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How is leasing different from home ownership? What are my obligations as an occupant? 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 occupants 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 reside in government assisted housing? Does the USDA assist with renters in rural locations? Where can I discover more about healthy housing policy? Additional resources

* * * Our Healthy Homes personnel are not medical professionals or legal representatives. The details on our Healthy Homes Website does not provide medical or legal suggestions. This information is not an alternative for visiting your medical professional 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 e-mails, 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 lease invoices as evidence you paid.

3. Read your lease. Whatever is written in the lease is a legal contract. Both occupant and property manager have responsibilities.

It is likely illegal for a landlord to retaliate against a renter who submits a complaint, calls Buiding Codes, or takes legal action. Changing locks, turning off energies, appearing often, or inappropriately raising lease can be retaliation.

How is renting various from home ownership?

Renting is different from home ownership in that the tenant must depend on another person to make repair work. The renter may not have the ability to make modifications to the home without consent. An occupant has both rights and obligations. Renting can be a good choice for lots of people to preserve a healthy home environment, both indoors and outdoors. Whether you rent a home, house, duplex, mobile home or cabin you can keep the seven healthy homes concepts. Bear in mind that health starts at home.

What are my obligations as a renter?

Renters are accountable for tidiness and safety. You might lease with no formal agreement, or you might have a lease agreement. The most typical kind of renter in Tennessee is a renter who signs a lease agreement to pay rent every month throughout the year. Renters might be asked to provide a down payment. Lease arrangements are legally binding agreements. You are accountable for following the regards to your lease. Some lease agreements have addendums such as pet policies, bug control contracts or for reporting water damage. You are accountable for: paying your lease on time, paying any late fees, keeping the place tidy and safe, not letting anyone else damage it, not breaking the law, getting rid of your garbage, and following your property manager's rules. If you break your lease, then it might become a legal problem.

The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance shared Tips for First-Time Renters along with 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 concepts to maintaining a healthy home.

1. Keep it Dry. - Damp homes supply an excellent environment for mites, roaches, rodents and molds.

1. Keep it Clean. - Clean homes help minimize bug problems and direct exposure to impurities.
2. Keep it Pest-Free. - Exposure to mice and cockroaches may increase asthma attacks. Improper pesticide treatments for bug invasions can aggravate health issue, considering that pesticide residues in homes can posture health risks.
3. Keep it Safe. - The bulk of children's injuries happen in the home. Falls are the most frequent cause of domestic injuries to children, followed by injuries from things in the home, burns, and poisonings.
4. Keep it Contaminant-Free. - Avoid exposure to lead, radon, carbon monoxide, pesticides, asbestos and ecological tobacco smoke. Bear in mind direct exposure is frequently greater inside your home.
5. Keep it Ventilated. - Studies have actually revealed increasing fresh air in a home improves respiratory health.
6. Keep it Maintained. - Poorly-maintained homes are at danger of being unhealthy.
7. Keep it Thermally Controlled. - Houses that do not keep sufficient temperatures might position the security of residents at increased threat from direct exposure to extreme heat or cold.
   
   If you utilize these principles as a guide, you can maintain a safe and healthy home. If you are having a problem maintaining any of these principles, other parts of this site will know and resources to help you.
   
   What if I have an unhealthy condition in my rental home?
   
   If you have an unhealthy condition in your rental home, then it may be your duty to fix the issue or it may be your property owner's duty to make repair work. Read your rental lease arrangement. Abide by any requirements for tidiness or safety. Report any needed repair work to the property owner as they arise. Putting your issues in composing is finest. This develops a record of your issues. Repairs to your rental home must be made in a reasonable quantity of time. The amount of time may be listed in your lease.
   
   If your property manager has not made repairs in a reasonable quantity of time, you might require to communicate more directly, such as with additional composed grievances or an in person conference. If your property manager continues to disregard your concerns, you might need to pursue legal action.
   
   Disputes between a property manager and a tenant are civil issues. Most landlord and renter concerns are outside of 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 renters.
   
   What are my rights as an occupant?
   
   According to the Legal Aid Society, as a renter you can a livable place and to live peacefully. Your rights as an occupant may vary depending upon which county you live in. The Legal Aid Society has a useful truth sheet to help you comprehend your rights as a renter. How to call the Legal Aid Society or the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services is listed below.
   
   If your rental home requires an emergency situation repair work to keep it healthy, such as a repair work of the heat, gas, lights, water, sewage, plumbing or a/c, you should alert your proprietor right now.
   
   If the need for repair in not an emergency situation, then 2 week is normally thought about as a reasonable amount of time for the landlord to make repair work. Hopefully, the majority of repairs will be made much sooner after a proprietor is made mindful. Use your routine approach of reporting needs for repair such as a site, telephone call, text, or workplace see. Put something into composing to record when you made the property owner familiar with the need for repair work.
   
