Nashville Landlord-Tenant Rules
Nashville adds local rules on top of Tennessee landlord-tenant law. Here is what is different, with the city code or agency page behind each rule.
| State preemption | Davidson County is covered by Tennessee's Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (URLTA). In covered counties, URLTA occupies and preempts the entire field of landlord-tenant regulation, so local governments there may not adopt landlord-tenant rules that conflict with or add to it. Tennessee also bans local rent control and mandatory below-market (inclusionary) housing requirements. Metro Nashville therefore has no local landlord-tenant ordinance; state law (see the Tennessee page) governs. Official T.C.A. is published only via LexisNexis. Text was read on a public mirror (FindLaw, 'current as of January 02, 2024'). Rent-control and inclusionary bans: https://codes.findlaw.com/tn/title-66-property/tn-code-sect-66-35-102/. No state statute on local source-of-income ordinances was found in 66-35-102. |
|---|---|
| Local fair housing protected classes | No Metro-specific housing protected classes were found. Metro's fair housing page lists the federal classes plus creed (protected under Tennessee law). Source of income is not protected. Metro's Housing Division does not investigate fair housing complaints or landlord-tenant disputes; it refers people to the Tennessee Fair Housing Council, the Tennessee Human Rights Commission and HUD. Source: Official source |
| Rental registration/inspection | No Metro rental registration or routine rental inspection program was found. Rental conditions are enforced on complaint by the Metro Codes Property Standards Division. Absence based on Metro housing pages only; the Metro Code (Municode) was not searched. Source: Official source |
| Habitability/code enforcement & complaint line | Report unsafe or unsanitary rental conditions to Metro Codes' Property Standards Division through hubNashville (online, or 311 / 615-862-5000) or the Codes Hotline at 615-862-6590. Source: Official source |
| Tenant right to counsel | Nashville's Eviction Right to Counsel (ERTC) program, sponsored by Metro Nashville and run by the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands with the Nashville Hispanic Bar Association and community partners, provides free legal help to people facing eviction, from advice to full representation in court. Eligibility: Davidson County residents with income at or below 400% of the federal poverty level, regardless of citizenship status. Priorities include public and subsidized housing evictions, Fair Housing Act violations, illegal lockouts and utility shutoffs, and domestic violence survivors. Helpline: (833) 837-HOME (4663); RTC@las.org. The overview PDF is marked 'Revised 5/24'. Metro's fair housing page lists a separate ERTC contact at Conexión Américas (615-270-9252). The program is funded by Metro appropriations, not a guaranteed right in the Metro Code; current funding beyond the current cycle was not verified. Source: Official source |
| Eviction diversion | Davidson County General Sessions Court runs the L.E.G.A.C.Y. Housing Resource Diversionary Court (HRDC) for nonpayment cases. Cases transferred to the HRDC docket (Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1:30 p.m.) meet with a Housing Court Navigator, and Metro Action Commission funds may pay back rent; the case is dismissed once assistance is received. Participation is voluntary and either side may return to the regular docket. To check a pending case or HRDC date, call the Circuit Court Clerk at 615-862-5195. The page still describes COVID-19 income impact as an eligibility requirement and may be outdated; whether the program is still operating was not verified. Source: Official source |
| Local rental assistance | The Metropolitan Action Commission (MAC) offers emergency rent help to Davidson County residents who meet federal income guidelines and lost income within the last 60 days. Residents 60 and older may get rent help through MAC Senior Services. Help is limited to once per application period (October 1 to September 30). Apply online, by mail or in person at Airways Plaza, 1281 Murfreesboro Pike (8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. weekdays). Phone 615-862-8860. Source: Official source |
Eviction cases in Nashville are heard in: Davidson County General Sessions Court, Civil Division (detainer warrants); appeals to Circuit Court
Eviction court, fees and help
Right to a lawyer in eviction cases
Yes, as a Metro-funded program (not a code mandate): free eviction legal help for Davidson County residents at or below 400% FPL via the Eviction Right to Counsel program, (833) 837-HOME. Official source
Local agencies
- Metro Codes, Property Standards Division — Investigates unsafe or unsanitary rental conditions. Codes Hotline 615-862-6590 or hubNashville.
- Metropolitan Action Commission — Emergency rent and household assistance for eligible Davidson County residents. 615-862-8860.
- Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands (Eviction Right to Counsel) — Free eviction defense and tenant legal help. ERTC (833) 837-HOME; Legal Aid 1-800-238-1443 or 615-244-6610.
- Davidson County Circuit Court Clerk (General Sessions Civil) — Files detainer (eviction) warrants and keeps case records. 615-862-5195.
Frequently asked questions
What landlord-tenant rules does Nashville add on top of Tennessee law?
State preemption: Davidson County is covered by Tennessee's Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (URLTA). In covered counties, URLTA occupies and preempts the entire field of landlord-tenant regulation, so local governments there may not adopt landlord-tenant rules that conflict with or add to it. Tennessee also bans local rent control and mandatory below-market (inclusionary) housing requirements. Metro Nashville therefore has no local landlord-tenant ordinance; state law (see the Tennessee page) governs.; Local fair housing protected classes: No Metro-specific housing protected classes were found. Metro's fair housing page lists the federal classes plus creed (protected under Tennessee law). Source of income is not protected. Metro's Housing Division does not investigate fair housing complaints or landlord-tenant disputes; it refers people to the Tennessee Fair Housing Council, the Tennessee Human Rights Commission and HUD.; Rental registration/inspection: No Metro rental registration or routine rental inspection program was found. Rental conditions are enforced on complaint by the Metro Codes Property Standards Division.; Habitability/code enforcement & complaint line: Report unsafe or unsanitary rental conditions to Metro Codes' Property Standards Division through hubNashville (online, or 311 / 615-862-5000) or the Codes Hotline at 615-862-6590.
← All Tennessee landlord-tenant rules
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.