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How is leasing various from own a home? What are my responsibilities as an occupant? 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 renters and occupants throughout COVID-19 What about Residential Or Commercial Property Maintenance Codes? What is URLTA? What are the minimum requirements for rental housing? Can I make an official complaint? What if I live in federal government assisted housing? Does the USDA help with occupants in backwoods? Where can I find out more about healthy housing policy? Additional resources

* * * Our Healthy Homes staff are not physicians or legal representatives. The information on our Healthy Homes Website does not supply medical or legal guidance. This information is not an alternative for visiting your physician or for talking to a lawyer about your specific circumstance. * * *

3 Actions a Concerned Renter Should Do:

1. Put everything in composing. Take photos and videos. Save emails, texts, letters, and voicemails. Write a calendar of occasions.

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

3. Read your lease. Whatever is written in the lease is a legal agreement. Both tenant and landlord have responsibilities.

It is likely illegal for a property manager to retaliate against a renter who submits a problem, calls Buiding Codes, or takes legal action. Changing locks, turning off utilities, appearing typically, or inappropriately raising lease can be retaliation.

How is renting different from home ownership?

Renting is various from home ownership because the occupant must rely on another person to make repair work. The renter may not be able to make changes to the home without permission. A renter has both rights and responsibilities. Renting can be an excellent alternative for many individuals to maintain a healthy home environment, both inside your home and outdoors. Whether you rent a home, apartment, duplex, mobile home or cabin you can keep the seven healthy homes principles. Keep in mind that health begins in the house.

What are my duties as a tenant?

Renters are accountable for tidiness and security. You might lease without any formal contract, or you might have a lease agreement. The most common type of renter in Tennessee is a renter who signs a lease arrangement to pay lease monthly throughout the year. Renters might be asked to supply a security deposit. Lease contracts are lawfully binding agreements. You are responsible for following the terms of your lease. Some lease agreements have addendums such as pet policies, pest control contracts or for reporting water damage. You are accountable for: paying your lease on time, paying any late fees, keeping the location clean and safe, not letting anybody else damage it, not breaking the law, dealing with your garbage, and following your landlord's guidelines. If you break your lease, then it may end up being a legal issue.

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

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

There are 8 fundamental concepts to keeping a healthy home.

1. Keep it Dry. - Damp homes supply a great environment for mites, roaches, rodents and molds.

1. Keep it Clean. - Clean homes help in reducing bug invasions and direct exposure to pollutants.
2. Keep it Pest-Free. - Exposure to mice and cockroaches might increase asthma attacks. Improper pesticide treatments for bug problems can worsen illness, because pesticide residues in homes can position health risks.
3. Keep it Safe. - The bulk of kids's injuries occur 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.
4. Keep it Contaminant-Free. - Avoid direct exposure to lead, radon, carbon monoxide, pesticides, asbestos and ecological tobacco smoke. Remember direct exposure is typically higher indoors.
5. Keep it Ventilated. - Studies have revealed increasing fresh air in a home enhances breathing health.
6. Keep it Maintained. - Poorly-maintained homes are at danger of being unhealthy.
7. Keep it Thermally Controlled. - Houses that do not keep appropriate temperature levels may position the safety of citizens at increased threat from exposure to extreme heat or cold.
   
   If you utilize these principles 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 know 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 responsibility to fix the issue or it might be your property owner'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 writing is best. This produces a record of your issues. Repairs to your rental home ought to be made in an affordable quantity of time. The quantity of time might be noted in your lease.
   
   If your landlord has actually not made repairs in a sensible amount of time, you may need to interact more straight, such as with additional composed complaints or an in person meeting. If your landlord continues to disregard your concerns, you may need to pursue legal action.
   
   Disputes between a landlord and an occupant are civil issues. Most proprietor and renter concerns 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 a renter?
   
   According to the Legal Aid Society, as a tenant you deserve to a habitable place and to live peacefully. Your rights as a tenant may vary depending on which county you live in. The Legal Aid Society has a useful reality 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 situation repair work to keep it healthy, such as a repair work of the heat, gas, lights, water, sewage, pipes or air conditioning, you need to inform your proprietor right now.
   
   If the need for repair work in not an emergency situation, then 14 days is typically considered as an affordable quantity of time for the landlord to make repairs. Hopefully, the majority of repairs will be made rather after a landlord is warned. Use your regular method of reporting requirements for repair such as a site, call, text, or office visit. Put something into writing to document when you made the property owner aware of the requirement for repair work.
   
