Healthy Homes - Renters
How is leasing different from home ownership?
What are my obligations as a renter?
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 occupants and tenants during COVID-19
What about Residential Or Commercial Property Maintenance Codes?
What is URLTA?
What are the minimum requirements for rental housing?
Can I make a protest?
What if I live in government assisted housing?
Does the USDA assist with tenants in rural locations?
Where can I find out more about healthy housing policy?
Additional resources
* * * Our Healthy Homes personnel are not physicians or lawyers. The details on our Healthy Homes Website does not supply medical or legal suggestions. This information is not a replacement for visiting your physician or for consulting with a lawyer about your specific scenario. * * *
3 Actions a Worried Renter Should Do:
1. Put whatever in composing. Take pictures and videos. Save emails, texts, letters, and voicemails. Write a calendar of events.
2. Do not stop paying lease. It would likely be against the lease or the law. Keep your rent receipts as proof you paid.
3. Read your lease. Whatever is written in the lease is a legal agreement. Both tenant and property manager have responsibilities.
It is most likely illegal for a property owner to retaliate versus a renter who files a complaint, calls Buiding Codes, or takes legal action. Changing locks, shutting off utilities, appearing often, or wrongly raising lease can be retaliation.
How is renting various from own a home?
Renting is various from own a home in that the occupant need to count on another person to make repair work. The renter may not be able to make modifications to the home without approval. A renter has both rights and duties. Renting can be a good alternative for lots of people to keep a healthy home environment, both inside and outdoors. Whether you lease a home, home, duplex, mobile home or cabin you can keep the seven healthy homes principles. Remember that health starts at home.
What are my duties as a tenant?
Renters are responsible for tidiness and security. You might lease without any formal arrangement, or you might have a lease arrangement. The most common kind of renter in Tennessee is a tenant who signs a lease agreement to pay rent monthly throughout the year. Renters may be asked to provide a down payment. Lease contracts are legally binding contracts. You are accountable 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 rent on time, paying any late charges, keeping the place tidy and safe, not letting anybody else damage it, not breaking the law, disposing of your garbage, and following your proprietor's guidelines. If you break your lease, then it might become a legal concern.
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 eight standard 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 help in reducing bug problems and direct exposure to contaminants.
3. Keep it Pest-Free. - Exposure to mice and cockroaches might increase asthma attacks. Improper pesticide treatments for pest infestations can worsen health problems, given that pesticide residues in homes can present health dangers.
4. Keep it Safe. - Most of children's injuries occur in the home. Falls are the most frequent cause of residential injuries to kids, followed by injuries from things 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. Bear in mind direct exposure is frequently higher inside.
6. Keep it Ventilated. - Studies have revealed increasing fresh air in a home enhances breathing health.
7. Keep it Maintained. - Poorly-maintained homes are at danger of being unhealthy.
8. Keep it Thermally Controlled. - Houses that do not preserve appropriate temperatures may position the security of locals at increased threat from exposure to severe heat or cold.
If you utilize these principles as a guide, you can keep a safe and healthy home. If you are having an issue preserving any of these concepts, other parts of this website will know and resources to assist 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 obligation to repair the issue or it might be your proprietor's duty to make repair work. Read your rental lease contract. Comply with any requirements for tidiness or safety. Report any needed repair work to the landlord as they occur. Putting your issues in writing is best. This develops a record of your concerns. Repairs to your rental home should be made in a reasonable quantity of time. The quantity of time might be noted in your lease.
If your property owner has actually not made repairs in a sensible quantity of time, you may require to interact more straight, such as with additional written complaints or an in person conference. If your landlord continues to neglect your issues, you might need to pursue legal action.
Disputes in between a proprietor and a renter are civil issues. Most landlord and occupant issues are beyond the authority of the Health Department. These concerns would be ruled on by a civil court judge analyzing the law. There are some programs that support occupants.
What are my rights as an occupant?
According to the Legal Aid Society, as a tenant you can a livable location and to live quietly. Your rights as a renter may differ depending on 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 noted below.