   In some counties you can use some of your lease cash to make these instant repairs. If the issue was your fault, you may need to assist spend for the repairs.
   
   You can not be dislodged of your rental home. You can not be evicted without notice. The property owner can not alter the locks or shut down your energies to make you leave. Most of the time, a proprietor needs to go to court before evicting you. If you did something unsafe or threatening, the proprietor only needs to offer you three (3) days to leave. If you did not pay rent or broke your lease contract, you may be given a thirty (30) day notice to leave. If you have legal concerns about housing, you need to seek advice from with a lawyer or legal services.
   
   The Tennessee Alliance for Legal Serices has a HELP4TN website, chatbot, and telephone to help individuals who need assist with their legal concerns. If you do not have your own attorney, this is a great website to start.
   
   If you certify based on earnings or assistance status, the Legal Aid Society may be able to assist. Bear in mind, Legal Aid has a customer waiting list and hardly ever will cases happen quickly. Contact the office near you for additional information.
   
   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 reality sheets to assist you comprehend your rights and duties as a renter. 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 requirements. Codes can apply to domestic or non-residential residential or commercial properties or both. Codes assessments can take place at any time, though they are most common with brand-new construction or renovation. Building Codes help to make sure safety within a building. It is essential to have buildings up to code. Landlords are accountable for satisfying Codes.
   
   All urbane areas in Tennessee have their own codes departments to impose Residential or commercial property Maintenance Codes. Many big county or city federal governments have codes departments. Though, many towns and rural areas do not have any standardized minimum residential or commercial property upkeep codes. Several codes departments throughout the state have actually adopted the International Residential or commercial property Maintenance Code. Codes inspectors may check electrical, plumbing, gas, zoning, and other physical aspects of a home. Contact your local codes department for details specific to your location.
   
   Often Building Codes will ask if a tenant has actually already informed their property owner about the requirement for repair and offered the property manager affordable time to make the repair. Afterward, Buiding Codes might carry out an evaluation. If there is an examination, make certain to request a copy of any notes or citations. Remember that Building regulations can only check out homes where the occupant has legal right to allow their check out.
   
   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 populated counties, there are written requirements and securities to rental arrangements consisting of commitments for upkeep by the landlord to adhere to requirements of applicable structure and housing codes materially impacting healthy and security, as noted in 66-28-304.( a).
   
   What are the minimum requirements for rental housing?
   
   The Tennessee Department of Health is responsible for promoting rules for minimum health requirements for rental housing. These rules become part of Tennessee Code Annotated § 53-5502 restructured as § 68-111 in Chapter 1200-1-2. The rules cover standard equipment and facilities, light and ventilation, temperature level, and sanitation.
   
   Can I make an official complaint?
   
   If a rental residential or commercial property violates minimum health standards it may be unsuited for habitation. According to Tennessee Code Annotated § 68-111-101, tenants whose rent is $200 or less per week may file a complaint with their regional 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 qualified mail to the property owner. A certifying grievance can result in a home investigation. This part of the law does not apply to tenants who pay their rent monthly or for a term greater than month-to-month. For non-qualifying grievances, other structure codes or ordinances that the structure inspector is licensed to impose, might be relevant to house leased at greater rates.
   
   What if I reside in federal government assisted housing?
   
   The federal government assists low-income households, the elderly, and the disabled to afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private market. Participants discover their own housing, including single-family homes, townhouses, and homes. There is an annual Housing Quality Standards (HQS) evaluation procedure to ensure that homes are tidy and safe. Renters with assisted housing, such as Section 8, need to begin by talking with the office that released their rental Housing Choice Voucher (HCV).
   
   The Tennessee Housing Development Agency performs contract administration for Section 8 domestic issues in 76 counties. If the residential or commercial property owner or agent is not fulfilling their responsibilities, TDHA might step in. To learn more, call THDA at 1-800-228-THDA (8432) throughout typical company hours or check out the THDA webpage anytime. Local public housing companies (PHAs) supply services in the other counties. A few of the local workplaces are the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency, Murfreesboro Housing Authority, Memphis Housing Authority, and Knox County Housing Authority.
   
   Renters who get support can contact 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 step in to have the property owner make repairs as essential. 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 in backwoods?
   
   Yes. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has a rural advancement program. USDA assists with some 360 multi-family residential or commercial properties in Tennessee. If you have a concern about living in USDA-assisted rural housing you can contact your rural advancement local workplace.
   
   Where can I discover more about healthy housing policy?
   
   Our Healthy Places website supplies more information about the locations we live, work and play. Click here to read more about healthy housing policies.