--- name: tn-landlord-tenant description: > Subject-matter bundle for Tennessee residential landlord-tenant disputes. Covers URLTA (§ 66-28) for counties over 75,000 population vs. general law (§ 66-7) for counties at or below 75,000; 14-day URLTA nonpayment notice (§ 66-28-505) with CARES Act 30-day overlay for federally-subsidized housing (Section 8, LIHTC, federally-backed mortgages); detainer-warrant practice in General Sessions (§ 29-18-101 et seq.) with 10-day de novo appeal to Circuit (§ 27-5-108) and possession bond (§ 29-18-130); security deposits (§ 66-28-301); warranty of habitability (§ 66-28-304); self-help-eviction prohibition (§ 66-28-504) with 3-month / 3x-damages remedy; retaliation presumption (§ 66-28-514); fair-housing (FHA, THRA); tenant-defense posture. version: 0.2.1 --- # Tennessee Landlord-Tenant > **NOT LEGAL ADVICE.** Tennessee landlord-tenant law turns on which > statutory scheme applies (URLTA vs. the general law), which depends > on county population, plus the federal **CARES Act 30-day-notice** > overlay for subsidized properties. Statute numbers, day counts, > and the covered-county list change — verify every citation > against the current Tenn. Code Ann. and the current census before > relying. Consult a licensed Tennessee attorney about your specific > case. Use this subject-matter bundle for Tennessee residential landlord-tenant matters — most commonly an **eviction (detainer warrant)** defended by a tenant, but also security-deposit, habitability, self-help-eviction, retaliation, and fair-housing issues. ## At a glance — the six things that move every TN L/T case 1. **URLTA vs. § 66-7**: county-population threshold dictates the substantive scheme. Resolve **first**. 2. **General Sessions is the forum** for detainer warrants (§ 29-18-101 et seq.); 10-day **de novo appeal** to Circuit (§ 27-5-108). 3. **14-day URLTA nonpayment notice** under § 66-28-505 in URLTA counties; **30-day** for periodic tenancies under § 66-28-512 / § 66-7-109; **30-day CARES Act** for federally- subsidized housing (Section 8, LIHTC, federally-backed mortgages). 4. **Security deposit mechanics**: separate account under § 66-28-301; 30-day return with itemization; forfeiture waiver where landlord fails the procedure. 5. **Self-help eviction is prohibited** — lockouts, utility shutoffs, removal of belongings — both URLTA (§ 66-28-504 / -603) and § 66-7. Damages + injunction. 6. **Possession bond** under § 29-18-130(b): post to stay execution of possession judgment pending de novo appeal; case law has held appeal **not automatically dismissed** for bond default, but verify. ## Two statutory schemes — which one applies? | Scheme | Statute | Coverage | |---|---|---| | **Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (URLTA)** | Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-101 et seq. | Counties with population **over 75,000** (decennial census; § 66-28-102) | | **General landlord-tenant law** | Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-101 et seq. | Counties **at or below** 75,000 | > **Do NOT hard-code the covered-county list.** The list of > over-75,000 counties **shifts with each decennial census**. As of > the 2020 census, approximately 23 of Tennessee's 95 counties > exceeded the threshold (including Davidson, Shelby, Knox, > Hamilton, Rutherford, Williamson, Montgomery, Sumner, Wilson, > Blount, Bradley, Madison, Sevier, Washington, Maury, Anderson, > Tipton, Hamblen, Putnam, Robertson, Greene, Cumberland, Bedford > — confirm before pleading). The list shifts; the statute auto- > updates with new census data. The threshold question — **"Is this an URLTA county or a § 66-7 county?"