| Rent Increase Facts | Answer |
| Reason Needed? | No |
| Maximum Amount | None |
| Required Notice | No Statute |
Does Tennessee Have Rent Control?
Tennessee does not have rent control laws limiting the amount that landlords ask for rent. State law prohibits local governments from establishing their own rent control ordinances.
When Can a Landlord Raise Rent in Tennessee?
Landlords in Tennessee can raise the rent at any time, as long as they comply with the following:
- Give reasonable notice
- Wait until the end of the lease term (unless otherwise specified in the lease)
- Aren’t raising rent for discriminatory or retaliatory reasons
60 days before the end of a year-long lease, a landlord sends a notice that rent will increase by 7.5% if they choose to renew the lease.
When Can’t a Landlord Raise Rent in Tennessee?
Landlords in Tennessee may not raise the rent if:
- The increase is applied in a way that discriminates against one of the protected classes specified in the Fair Housing Act
- It is done in retaliation against a protected tenant action, such as requesting repairs
- It is during the middle of a lease’s fixed term (unless stated otherwise in the lease agreement)
How Often Can Rent Be Increased in Tennessee?
Landlords in Tennessee can increase the rent as often as they wish, as long as reasonable notice is provided each time.
How Much Notice is Needed to Raise Rent in Tennessee?
Tennessee law does not require a specific notice period before raising the rent. Even though Tennessee law has no minimum notice period, it still requires that parties to a contract act in good faith, meaning that a landlord should give the tenant reasonable notice when increasing rent.
A Nashville and Davidson County ordinance requires at least 60 days written notice before increasing rent. However, state law overrides local minimums in counties with populations over 75,000 (as of the 2010 U.S. Census), so the local requirement is at present not enforceable.
How Much Can a Landlord Raise Rent in Tennessee?
In Tennessee, landlords can raise the rent by any amount. There is no legal limit or cap on the amount of a rent increase.
Sources
- 1 Tenn. Code § 66-35-102(a)
-
A local governmental unit shall not enact, maintain or enforce an ordinance or resolution that would have the effect of controlling the amount of rent charged for leasing private residential or commercial property.
Source Link
- 2 Tenn. Code § 66-28-514
-
Except as provided in this section, a landlord may not retaliate by increasing rent or decreasing services or by bringing or threatening to bring an action for possession because the tenant:
(1) Has complained to the landlord of a violation under § 66-28-301; or
(2) Has made use of remedies provided under this chapter.
Source Link
- 3 Nashville & Davidson Code of Ord. § 11.22.010
-
In the absence of a written rental agreement that requires sixty days or more written notice of an increase in residential rent, a landlord must provide a minimum of ninety days’ advance written notice of any increase in the amount of rent charged to a residential tenant.
Any proposed increase shall have no effect on any other term or condition of a written rental agreement. After proper notice has been given, any increase in rent may not become effective prior to the completion of the original lease term.
This provision shall not apply to any housing funded through any programs that are regulated by a division, department, agency, or branch of the federal, state, or metropolitan government.
This provision shall apply to all residential leases entered into on or after July 1, 2020.
Source Link - 4 Tenn. Code § 66-28-102(e)
-
In the counties in which this chapter applies, this chapter occupies and preempts the entire field of legislation concerning the regulation of landlords and tenants. The governing body of a county subject to this chapter shall not enact or enforce regulations that conflict with, or are an addition to, this chapter.
Source Link
