Tennessee Mold, Pests, Heat & AC Rules
Tennessee rules on mold, pests, heat & ac for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-22.
Short answer: No statute — Tennessee's landlord-tenant law sets no mold disclosure or remediation rule. In counties covered by the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, mold falls under the landlord's general duties to comply with building and housing codes materially affecting health and… T.C.A. § 66-28-304(a); § 66-28-401
The rules in Tennessee
| Mold | No statute — Tennessee's landlord-tenant law sets no mold disclosure or remediation rule. In counties covered by the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, mold falls under the landlord's general duties to comply with building and housing codes materially affecting health and safety and to make all repairs needed to keep the premises fit and habitable. The tenant must keep the unit as clean and safe as when the tenant took possession. Official code not freely readable online; text verified on a public code mirror (code year 2024). The URLTA applies only in counties with population over 75,000 (T.C.A. § 66-28-102); elsewhere, repair duties depend on the lease and local codes. |
|---|---|
| Pests & bed bugs | No statute — no pest or bed-bug provision in the landlord-tenant law. In URLTA counties, infestations fall under the landlord's code-compliance and fit-and-habitable duties; the tenant must keep the unit clean and safe, dispose of garbage properly, and comply with tenant obligations under housing codes. Official code not freely readable online; text verified on a public code mirror (code year 2024). Local housing codes may assign pest-control duties. |
| Heat | No minimum temperature or heating season in state law. In URLTA counties, heat is an 'essential service': if the landlord deliberately or negligently fails to supply it, the tenant, after written notice, may procure heat and deduct the actual reasonable cost from rent, recover damages for reduced rental value, or obtain substitute housing (rent excused) and recover its reasonable value plus attorney's fees. The remedy is unavailable if the tenant, family or guests caused the condition. Official code not freely readable online; text verified on a public code mirror (code year 2024). Local building or housing codes may set heating standards. |
| Air conditioning | No statute — Tennessee law does not require air conditioning or set a maximum indoor temperature. If the landlord supplies air conditioning, a failure that materially affects health and safety may be treated under the general repair duty or the 'essential services' remedy (which covers obligations materially affecting health and safety) in URLTA counties. Official code not freely readable online; text verified on a public code mirror (code year 2024). |
| Smoke and CO detectors | For one- and two-family rentals (houses, duplexes, condominiums and similar), the owner may not rent a unit without an approved smoke alarm in each living unit that can be heard in the bedrooms. The tenant must maintain the alarm following the manufacturer's instructions; when a tenancy ends, the owner must make sure the alarm works before the unit is rented again. Tampering with or removing a required alarm is banned, and a violation is a Class A misdemeanor. This section covers smoke alarms only, not carbon monoxide detectors. Read on codes.findlaw.com (a public copy of the official code); check against the official code. The page says it is current as of January 2, 2024. This section applies statewide to one- and two-family rental units; other buildings follow the building safety standards it refers to. Source: Tenn. Code Ann. § 68-102-151 |
Related questions
- Does a landlord have to fix mold?
- Who pays for pest control and bed bugs in a rental?
- Does a landlord have to provide heat?
- Does a landlord have to provide air conditioning?