** — should be the first thing resolved in any Tennessee landlord-tenant matter. Getting it wrong changes the notice periods, the security-deposit rules, the habitability framework, and the available defenses. ## URLTA — key sections | Topic | Section | Notes | |---|---|---| | Applicability | § 66-28-102 | Over 75,000 population (current census) | | Scope exclusions | § 66-28-104 | Hotels, public housing, owner-occupied 4-or-fewer-unit, charitable, etc. | | Security deposit | § 66-28-301 | Separate account; itemized list within 60 days; return within 30 days | | Disclosure of owner/agent | § 66-28-302 | Required at or before tenancy | | Landlord obligations | § 66-28-304 | Comply with codes; maintain fit and habitable; common areas; services | | Tenant obligations | § 66-28-401 | Comply with codes affecting health and safety; maintain unit clean and sanitary | | Tenant remedies (material noncompliance) | § 66-28-501 | 14-day notice to landlord; if not cured, termination or repair-and-deduct | | Wrongful failure to deliver | § 66-28-503 | Tenant remedies if landlord fails to deliver possession | | Unlawful ouster / self-help | § 66-28-504 | Damages + injunction; **prohibits lockouts and utility cutoffs** | | Nonpayment notice | § 66-28-505 | 14 days from receipt; if rent paid in 14, no termination | | Noncompliance affecting health/safety | § 66-28-507 | 14-day cure; written notice | | Landlord access | § 66-28-403 | Reasonable times; 24-hour notice (presumptive) | | Termination of periodic tenancy | § 66-28-512 | 30-day notice for month-to-month | | Holdover | § 66-28-513 | Landlord remedies; damages | | Retaliation | § 66-28-514 | Presumption of retaliation if landlord acts within 1 year of protected activity | | Application of Tenn. R. Civ. P. | § 66-28-516 | URLTA does **not** displace civil procedure in non-GS forums | ## Non-URLTA counties (§ 66-7 et seq.) — key differences - **No statutory 14-day-cure protection** for nonpayment. Notice period is governed by lease + common law. - **Periodic-tenancy notice**: 30 days under § 66-7-109 for month-to-month. - **No statutory habitability standard** — implied common-law habitability is more limited. Defenses lean on lease + housing- code violations. - **Security deposit**: no statutory framework — lease + common law. Defenses lean on contract + unjust enrichment. ## Eviction = detainer warrant (forcible entry & detainer) Regardless of the substantive scheme, evictions proceed by **detainer warrant** under Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-18-101 et seq. ### Forum and procedure - **General Sessions Court** — unlimited subject-matter jurisdiction over **possession**, despite the ordinary $25,000 civil cap; monetary judgment for rent / damages is **capped at $25,000** under § 16-15-501 (any larger arrears claim must pursue separately). - **No formal discovery as of right** in General Sessions — Tenn. R. Civ. P. do not apply (§ 16-15-105 procedural informality). - **Service** under § 29-18-115: personal service, residential service on persons of suitable age, or **posting** after diligent inquiry. Posting is a frequent service-quality issue for tenants who miss the warrant. - **Return date** — six days after issuance under § 29-18-117; the docket call is typically same-day or next-day. - **Hearing** is informal; landlord proves lease + breach + notice compliance; tenant raises defenses orally. - **Judgment**: possession + arrears within the General Sessions cap. - **Writ of possession** issued after the 10-day appeal window closes under § 27-5-108; sheriff executes typically within several days. ### De novo appeal to Circuit (§ 27-5-108) - **10-day clock** from General Sessions judgment. - **De novo trial in Circuit** under the full Tenn. R. Civ. P. — discovery, summary judgment, jury (if demanded). - **Possession bond** under § 29-18-130(b): tenant must post bond equal to one year's rent to stay execution pending appeal; the bond is **stayed-execution-only**, not appeal- dismissal — case law (e.g., *Johnson v. Hopkins*, 432 S.W.3d 840 (Tenn. 2013)) has held appeal not automatically dismissed for bond default, but verify. - **Pauper's oath** (uniform indigency procedure) may substitute for bond on showing of indigency under § 20-12-127. - Practical effect: **de novo appeal is the principal vehicle for accessing formal discovery and counsel-led litigation** in a Tennessee eviction defense. ### CARES Act 30-day notice overlay (federally-subsidized properties) Under Section 4024(c) of the federal CARES Act (still in force), **federally-subsidized rental properties** — Section 8 vouchers, LIHTC tax-credit properties, USDA Rural Development, Section 202/811, and properties with federally-backed mortgages — require **30 days' written notice** before