Tennessee Landlord Repair Laws: 14-Day Notice in URLTA Counties

Short answer: Tennessee landlord repair laws depend on your county. In the 17 counties covered by the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (URLTA, Tenn. Code Ann. Title 66, Chapter 28), the state’s renter booklet says you must request repairs in writing and wait 14 days, and that you may use rent money to restore lights, heat, gas, water or sewage the landlord fails to fix (Tennessee URLTA renters booklet). Elsewhere in Tennessee, your lease and general contract law carry more of the weight.

Tennessee splits its repair rules by county. Before you write a single letter, find out which system covers you. The two official renter booklets posted on the Tennessee Department of Health’s healthy-homes pages at tn.gov list the URLTA counties by name.

Tennessee Landlord Repair Laws: Which Rules Apply

Step One: Check Your County

The URLTA booklet applies to renters in 17 counties, including Davidson (Nashville), Shelby (Memphis), Knox (Knoxville) and Hamilton (Chattanooga), along with suburban counties such as Rutherford, Williamson and Wilson. The rural booklet covers every other county and says renters there “have different rights.”

A renter in Clarksville (Montgomery County) is under URLTA; a renter in Cookeville (Putnam County) is not. Our Nashville tenant rights guide covers Davidson County specifics.

Repairs in URLTA Counties

The URLTA booklet states the core duty simply: the landlord must keep the place fit to live in and in good repair, keep the areas everyone uses clean and safe, and make any repairs the lease says the landlord will make. If your lease says so, you may have to do some repairs yourself.

Non-emergency repairs: the 14-day wait

For a problem that is not an emergency but is something the lease assigns to the landlord or that is needed to keep the place safe and fit, the booklet tells you to:

1. write the landlord, because the law requires the request in writing;
2. date the letter and keep a copy; and
3. wait 14 days.

If the repair still is not made, you might be able to move out, but the booklet warns that this is only for problems that make the place unsafe. Broken window blinds, its example, do not qualify. It recommends calling Legal Aid or a lawyer before moving.

Getting reimbursed

If you spent money because the landlord failed to fix something the law or lease requires, the booklet says a judge can order the landlord to pay you back, as long as you have receipts showing how much you spent.

Heat, Water and Other Services You Can’t Live Without

The booklet treats lights, heat, gas, water, sewage and plumbing as services you need. If one fails, write the landlord, date the letter and keep a copy. If it is not fixed right away, and the problem was not caused by you or someone in your household, the URLTA booklet lists four options:

• use some of your rent money to get the problem fixed, then send a copy of the repair bill with the rest of your rent;
• sue the landlord for money;
• stay somewhere else while you wait, and owe no rent on the unit being repaired until you move back; or
• give 14 days’ notice and move out if the repairs are not made.

This is the closest Tennessee comes to repair and deduct, and the booklet ties it to these essential services rather than to every defect. For problems like garbage, bugs or rats, it directs URLTA-county renters to their county health department, and for unsafe wiring, plumbing or rotting wood to the local codes or building department, listing phone numbers for several counties.

For lead paint, federal law adds a statewide floor: 42 U.S.C. § 4852d requires lessors of covered older housing to give you an EPA lead pamphlet and disclose known lead-based paint hazards before you sign.

Repairs Outside the URLTA Counties

The rural booklet sets out a more basic standard. At move-in, the place must be safe and follow health code rules: working sinks and toilet, safe wiring, solid floors and walls, and walls and a roof that keep out weather. A stove, refrigerator or heater that comes with the unit must work. In large buildings, shared sidewalks and stairs must be kept in good repair.

The booklet tells renters to report problems right away, says the landlord should fix them as soon as possible, and says emergencies such as a broken heater or burst pipe should be repaired immediately. Its listed remedies are suing the landlord or canceling the lease if repairs are not made, after checking with a lawyer. It does not describe a rent-money repair option for these counties, which is why getting any landlord promise to fix things in writing before you sign matters so much.

Don’t Stop Paying Rent

Tennessee’s official guidance is direct on this point. The URLTA booklet says: “Never skip paying rent because repairs have not been made. Not paying rent breaks your lease.” The landlord can evict you for it. The only rent-money route the booklet describes is the essential-services option above, with the repair bill sent to the landlord alongside the rest of the rent.

Damage You or Your Guests Cause

If the problem was your fault or a visitor’s fault, the URLTA booklet says you may have to pay for the repair, you cannot use rent money to fix it, and you must pay both your rent and the repair cost. The rural booklet adds that you must pay for unusual damage you cause, such as a broken window, a hole in the carpet or a broken door, though not for normal wear and tear like worn floors.

Can You Be Evicted for Complaining?

In URLTA counties, the booklet answers “maybe.” The landlord can evict you after you report problems only if you are behind on rent, the problems were caused by you, a household member or a guest, or the landlord would have to tear down or remodel the home to fix them. If none of those apply, the booklet tells you to call Legal Aid at 1-800-238-1443. The rural booklet states that it is against the law for a landlord to evict you for complaining to the building inspector. Our landlord retaliation guide explains how to document timing.

Worked Example: A Murfreesboro Renter and a Dead Water Heater

DeShawn rents a townhouse in Murfreesboro, in Rutherford County, for $1,300 a month. On January 10 his water heater stops working, leaving him with no hot water. He did not cause the failure. That day he writes his landlord a dated letter describing the problem and keeps a copy.

A week passes with no repair. Following the URLTA booklet, he hires a plumber, who replaces the heating element for $240. On February 1 he pays $1,060 and includes a copy of the plumber’s bill. Had the problem been a sagging cabinet door instead of hot water, the booklet’s guidance would have been to write, wait 14 days, and pay full rent while waiting.

Outline for a Tennessee Repair Letter

• The date, which the booklet stresses, plus your name and address.
• What is broken, when it started, and whether it is an essential service.
• For non-emergencies, a note that the landlord has 14 days.
• Your county, so it is clear whether URLTA applies.
• A copy kept for your records.

Use our repair request letter generator to create it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does URLTA cover me if I rent in Gatlinburg?

Gatlinburg is in Sevier County, which is on the URLTA booklet’s list of 17 counties. Renters there follow the URLTA booklet’s repair steps, including the written request and 14-day wait.

Can I use my rent to fix a leaking faucet in Memphis?

The URLTA booklet ties the rent-money option to services you need, like lights, heat, gas, water, sewage and plumbing, when the landlord does not fix them right away. A minor drip that does not cut off water fits better under the 14-day written-request process, with reimbursement through a judge if you paid for it.

What’s the Legal Aid number in the booklet?

The URLTA booklet lists Legal Aid at 1-800-238-1443 as a free call for renters facing eviction after reporting problems.

I’m in a rural county and my landlord won’t fix the roof. What can I do?

The rural booklet says you may sue the landlord or cancel the lease if repairs are not made, and it recommends checking with a lawyer first. Report the problem right away and keep copies of everything.

Your first move is to confirm your county against the booklet list, then send a dated written request and keep a copy. This page is general information, not legal advice; for help, call the Legal Aid number above or use LSC’s legal aid finder. Compare states on our repairs and habitability hub, and before moving out, read about your Tennessee security deposit rights.

Sources

• Tennessee Department of Health (tn.gov), “If You Rent a Place, Know Your Legal Rights and Duties” (URLTA counties)
• Tennessee Department of Health (tn.gov), “Do You Know Your Rights and Duties as a Renter?” (non-URLTA counties)
• 42 U.S.C. § 4852d, lead disclosure in leased housing
• Legal Services Corporation, Get legal help