Healthy Homes - Renters

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How is renting various from own a home?
What are my responsibilities 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 an occupant?
Fact sheets for renters and renters during COVID-19
What about Residential Or Commercial Property Maintenance Codes?
What is URLTA?
What are the minimum standards for rental housing?
Can I make a formal problem?
What if I reside in government assisted housing?
Does the USDA help with occupants in backwoods?
Where can I discover more about healthy housing policy?
Additional resources


* * * Our Healthy Homes personnel are not doctors or legal representatives. The information on our Healthy Homes Website does not provide medical or legal suggestions. This details is not an alternative for visiting your doctor or for speaking with a lawyer about your particular scenario. * * *


3 Actions a Worried Renter Should Do:


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


2. Do not stop paying lease. It would likely protest 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 obligations.


It is likely unlawful for a proprietor to retaliate versus a tenant who files a grievance, calls Buiding Codes, or takes legal action. Changing locks, shutting down energies, appearing often, or wrongly raising rent can be retaliation.


How is renting different from own a home?


Renting is various from home ownership in that the tenant should depend on someone else to make repairs. The occupant might not have the ability to make changes to the home without authorization. An occupant has both rights and obligations. Renting can be a good option for lots of people to keep a healthy home environment, both inside your home and outdoors. Whether you lease a house, apartment, duplex, mobile home or cabin you can keep the seven healthy homes principles. Bear in mind that good health starts at home.


What are my responsibilities as a tenant?


Renters are responsible for tidiness and safety. You might rent with no formal agreement, or you may have a lease contract. The most typical type of occupant in Tennessee is a tenant who signs a lease agreement to pay lease each month throughout the year. Renters may be asked to offer a down payment. Lease agreements are legally binding agreements. You are accountable for following the regards to your lease. Some lease arrangements have addendums such as pet policies, insect control contracts or for reporting water damage. You are accountable for: paying your lease on time, paying any late charges, keeping the location tidy and safe, not letting anyone else damage it, not breaking the law, disposing of your garbage, and following your proprietor's rules. If you break your lease, then it may become a legal concern.


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 eight basic principles to preserving a healthy home.


1. Keep it Dry. - Damp homes provide an excellent environment for termites, roaches, rodents and molds.
2. Keep it Clean. - Clean homes help in reducing bug invasions 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 aggravate health issue, given that pesticide residues in homes can pose health dangers.
4. Keep it Safe. - The bulk of kids's injuries occur in the home. Falls are the most frequent reason for domestic injuries to kids, followed by injuries from items 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 exposure is typically higher inside.
6. Keep it Ventilated. - Studies have actually revealed increasing fresh air in a home improves respiratory health.
7. Keep it Maintained. - Poorly-maintained homes are at threat of being unhealthy.
8. Keep it Thermally Controlled. - Houses that do not keep adequate temperature levels may place the safety of locals at increased danger from exposure to severe heat or cold.


If you utilize these principles as a guide, you can preserve a safe and healthy home. If you are having an issue preserving any of these principles, other parts of this site 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 duty to fix the issue or it may be your landlord's obligation to make repair work. Read your rental lease agreement. Comply with any requirements for tidiness or security. Report any needed repairs to the proprietor as they develop. Putting your concerns in writing is best. This develops a record of your concerns. Repairs to your rental home ought to be made in an affordable quantity of time. The quantity of time might be listed in your lease.


If your landlord has actually not made repair work in a reasonable quantity of time, you might need to communicate more straight, such as with extra written complaints or an in person conference. If your property owner continues to neglect your issues, you might need to pursue legal action.


Disputes in between a proprietor and a tenant are civil issues. Most property owner and occupant concerns are outside of the authority of the Health Department. These issues would be ruled on by a civil court judge analyzing the law. There are some programs that support renters.


What are my rights as a renter?


According to the Legal Aid Society, as a renter you deserve to a livable location and to live quietly. Your rights as an occupant might differ depending on which county you reside in. The Legal Aid Society has a helpful fact sheet to help you understand your rights as an occupant. How to get in touch with the Legal Aid Society or the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services is listed 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 a/c, you should notify your landlord immediately.