filing for nonpayment, displacing the URLTA 14-day rule. - Confirmed in *Schiminger v. Cooperage Project, LLC*, M2023- 01281-COA-R3-CV (Tenn. Ct. App. 2024). - Landlord must affirmatively comply; tenant should plead defective notice if 14-day URLTA notice was given on a federally-subsidized property. - Plaintiff cannot remedy by amending notice mid-case; defective notice **defeats the action**. ## Security deposits URLTA imposes specific mechanics: - **Separate account** at a Tennessee bank or other federally- insured institution (§ 66-28-301(a)). - **Itemized statement** of deductions to tenant within **60 days** of move-out. - **Return of balance** within **30 days** after itemization (effectively a 30-day return-after-itemization, or 60+30 = effectively 60 days from move-out for full process). - **Failure to provide itemized list within 60 days** → landlord **forfeits the right to retain** any portion of the deposit (§ 66-28-301(g)). Strong tenant remedy. - **Damages**: tenant may recover the deposit + attorney's fees (where lease allows or under common-law unjust enrichment). ## Warranty of habitability and the repair obligation URLTA imposes statutory maintenance duties: - **Comply with applicable building / housing codes** materially affecting health and safety (§ 66-28-304(a)(1)). - **Maintain fit and habitable condition** (§ 66-28-304(a)(2)). - **Common areas and shared facilities** maintained in safe condition (§ 66-28-304(a)(3)). - **Essential services**: running water, hot water, heat in appropriate weather (§ 66-28-304(a)(5)-(6)). **Tenant remedies under § 66-28-501**: 1. **14-day written notice** to landlord specifying the noncompliance. 2. If not cured within 14 days, tenant may: - **Terminate** the rental agreement and recover deposit; - **Recover damages** for the noncompliance; - **Obtain injunctive relief** in Chancery or Circuit (not General Sessions). **Limited repair-and-deduct**: Tennessee does **not** have a broad statutory repair-and-deduct remedy comparable to California's; the URLTA framework relies on notice-and-cure + termination + damages. In **non-URLTA counties**, habitability lives in common law (*Tennessee Real Estate Comm'n v. Potts*, 537 S.W.2d 433 (Tenn. 1976) — pre-URLTA implied warranty) and is materially weaker. ## Retaliation — § 66-28-514 URLTA prohibits landlord retaliation: - **Presumptively retaliatory acts within 1 year** of protected tenant activity: - complaint to housing authority / public agency about code violation; - complaint to landlord about noncompliance; - joining or organizing a tenants' union; - exercising any URLTA right. - **Retaliatory acts barred**: increase in rent, decrease in services, eviction, refusal to renew. - **Exceptions** at § 66-28-514(b): landlord may evict for nonpayment, criminal activity, or substantial damage, even during the 1-year presumption window. - **Damages**: 3 months' rent or actual damages, whichever is greater + attorney's fees. Non-URLTA counties have **no statutory retaliation protection**; analysis runs through public-policy / federal Fair Housing Act retaliation. ## Self-help eviction is prohibited Under URLTA § 66-28-504 and § 66-28-603 and parallel common-law rules in § 66-7 counties: - **No lockouts** — landlord cannot change locks without writ of possession. - **No utility shutoffs** — landlord cannot terminate water, electricity, gas, or heat to force vacancy. - **No removal of tenant's belongings** without writ + sheriff. **Tenant remedy under § 66-28-504(b)**: damages **+ 3 months' rent or three times the actual damages**, whichever is greater + costs + attorney's fees + injunctive relief. This is a **plaintiff's claim** that flips the eviction-defense posture into an affirmative case for damages and injunction. ## Fair-housing overlay | Source | Protections | Coverage | |---|---|---| | Federal Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. § 3601 et seq.) | Race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, disability | All housing with limited exceptions | | **Tennessee Human Rights Act** (Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-601) | Race, color, creed, religion, sex, age, disability, national origin | 8+ unit threshold for some THRA protections | | **Memphis Source of Income Ordinance** | Section 8 voucher holders | Memphis only | | Nashville | **No source-of-income protection** as of current ordinance status — verify | ## Tenant-defense posture in a detainer case 1. **Which scheme applies** — URLTA (§ 66-28) or general law (§ 66-7)? County population. 