Tennessee vs. neighboring states
| State | Mold | Pests & bed bugs | Heat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | No statute — Tennessee's landlord-tenant law sets no mold disclosure or remediation rule. In counties covered by the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, mold falls under the landlord's general duties to comply with building and housing codes materially affecting health and safety and to make all repairs needed to keep the premises fit and habitable. The tenant must keep the unit as clean and safe as when the tenant took possession. T.C.A. § 66-28-304(a); § 66-28-401 | No statute — no pest or bed-bug provision in the landlord-tenant law. In URLTA counties, infestations fall under the landlord's code-compliance and fit-and-habitable duties; the tenant must keep the unit clean and safe, dispose of garbage properly, and comply with tenant obligations under housing codes. T.C.A. § 66-28-304(a); § 66-28-401(1)-(3) | No minimum temperature or heating season in state law. In URLTA counties, heat is an 'essential service': if the landlord deliberately or negligently fails to supply it, the tenant, after written notice, may procure heat and deduct the actual reasonable cost from rent, recover damages for reduced rental value, or obtain substitute housing (rent excused) and recover its reasonable value plus attorney's fees. The remedy is unavailable if the tenant, family or guests caused the condition. T.C.A. § 66-28-502(a), (c); § 66-28-304(a)(1)-(2) |
| Alabama | No statute — general habitability/repair duty applies. Alabama has no mold disclosure or mold remediation law for rentals. The landlord must comply with building and housing codes affecting health and safety and must make all repairs needed to keep the premises habitable. Ala. Code § 35-9A-204(a)(1)-(2) | No statute specifically on pests or bed bugs. Pest problems fall under the landlord's general duty to keep the premises habitable and common areas clean and safe. The tenant must keep the unit as clean and safe as conditions permit and dispose of garbage in a clean and safe manner. Ala. Code §§ 35-9A-204(a)(2)-(3), 35-9A-301(2)-(3) | Yes. The landlord must supply reasonable heat, unless the building is not required by law to have heating or the heat is generated by equipment in the tenant's exclusive control and supplied by a direct utility connection. The landlord must also keep any heating system it supplies in good and safe working order. State law sets no minimum indoor temperature or heating season. Ala. Code § 35-9A-204(a)(4), (6) |
| Arkansas | No statute — Arkansas has no mold disclosure or remediation law for rentals. Arkansas's implied residential quality standards (for leases entered into or renewed after November 1, 2021) require only running hot and cold water, electricity, potable water, code-compliant sewer and plumbing, a functioning roof and building envelope, and working heat and air conditioning if it served the unit when the lease was signed. Mold is not listed. Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-502 (added by Act 1052 of 2021) | No statute on pests or bed bugs. They are not among Arkansas's implied quality standards, so the lease and local codes govern who treats them. The tenant must keep the unit reasonably clean and safe and dispose of garbage in a reasonably clean and safe manner. Ark. Code Ann. §§ 18-17-502, 18-17-601(2)-(3) | A functioning heating system is required only to the extent heating served the premises when the lease was signed (leases entered into or renewed after November 1, 2021). State law sets no minimum temperature. If heat fails, the tenant must give written notice; if the landlord does not fix it within 30 days and rent is current, the tenant may end the lease without penalty and get the deposit back. The tenant may not withhold rent. Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-502(a)(6), (d) |
| Georgia | No statute — Georgia has no mold-specific landlord-tenant law (no mold disclosure or remediation standard). Mold is addressed under the landlord's general duty to keep the premises in repair and, since July 1, 2024, the implied term in every residential lease that the premises are fit for human habitation. O.C.G.A. § 44-7-13(a), (b) (as amended by HB 404, 2024) | No statute — Georgia law does not specifically assign pest or bed-bug treatment or require a bed-bug disclosure. Pest problems fall under the landlord's general repair duty and the fit-for-habitation requirement; the state handbook advises that leases spell out pest control, including how often it occurs. O.C.G.A. § 44-7-13; Georgia Landlord-Tenant Handbook (DCA, rev. 8-29-24), p. 10 | No statewide statute sets a heat requirement, minimum temperature, or heating season. Under the general repair duty, the state handbook says landlords must keep electric, heating, cooling, and plumbing in working order. O.C.G.A. § 44-7-13; Georgia Landlord-Tenant Handbook (DCA, rev. 8-29-24), p. 11 |