If your rental home needs 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 must signal your property manager right now.
If the need for repair in not an emergency situation, then 2 week is normally considered as a reasonable quantity of time for the landlord to make repair work. Hopefully, a lot of repairs will be made rather after a landlord is warned. Use your routine approach of reporting requirements for repair work such as a website, call, text message, or office go to. Put something into writing to record when you made the property manager familiar with the requirement for repair.
In some counties you can use some of your rent money to make these immediate repairs. If the issue was your fault, you may have 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 alter the locks or turned off your energies to make you leave. The majority of the time, a property manager requires to go to court before evicting you. If you did something dangerous or threatening, the property owner only requires to provide you three (3) days to leave. If you did not pay rent or broke your lease agreement, you may be offered a thirty (30) day see to move out. If you have legal concerns about housing, you ought to seek advice from a lawyer 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 issues. If you do not have your own attorney, this is an excellent site to start.
If you qualify based upon earnings or help status, the Legal Aid Society might be able to help. Remember, Legal Aid has a client waiting list and hardly ever will cases occur fast. Contact the workplace 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 tasks 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 . Codes can use to residential or non-residential residential or commercial properties or both. Codes inspections can happen at any time, though they are most common with brand-new construction or remodelling. Building regulations help to make sure safety within a building. It is necessary 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 large county or local government have codes departments. Though, numerous little towns 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 inspect electrical, pipes, gas, zoning, and other physical aspects of a home. Contact your local codes department for information particular to your area.
Often Building Codes will ask if a tenant has actually currently informed their proprietor about the need for repair and given the landlord reasonable time to make the repair. Afterward, Buiding Codes might perform an inspection. If there is an inspection, make sure to request a copy of any notes or citations. Bear in mind that Building Codes can just check out homes where the tenant has legal right to enable their visit.
What is URLTA?
Tennessee Code Annotated § 66-28 is the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. URLTA only uses in counties of higher than 75,000 population since the 2010 U.S. Census. For these more inhabited counties, there are written requirements and defenses to rental arrangements including obligations for maintenance by the proprietor to adhere to requirements of applicable structure and housing codes materially impacting healthy and security, as listed in 66-28-304.( a).
What are the minimum requirements for rental housing?
The Tennessee Department of Health is accountable for promoting rules 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 devices and facilities, light and ventilation, temperature, and sanitation.
Can I make a formal complaint?
If a rental residential or commercial property violates minimum health requirements it may be unfit for habitation. According to Tennessee Code Annotated § 68-111-101, renters whose lease is $200 or less per week may file a grievance with their local structure inspector or county public health department. Complaints require to be submitted in composing 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 occupants who pay their rent month-to-month or for a term higher than regular monthly. For non-qualifying problems, other structure codes or regulations that the structure inspector is licensed to impose, may apply to house leased at greater rates.
What if I reside in government assisted housing?
The federal government assists low-income households, the elderly, and the disabled to manage decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private market. Participants find their own housing, consisting of single-family homes, townhouses, and apartment or condos. There is a yearly Housing Quality Standards (HQS) evaluation treatment to make sure that homes are tidy and safe. Renters with assisted housing, such as Section 8, ought to start by talking with the workplace that issued 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 satisfying their obligations, TDHA might step in. For more details, call THDA at 1-800-228-THDA (8432) throughout regular company hours or check out the THDA web page anytime. Local public housing firms (PHAs) offer services in the other counties. Some of the regional offices are the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency, Murfreesboro Housing Authority, Memphis Housing Authority, and Knox County Housing Authority.
Renters who receive help can call their local U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development office. Many of HUD's programs have specific requirements for housing quality. If your housing is not up to requirements, then HUD may intervene to have the proprietor make repair work as essential. 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 assist with renters 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 call your rural development local office.
Where can I discover more about healthy housing policy?
Our Healthy Places web page provides more info about the locations we live, work and play. Click on this link to find out more about healthy housing policies.