   In some counties you can use some of your rent cash to make these immediate repair work. If the problem was your fault, you might need to help spend for the repairs.
   
   You can not be displaced of your rental home. You can not be kicked out without notice. The property manager can not alter the locks or shut off your utilities to make you leave. Most of the time, a property manager requires to go to court before evicting you. If you did something unsafe or threatening, the property manager only requires to give you three (3) days to vacate. If you did not pay rent or broke your lease arrangement, you may be given a thirty (30) day discover to leave. If you have legal concerns about housing, you need to talk to a lawyer or legal services.
   
   The Tennessee Alliance for Legal Serices has a HELP4TN site, chatbot, and telephone to assist people who need aid with their legal issues. If you do not have your own attorney, this is an excellent website to start.
   
   If you certify based on income or support status, the Legal Aid Society may have the ability to help. Keep in mind, Legal Aid has a customer waiting list and seldom will cases take place quick. Contact the workplace near you for more info.
   
   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 fact sheets to help you comprehend your rights and duties as a renter. Click the left image for counties of 75,000 or more population and the best image for smaller sized 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 property or non-residential residential or commercial properties or both. Codes assessments can take place at any time, though they are most typical with new construction or restoration. Building Codes assist to ensure safety within a structure. It is essential to have structures up to code. Landlords are accountable for satisfying Codes.
   
   All urbane locations 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, lots of little towns and rural locations 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 might examine electrical, plumbing, gas, zoning, and other physical aspects of a home. Contact your local codes department for information particular to your place.
   
   Often Building regulations will ask if a tenant has actually already informed their property owner about the requirement for repair and given the proprietor sensible time to make the repair. Afterward, Buiding Codes might carry out an examination. If there is an examination, be sure to ask for a copy of any notes or citations. Keep in mind that Building regulations can just check out homes where the tenant has legal right to allow their check out.
   
   What is URLTA?
   
   Tennessee Code Annotated § 66-28 is the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. URLTA just uses in counties of higher than 75,000 population since the 2010 U.S. Census. For these more populated counties, there are written requirements and defenses to rental contracts including commitments for maintenance by the proprietor to adhere to requirements of suitable structure and housing codes materially affecting healthy and safety, as listed in 66-28-304.( a).
   
   What are the minimum requirements for rental housing?
   
   The Tennessee Department of Health is accountable for promoting guidelines for minimum health standards for rental housing. These rules become part of Tennessee Code Annotated § 53-5502 restructured as § 68-111 in Chapter 1200-1-2. The guidelines cover fundamental equipment and facilities, light and ventilation, temperature level, and sanitation.
   
   Can I make a protest?
   
   If a rental residential or commercial property breaks minimum health standards it might be unsuited for habitation. According to Tennessee Code Annotated § 68-111-101, renters whose rent is $200 or less each week might file a problem with their regional building inspector or county public health department. Complaints need to be filed in writing with your county health department and a copy must be forwarded by certified mail to the proprietor. A qualifying complaint can lead to a home investigation. This part of the law does not apply to occupants who pay their lease month-to-month or for a term greater than month-to-month. For non-qualifying grievances, other structure codes or ordinances that the building 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 families, the senior, and the disabled to pay for good, safe, and hygienic housing in the private market. Participants discover their own housing, consisting of single-family homes, townhouses, and apartment or condos. There is a yearly Housing Quality Standards (HQS) assessment treatment to guarantee that homes are tidy and safe. Renters with assisted housing, such as Section 8, should begin by talking with the office that issued their rental Housing Choice Voucher (HCV).
   
   The Tennessee Housing Development Agency performs agreement administration for Section 8 residential problems in 76 counties. If the residential or commercial property owner or agent is not fulfilling their duties, TDHA might step in. For more information, call THDA at 1-800-228-THDA (8432) during typical company hours or check out the THDA website anytime. Local public housing firms (PHAs) provide services in the other counties. A few of the local workplaces are the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency, Murfreesboro Housing Authority, Memphis Housing Authority, and Knox County Housing Authority.
   
   Renters who get help can contact their regional U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development office. A lot of HUD's programs have particular requirements for housing quality. If your housing is not up to requirements, then HUD might intervene to have the landlord make repair work as needed. 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 help with tenants 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 living in USDA-assisted rural housing you can call your local office.
   
   Where can I find out more about healthy housing policy?
   
   Our Healthy Places webpage provides more information about the places we live, work and play. Click here to learn more about healthy housing policies.
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