If the need for repair work in not an emergency situation, then 14 days is generally considered as an affordable quantity of time for the property owner to make repair work. Hopefully, many repairs will be made rather after a property owner is warned. Use your routine approach of reporting needs for repair work such as a site, phone call, text message, or office see. Put something into writing to document when you made the landlord familiar with the need for repair.


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


You can not be dislodged of your rental home. You can not be kicked out without notification. The property owner can not alter the locks or turned off your utilities to make you leave. Most of the time, a property manager needs to go to court before evicting you. If you did something harmful or threatening, the property manager only requires to offer you 3 (3) days to move out. If you did not pay lease or broke your lease arrangement, you might be offered a thirty (30) day see to leave. If you have legal questions about housing, you need to speak with an attorney or legal services.


The Tennessee Alliance for Legal Serices has a HELP4TN site, chatbot, and telephone to assist individuals who need assist with their legal concerns. If you do not have your own lawyer, this is an excellent site to begin.


If you certify based on income or support status, the Legal Aid Society might be able to assist. Remember, Legal Aid has a client waiting list and seldom will cases occur fast. Contact the office near you for more details.


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 produced these fact 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 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 upkeep standards. Codes can apply to residential or non-residential residential or commercial properties or both. Codes inspections can occur at any time, though they are most common with brand-new building and construction or restoration. Building Codes assist to ensure safety within a structure. It is important to have buildings up to code. Landlords are accountable for satisfying Codes.


All cities in Tennessee have their own codes departments to impose Residential or commercial property Maintenance Codes. Many large county or city federal governments have codes departments. Though, lots of small towns and rural areas do not have any standardized minimum residential or commercial property maintenance codes. Several codes departments across the state have adopted the International Residential or commercial property Maintenance Code. Codes inspectors may check electrical, pipes, gas, zoning, and other physical elements of a home. Contact your local codes department for details particular to your location.


Often Building regulations will ask if a renter has currently notified their property manager about the requirement for repair and given the property manager reasonable time to make the repair work. Afterward, Buiding Codes might perform an evaluation. If there is an inspection, make certain to request a copy of any notes or citations. Keep in mind that Building regulations can just visit homes where the tenant has legal right to allow their see.


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 as of the 2010 U.S. Census. For these more populated counties, there are written requirements and protections to rental contracts including responsibilities for maintenance by the property manager to abide by requirements of relevant building and housing codes materially impacting healthy and security, as noted in 66-28-304.( a).


What are the minimum standards for rental housing?


The Tennessee Department of Health is accountable for promoting rules for minimum health requirements for rental housing. These guidelines are part of Tennessee Code Annotated § 53-5502 reorganized as § 68-111 in Chapter 1200-1-2. The rules cover basic devices 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 may be unfit for habitation. According to Tennessee Code Annotated § 68-111-101, renters whose lease is $200 or less weekly may file a grievance with their regional structure inspector or county public health department. Complaints need to be submitted in writing with your county health department and a copy should 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 occupants who pay their lease regular or for a term greater than month-to-month. For non-qualifying complaints, other building codes or regulations that the structure inspector is authorized to enforce, may apply to house rented at greater rates.


What if I reside in government assisted housing?


The federal government assists low-income families, the senior, and the disabled to manage good, safe, and hygienic housing in the personal market. Participants discover their own housing, including single-family homes, townhouses, and homes. There is an annual Housing Quality Standards (HQS) inspection treatment to guarantee that homes are tidy and safe. Renters with assisted housing, such as Section 8, need to start by talking with the office that issued their rental Housing Choice Voucher (HCV).


The Tennessee Housing Development Agency carries out contract administration for Section 8 property problems in 76 counties. If the residential or commercial property owner or agent is not fulfilling their obligations, TDHA might intervene. For more details, call THDA at 1-800-228-THDA (8432) during typical company hours or visit the THDA website anytime. Local public housing agencies (PHAs) offer services in the other counties. Some of the local 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 local U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development office. Much of HUD's programs have particular requirements for housing quality. If your housing is not up to standards, then HUD may intervene to have the proprietor make repairs 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 backwoods?


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 contact your rural advancement regional office.


Where can I discover more about healthy housing policy?


Our Healthy Places web page supplies more details about the places we live, work and play. Click on this link to get more information about healthy housing policies.