| Kentucky | No statute — Kentucky has no mold-specific landlord-tenant law. Where the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (URLTA) has been locally adopted, mold falls under the landlord's duties to comply with building and housing codes materially affecting health and safety and to do whatever is necessary to keep the premises fit and habitable. Outside URLTA areas, no statewide habitability statute applies; the lease and local codes govern. KRS 383.595(1)(a), (b); KRS 383.500 | No statute — Kentucky does not specifically assign pest or bed-bug treatment and has no bed-bug disclosure rule. In URLTA areas, infestations fall under the landlord's code-compliance and fit-and-habitable duties and the tenant's duty to keep the unit clean and dispose of garbage properly. Elsewhere, the lease and local codes govern. KRS 383.595(1)(a), (b); KRS 383.605(2), (3) | In URLTA areas, yes: the landlord must supply running water, reasonable amounts of hot water at all times, and reasonable heat between October 1 and May 1 — unless the building is not required by law to be so equipped or heat/hot water is produced by equipment under the tenant's exclusive control with a direct utility connection. Heating facilities the landlord supplies must be kept in good and safe working order. No numeric minimum temperature is set. Outside URLTA areas, there is no statewide heat statute. KRS 383.595(1)(d), (e) |
| Mississippi | No statute — Mississippi has no mold disclosure or remediation law. The landlord's general statutory duty applies: comply with building and housing codes that materially affect health and safety, and maintain the unit and its plumbing, heating and cooling systems in substantially the same condition as at the start of the lease, reasonable wear and tear excluded. There is no duty for defects caused by the tenant's deliberate or negligent acts. Tenants must tell the landlord about conditions that may cause damage. Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-23; § 89-8-25(g) | No statute — no state law assigns pest or bed bug treatment or requires disclosure. Pests are governed by the general duty to comply with health and safety housing codes and maintain the premises, and by the lease. Tenants must keep their part of the premises clean and safe and dispose of garbage properly. Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-23(1); § 89-8-25(a)-(b) | No minimum temperature or heating season is set by state law. A landlord must maintain the heating system in substantially the same condition as at the start of the lease, reasonable wear and tear excluded, unless the tenant's deliberate or negligent actions damaged it, and must comply with applicable housing codes. The lease decides whether a heating system is provided at all. Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-23(1)(b) |
| Missouri | No statute — Missouri has no mold disclosure or remediation law. Missouri courts recognize an implied warranty of habitability as case law, not statute. Local housing codes set specific standards. If a condition that detrimentally affects habitability or sanitation violates a local housing or building code, an eligible tenant may use the statutory repair-and-deduct remedy. To qualify, the tenant must have lived there 6 consecutive months, be current on rent, and have no uncured lease-violation notices. RSMo 441.234; RSMo ch. 441 and 535 (checked) | No statute — no state law assigns pest or bed bug treatment or requires disclosure. The lease, local housing codes and the case-law implied warranty of habitability govern. Where an infestation violates a local housing code, an eligible tenant may use the repair-and-deduct remedy. RSMo ch. 441 and 535 (checked); RSMo 441.234 | No statewide minimum temperature or heating season for rentals. Heat requirements come from local housing codes and the lease. By statute, in master-metered multi-unit buildings, the utility must post notice 5 days before shutting off heat-related service for the owner's nonpayment. Tenants may then petition for a receiver, and service may not be cut while the petition is pending. RSMo 441.650; ch. 441 (checked) |
| North Carolina | No mold-specific statute, but excessive standing water, sewage, or flooding caused by plumbing leaks or inadequate drainage that contributes to mold is an 'imminently dangerous condition' the landlord must repair within a reasonable time after actual knowledge or notice. The general duty to keep the premises fit and habitable also applies. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-42(a)(2), (a)(8)(l) | No bed-bug statute. Rat infestation resulting from structural defects that leave the premises not impervious to rodents is an 'imminently dangerous condition' the landlord must remedy within a reasonable time; drainage problems contributing to mosquito infestation are also listed. The tenant must keep the unit clean and safe, avoid unsanitary conditions in common areas, and dispose of garbage properly. N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 42-42(a)(2), (a)(8)(k)-(l); 42-43(a)(1)-(2) | Yes. The landlord must keep heating facilities in good and safe working order (after written notice of needed repairs, except emergencies), and lack of operable heating facilities capable of heating living areas to 65°F when it is 20°F outside, from November 1 through March 31, is an imminently dangerous condition requiring prompt repair. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-42(a)(4), (a)(8)(h) |
