How is renting different from own a home? What are my duties 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 an occupant? Fact sheets for occupants and renters during COVID-19 What about Residential Or Commercial Property Codes? What is URLTA? What are the minimum standards for rental housing? Can I make an official complaint? What if I reside in government assisted housing? Does the USDA assist with renters in rural areas? Where can I find out more about healthy housing policy? Additional resources

* * * Our Healthy Homes staff are not physicians or attorneys. The details on our Healthy Homes Website does not offer medical or legal suggestions. This information is not an alternative to visiting your physician or for seeking advice from with a legal representative about your particular scenario. * * *

3 Actions a Concerned Renter Should Do:

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

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

3. Read your lease. Whatever is written in the lease is a legal contract. Both renter and landlord have obligations.

It is most likely unlawful for a landlord to retaliate versus an occupant who files a problem, calls Buiding Codes, or takes legal action. Changing locks, shutting off utilities, showing up frequently, or inappropriately raising lease can be retaliation.

How is renting various from home ownership?

Renting is different from own a home because the renter must rely on another person to make repairs. The tenant may not be able to make modifications to the home without permission. A renter has both rights and duties. Renting can be a good alternative for lots of people to maintain a healthy home environment, both inside your home and outdoors. Whether you rent a house, apartment or condo, duplex, mobile home or cabin you can keep the seven healthy homes principles. Bear in mind that health begins in the house.

What are my duties as a renter?

Renters are accountable for cleanliness and security. You may lease with no formal agreement, or you might have a lease agreement. The most common type of renter in Tennessee is a tenant who signs a lease contract to pay lease monthly throughout the year. Renters might be asked to provide a down payment. Lease agreements are legally binding agreements. You are responsible for following the terms of your lease. Some lease contracts 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 costs, keeping the location tidy and safe, not letting anybody else damage it, not breaking the law, getting rid of your garbage, and following your landlord's guidelines. If you break your lease, then it may become a legal problem.

The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance shared Tips for First-Time Renters as well as 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 supply a good environment for termites, roaches, rodents and molds. 2. Keep it Clean. - Clean homes assist lower insect infestations and exposure to impurities. 3. Keep it Pest-Free. - Exposure to mice and cockroaches may increase asthma attacks. Improper pesticide treatments for bug invasions can worsen health problems, considering that pesticide residues in homes can present health dangers. 4. Keep it Safe. - The bulk of kids's injuries take place in the home. Falls are the most frequent reason for residential injuries to children, followed by injuries from objects in the home, burns, and poisonings. 5. Keep it Contaminant-Free. - Avoid direct exposure to lead, radon, carbon monoxide, pesticides, asbestos and ecological tobacco smoke. Keep in mind direct exposure is often greater inside. 6. Keep it Ventilated. - Studies have shown increasing fresh air in a home enhances respiratory health. 7. Keep it Maintained. - Poorly-maintained homes are at danger of being unhealthy. 8. Keep it Thermally Controlled. - Houses that do not maintain appropriate temperatures might place the safety of citizens at increased threat from direct exposure to extreme heat or cold.

If you utilize these concepts as a guide, you can keep a safe and healthy home. If you are having a problem maintaining any of these principles, other parts of this site will have details 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 fix the issue or it may be your proprietor's responsibility to make repairs. Read your rental lease arrangement. Adhere to any requirements for cleanliness or safety. Report any required repairs to the property owner as they emerge. Putting your issues in writing is best. This develops a record of your concerns. Repairs to your rental home must be made in a reasonable quantity of time. The amount of time might be noted in your lease.

If your property owner has not made repair work in a sensible amount of time, you might require to interact more directly, such as with extra written problems or a face-to-face conference. If your landlord continues to neglect your issues, you may require to pursue legal action.

Disputes between a proprietor and a renter are civil concerns. Most proprietor and renter concerns are outside of the authority of the Health Department. These concerns would be ruled on by a civil court judge interpreting the law. There are some programs that support renters.

What are my rights as an occupant?

According to the Legal Aid Society, as an occupant you have the right to a livable location and to live peacefully. Your rights as a renter may differ depending on which county you live in. The Legal Aid Society has a helpful fact sheet to help you comprehend your rights as a tenant. How to call the Legal Aid Society or the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services is noted below.

If your rental home requires an emergency repair to keep it healthy, such as a repair of the heat, gas, lights, water, sewage, plumbing or a/c, you need to notify your landlord right away.

