Landlord Tenant Law

Landlord Tenant Legal Issues in Wake of 2020 Tornado and COVID-19 Pandemic

March 28, 2020 | by Freeman & Fuson

LANDLORD TENANT LEGAL ISSUES IN THE WAKE OF THE 2020 TENNESSEE TORNADOES & COVID – 19.

On March 2nd and 3rd of 2020, a series of large tornadoes touched down in Middle Tennessee, resulting in widespread damage, injuries, and fatalities. Lives were lost, electric lines were toppled, and countless homes were damaged or destroyed.

In the weeks that followed the tornadoes, a new emergency, the COVID-19 pandemic, has been forced to the forefront of everyone’s minds. As a result of “Stay at Home” orders all across the state and country, many people’s job security, and their ability to pay rent, is at risk.

Landlord “Inadvertently” Sends Notice To Leave To Tenants

February 15, 2016 | by Freeman & Fuson

On January 27, 2016, WKRN reported that dozens of tenants at the Howe Garden Apartments in East Nashville received notices that they were to leave their apartments in the middle of the lease. This obviously left tenants, who still had months left on their leases, furious and confused. It wasn’t until new outlets asked the property management company for more information that the apartment complex announced that the notices were just a mistake.

The underlying issue with this story is that the apartment complex in question recently was purchased by a new owner. Currently, Howe Garden is an affordable complex in a vastly growing Nashville. It is not uncommon to have complexes purchased by new owners, renovated and put back up for lease at a higher rate. But to do that, the current residents must have their leases run out or agree to leave.

Under Tennessee law, new owners inherit the lease agreement between the tenants and original landlord when they purchase property that is currently being rented. This means they must honor the lease agreement, including the duration of the lease. The new owner must also follow Tennessee’s Uniform Residential Landlord-Tenant Act.

LANDLORD TENANT DISPUTES

October 6, 2015 | by Freeman & Fuson

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Freeman & Fuson represents both landlords and tenants who find themselves in a dispute with the other. Whether you are facing an eviction or have a tenant who has breached the terms of the lease, we can help you with those issues or any number of the other problems that may arise. Tennessee has a set of laws that covers landlords and their tenants and the duties owed by both.

The duties of either the landlord or the tenant varies from county to county in Tennessee. That is because the Uniform Residential Landlord Tenant Acts (“URLTA”) applies to counties with a population of 68,000 or more. (Anderson, Blount, Bradley, Davidson, Greene, Hamilton, Knox, Madison, Maury, Montgomery, Putnam, Rutherford, Sevier, Shelby, Sullivan, Sumner, Washington, Williamson and Wilson).

LANDLORDS

As Homeownership Decreases Rental Properties Become More Important

October 6, 2015 | by Freeman & Fuson

A recent article by CNBC stated that home ownership across the country is down to its lowest rate since 1967. This means that more people, especially young adults, are renting instead of buying. Middle Tennessee fits perfectly into this mold as well. With residential real estate prices soaring, and more people flocking to the next “it” city, rental property supply is having trouble meeting the demand. As the Wall Street Journal noted, rental rates in Nashville are rising because of the growth in population related to attractive job opportunities.

So what does all of this mean for landlords and tenants? First, landlords have a vested interest in protecting their rental property because it is a growing source of income. This means they need to (1) research potential tenants, (2) invest in a solid written lease agreement and, if needed, (3) move quickly in resolving disputes that may arise with tenants. Failing to do any of these three could result in lost rent, lost value and ultimately lost income.

Background checks are easy and inexpensive and can provide a landlord with extremely important information. Our firm runs them on almost every case we take because it can provide valuable information that we may otherwise not have found out. This can include past judgments and lawsuits, evictions and criminal history. When dealing with multiple potential renters for a property, more information is vital.