2. **CARES Act 30-day notice** — is the property federally subsidized? If yes, the 14-day URLTA notice is defective. 3. **Defective predicate notice** — no written notice; wrong notice period; wrong amount demanded; bundled late fees / charges; demand for accelerated rent. 4. **Defective service / process** of the detainer warrant — posting where personal service was possible; service on a minor or non-resident. 5. **Rent paid / tendered** before judgment, or improper charges bundled. 6. **Breach of habitability / maintenance** under § 66-28-304 raised defensively + as counterclaim under § 66-28-501. 7. **Retaliation** under § 66-28-514 — protected act within 1 year + adverse action. 8. **Self-help eviction** under § 66-28-504 — counterclaim for lockouts / shutoffs / belongings removal. 9. **Fair-housing discrimination** — protected-class adverse action. 10. **Procedural relief**: the 10-day **de novo appeal** under § 27-5-108 is the gateway to formal discovery; consider indigency oath in lieu of bond. ## Affirmative tenant claims (when the tenant brings the case) - **Wrongful eviction / self-help** — § 66-28-504 damages + 3 months' rent / 3x actual + fees. - **Security-deposit forfeiture** — § 66-28-301(g) damages. - **Habitability damages** — § 66-28-501 termination + damages. - **Retaliation damages** — § 66-28-514 damages. - **Fair-housing damages** — FHA / THRA. ## Drafting checklist - [ ] Confirm county population — URLTA or § 66-7? - [ ] If subsidized property, confirm CARES Act 30-day notice was given; otherwise plead defective notice. - [ ] Pull the **lease + notice + payment records + photos** at intake — the General Sessions hearing is fast and evidence-poor. - [ ] If filing detainer warrant: use AOC civil-warrant form; file in proper General Sessions venue (where property located); confirm 6-day return-date scheduling. - [ ] If defending: appear at the return date (failure to appear = default possession judgment); raise notice defects orally; preserve appeal rights. - [ ] If appealing de novo: file notice within 10 days under § 27-5-108; address bond (§ 29-18-130) or pauper's oath (§ 20-12-127). - [ ] If pursuing affirmative claims (self-help, habitability, retaliation, security deposit): consider filing in Chancery or Circuit for the equitable remedies and potential class certification under Tenn. R. Civ. P. 23. ## Composition - For statewide format: `tn-statewide-format` - For General Sessions venue + 10-day appeal: `tn-general-sessions` - For Chancery / Circuit venue on affirmative tenant claims: `tn-davidson`, `tn-shelby`, `tn-knox`, `tn-hamilton`, `tn-county-courts` - For first response triage in detainer: `tn-first-30-days` - For drafting motions / declarations / orders: `tn-draft-motion`, `tn-draft-declaration`, `tn-draft-order` - For 10-day appeal clock + deadlines: `tn-deadlines` - For fair-housing employment-discrimination overlap: `tn-employment` - For post-judgment / writ-of-possession execution: `tn-post-judgment` - For QC: `tn-quality-check`, `tn-fact-check` ## References - `tn-law-references` — Tenn. Code Ann., Tenn. R. Civ. P., and federal symlinks - Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-101 et seq. — URLTA - Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-7-101 et seq. — general L/T (non-URLTA) - Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-18-101 et seq. — detainer warrants (FED) - Tenn. Code Ann. § 27-5-108 — 10-day de novo appeal - Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-18-130 — possession bond - Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-21-601 — Tennessee Human Rights Act fair- housing - CARES Act § 4024(c) (P.L. 116-136) — 30-day notice for federally-subsidized housing - *Schiminger v. Cooperage Project, LLC* (Tenn. App. 2024) — CARES 30-day notice still in force - *Johnson v. Hopkins*, 432 S.W.3d 840 (Tenn. 2013) — possession bond + appeal dismissal