If the need for repair in not an emergency situation, then 14 days is typically considered as a reasonable quantity of time for the proprietor to make repair work. Hopefully, the majority of repair work will be made much sooner after a property manager is warned. Use your regular approach of reporting requirements for repair such as a website, call, text, or workplace check out. Put something into writing to record when you made the landlord knowledgeable about the requirement for repair.

In some counties you can utilize a few of your lease cash to make these instant repairs. If the problem was your fault, you may need to help pay for the repair work.

You can not be dislodged of your rental home. You can not be forced out without notice. The property manager can not alter the locks or turned off your energies to make you leave. Most of the time, a proprietor requires to go to court before evicting you. If you did something hazardous or threatening, the proprietor just needs to provide you 3 (3) days to leave. If you did not pay lease or broke your lease arrangement, you may be provided a thirty (30) day discover to vacate. If you have legal concerns about housing, you need to seek advice from a lawyer or legal services.

The Tennessee Alliance for Legal Serices has a HELP4TN site, chatbot, and telephone to assist people who require assist with their legal issues. If you do not have your own legal representative, this is a great site to start.

If you certify based upon income or assistance status, the Legal Aid Society may be able to assist. Remember, Legal Aid has a customer waiting list and seldom will cases occur fast. Contact the office near you to find out more.

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 assist you understand your rights and responsibilities as a tenant. 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 upkeep requirements. Codes can use to domestic or non-residential residential or commercial properties or both. Codes examinations can take place at any time, though they are most common with brand-new construction or remodelling. Building Codes assist to make sure safety within a structure. It is essential to have buildings up to code. Landlords are responsible for fulfilling Codes.

All cities in Tennessee have their own codes departments to implement Residential or commercial property Maintenance Codes. Many large county or local government have codes departments. Though, lots of villages and rural areas do not have any standardized minimum residential or commercial property upkeep codes. Several codes departments across the state have embraced the International Residential or commercial property Maintenance Code. Codes inspectors may examine electrical, plumbing, gas, zoning, and other physical aspects of a home. Contact your local codes department for information specific to your location.

Often Building regulations will ask if a renter has actually currently informed their proprietor about the need for repair work and offered the property owner sensible time to make the repair work. Afterward, Buiding Codes may carry out an inspection. If there is an evaluation, make sure to ask for a copy of any notes or citations. Remember that Building regulations can only visit 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 uses in counties of greater than 75,000 population since the 2010 U.S. Census. For these more populated counties, there are written requirements and defenses to rental agreements consisting of obligations for upkeep by the property manager to abide by requirements of appropriate structure and housing codes materially impacting healthy and safety, as noted in 66-28-304.( a).

What are the minimum standards for rental housing?

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

Can I make a formal problem?

If a rental residential or commercial property violates minimum health standards it might be unsuited for habitation. According to Tennessee Code Annotated § 68-111-101, renters whose lease is $200 or less per week might submit a complaint with their local building inspector or county public health department. Complaints require to be submitted in writing with your county health department and a copy must be forwarded by qualified mail to the landlord. A qualifying complaint can lead to a home investigation. This part of the law does not use to tenants who pay their rent regular monthly or for a term greater than regular monthly. For non-qualifying grievances, other building codes or ordinances that the building inspector is licensed to implement, may apply to house leased at greater rates.

What if I reside in federal government assisted housing?

The federal government helps low-income households, the senior, and the handicapped to pay for good, safe, and sanitary housing in the private market. Participants find their own housing, consisting of single-family homes, townhouses, and apartments. There is a yearly Housing Quality Standards (HQS) inspection procedure to guarantee that homes are tidy and safe. Renters with assisted housing, such as Section 8, must begin by talking with the office that released their rental Housing Choice Voucher (HCV).

The Tennessee Housing Development Agency performs contract administration for Section 8 property issues in 76 counties. If the residential or commercial property owner or representative is not fulfilling their duties, TDHA might intervene. To learn more, call THDA at 1-800-228-THDA (8432) throughout normal company hours or go to the THDA web page anytime. Local public housing agencies (PHAs) supply services in the other counties. Some of the regional workplaces are the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency, Murfreesboro Housing Authority, Memphis Housing Authority, and Knox County Housing Authority.

Renters who receive assistance can contact their regional U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development workplace. A number of HUD's programs have particular requirements for housing quality. If your housing is not up to standards, then HUD may step in to have the property manager make repair work as required. Tennessee's HUD workplace 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 help with occupants in rural areas?

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

Where can I find out more about healthy housing policy?

Our Healthy Places webpage offers more information about the locations we live, work and play. Click on this link to find out more about healthy housing policies.