| Virginia | Yes — detailed statute. Disclosure: the move-in inspection report must state whether there is visible evidence of mold in readily accessible interior areas; a 'no visible mold' statement is deemed correct unless the tenant objects in writing within 5 days. If mold is disclosed, the tenant may terminate and not take (or keep) possession, or take possession and have the landlord remediate within 5 business days, reinspect and issue a new report. Duty: the landlord must maintain the premises to prevent moisture accumulation and mold growth, respond promptly to tenant notices, and promptly remediate visible mold to professional standards, reinspect, and give the tenant a summary of remediation information. Where mold materially affects health or safety, the landlord may relocate the tenant for up to 30 days to a comparable unit or hotel at no cost to the tenant (rent continues). Tenants must use reasonable efforts to prevent moisture and mold and promptly report it. Va. Code § 55.1-1215; § 55.1-1220(A)(5); § 55.1-1227(A)(10); § 55.1-1231 | The landlord's general duty to keep the premises fit and habitable and to comply with housing codes applies. The tenant must keep the part of the unit the tenant occupies free from insects and pests and promptly notify the landlord of them, and is financially responsible for added treatment costs caused by unreasonable delay in reporting and for treatment costs caused by the tenant's fault in failing to prevent infestation. The landlord must give at least 48 hours' written notice before applying insecticide or pesticide in a unit (unless the tenant requested it or agrees to less), post notice for common-area applications, and the tenant must prepare the unit per the landlord's written instructions. Va. Code § 55.1-1220(A)(1)-(2); § 55.1-1227(A)(3), (14); § 55.1-1223 | Yes. The landlord must supply heat in season (unless heat is generated by equipment within the tenant's exclusive control or supplied by a direct public utility connection) and keep heating facilities in good and safe working order. Heat is an 'essential service'; if the landlord willfully or negligently fails to supply it, the tenant may give written notice and, after a reasonable time to correct, pursue statutory remedies (such as damages for reduced rental value). State law sets no minimum temperature or dates for the heating season; local codes may. Va. Code § 55.1-1220(A)(4), (7); § 55.1-1200 ('essential service'); § 55.1-1239 |
City rules that may add to state law
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Tennessee Mold, Pests, Heat & AC Rules FAQ
Does a landlord have to fix mold in Tennessee?
No statute — Tennessee's landlord-tenant law sets no mold disclosure or remediation rule. In counties covered by the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, mold falls under the landlord's general duties to comply with building and housing codes materially affecting health and safety and to make all repairs needed to keep the premises fit and habitable. The tenant must keep the unit as clean and safe as when the tenant took possession. (T.C.A. § 66-28-304(a); § 66-28-401)
Who pays for pest control and bed bugs in Tennessee?
No statute — no pest or bed-bug provision in the landlord-tenant law. In URLTA counties, infestations fall under the landlord's code-compliance and fit-and-habitable duties; the tenant must keep the unit clean and safe, dispose of garbage properly, and comply with tenant obligations under housing codes. (T.C.A. § 66-28-304(a); § 66-28-401(1)-(3))
Does a landlord have to provide heat in Tennessee?
No minimum temperature or heating season in state law. In URLTA counties, heat is an 'essential service': if the landlord deliberately or negligently fails to supply it, the tenant, after written notice, may procure heat and deduct the actual reasonable cost from rent, recover damages for reduced rental value, or obtain substitute housing (rent excused) and recover its reasonable value plus attorney's fees. The remedy is unavailable if the tenant, family or guests caused the condition. (T.C.A. § 66-28-502(a), (c); § 66-28-304(a)(1)-(2))
Does a landlord have to provide air conditioning in Tennessee?
No statute — Tennessee law does not require air conditioning or set a maximum indoor temperature. If the landlord supplies air conditioning, a failure that materially affects health and safety may be treated under the general repair duty or the 'essential services' remedy (which covers obligations materially affecting health and safety) in URLTA counties. (T.C.A. § 66-28-304; § 66-28-502(a)(3))
Who is responsible for smoke detectors in a rental in Tennessee?
For one- and two-family rentals (houses, duplexes, condominiums and similar), the owner may not rent a unit without an approved smoke alarm in each living unit that can be heard in the bedrooms. The tenant must maintain the alarm following the manufacturer's instructions; when a tenancy ends, the owner must make sure the alarm works before the unit is rented again. Tampering with or removing a required alarm is banned, and a violation is a Class A misdemeanor. This section covers smoke alarms only, not carbon monoxide detectors. (Tenn. Code Ann. § 68-102-151)
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.