to be submitted in writing with your county health department and a copy should be forwarded by certified mail to the property owner. A certifying problem can lead to a home investigation. This part of the law does not apply to renters who pay their rent month-to-month or for a term greater than regular monthly. For non-qualifying complaints, other building regulations or regulations that the structure inspector is authorized to impose, might apply to house rented at greater rates.

What if I live in federal government assisted housing?

The federal government assists low-income households, the senior, and the disabled to manage good, safe, and hygienic housing in the private market. Participants find their own housing, consisting of single-family homes, townhouses, and houses. There is a yearly Housing Quality Standards (HQS) inspection treatment to ensure that homes are clean and safe. Renters with assisted housing, such as Section 8, should start by talking with the office that issued their rental Housing Choice Voucher (HCV).

The Tennessee Housing Development Agency carries out agreement administration for Section 8 property issues in 76 counties. If the residential or commercial property owner or agent is not fulfilling their obligations, TDHA may intervene. For more details, call THDA at 1-800-228-THDA (8432) throughout normal company hours or visit the THDA webpage anytime. Local public housing agencies (PHAs) provide services in the other counties. A few of the local offices are the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency, Murfreesboro Housing Authority, Memphis Housing Authority, and Knox County Housing Authority.

Renters who get assistance can call their regional U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development workplace. Much of HUD's programs have specific requirements for housing quality. If your housing is not up to standards, then HUD might intervene to have the landlord make repairs as necessary. Tennessee's HUD office contact numbers are:

HUD Knoxville Field Office - (865) 545-4370
Jurisdiction: Anderson, Bledsoe, Blount, Bradley, Campbell, Carter, Claiborne, Cocke, Cumberland, Fentress, Grainger, Greene, Grundy, Hamblen, Hamilton, Hancock, Hawkins, Jefferson, Johnson, Knox, Loudon, McMinn, Marion, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Pickett, Polk, Roane, Rhea, Scott, Sequatchie, Sevier, Sullivan, Unicoi, Union, Washington

HUD Memphis Field Office - (901) 544-3367
Jurisdiction: Benton, Carroll, Chester, Crockett, Decatur, Dyer, Fayette, Gibson, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, Henry, Lake, Lauderdale, Madison, McNairy, Obion, Shelby, Tipton, Weakley

HUD Nashville Field Office - (615) 736-5600
Jurisdiction: Bedford, Cannon, Cheatham, Clay, Coffee, Davidson, De Kalb, Dickson, Franklin, Giles, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Jackson, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Macon, Marshall, Maury, Montgomery, Moore, Overton, Perry, Putnam, Robertson, Rutherford, Smith, Stewart, Sumner, Trousdale, Van Buren, Warren, Wayne, White, Williamson, Wilson

Does the USDA assist with tenants in rural locations?

Yes. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has a rural development program. USDA helps with some 360 multi-family residential or commercial properties in Tennessee. If you have a question about living in USDA-assisted rural housing you can contact your rural advancement regional workplace.