Landlord and Tenant Lawyers in Murfreesboro

Find the right Tenant attorney in Murfreesboro, TN

Tenant Law in Tennessee

In Murfreesboro, Tennessee, relationships between tenants and landlords can occasionally become strained.

There are numerous rights and responsibilities that landlords and tenants have. It's important that each party is aware of their rights, and the rights of the other party. By knowing and respecting these rights, the risk of conflict should be reduced dramatically.

Landlord's Rights in Murfreesboro, TN

First and foremost, landlords have a right to timely payment of rent from their tenants, at the agreed-upon rate. This, of course, imposes on tenants a duty to pay their rent in whole, in a timely manner.

They additionally have a right to compensation for any damage that a tenant causes, beyond ordinary wear and tear. Landlords are free to bill the tenants for repairs to damage they caused, and deduct the cost from the security deposit.

Tenant's Rights in Murfreesboro, TN

At the most basic level, tenants have a basic right to what they're paying for: a habitable living environment. Consequently, landlords in Murfreesboro, Tennessee must ensure that the units they rent to tenants meet some basic standards for human habitation. These requirements vary from state to state, but are often fairly easy to meet. There are no legal criteria that rented units be pretty, particularly spacious, or luxurious. They simply have to be fit for human beings to live in them. To be considered "habitable," rented units must have water, electricity, some form of heating (if the local climate necessitates it), and adequate protection from the elements (proper insulation, no roof leaks, windows that close, etc.).

Tenants also have a right to ensure that the common areas of their apartment building are reasonably safe. Landlords are required to make sure that the common areas of their buildings meet Murfreesboro, Tennessee's building codes, and that there are no conditions that create unnecessary safety hazards. They are obligated to make, at their own expense, the proper repairs.

In the United States, and most likely under the statutes of Tennessee, it is unlawful for renters or sellers of real estate to discriminate on the basis of race, gender, national origin, color, or religion. Doing so can subject a landlord to harsh civil penalties. Additionally, they cannot discriminate based on physical disabilities, either. Tenants with physical disabilities, who are otherwise qualified to rent an apartment (they are able to pay, have good credit, etc.) are entitled to make reasonable modifications to the apartment to make it more accessible to them, and the landlord generally can't bar a tenant from doing this, as long as the modifications are not too extensive, and are reversible. The landlord can, however, require the tenant to remove the modifications, at the tenant's expense, when they move out.

Tenants are also legally safeguarded from unfair eviction. Before a lease agreement expires, landlords cannot evict tenants unless they breach as significant term of the agreement by not paying rent, causing serious damage to the property, engaging in activities that are a nuisance to the other tenants, or engaging in illegal activity on the property, among other things.

Can a Murfreesboro, Tennessee Landlord/Tenant Lawyer Help?

Landlords and tenants generally want to avoid conflict with one another. Nonetheless, conflicts are sometimes unavoidable. If you end up in a major dispute with a landlord or a tenant, a reliable Murfreesboro, Tennessee landlord/tenant attorney can help.

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Life in Murfreesboro

Murfreesboro is located in Rutherford County, Tennessee. It has a population of around 108,800 people. Some see the city as a suburb of Nashville, which is 35 miles from Murfreesboro. The city is well-known in Tennessee because it is home to Middle Tennessee State University. The university is the largest undergraduate university in the state!

Popular sites include the Discovery Center at Murfree Spring, Oaklands Historic House Museum, Stones River Greenway Arboretum, and Stones River National Battlefield.

Top employers include MAHLE Tennex, General Mills, Verizon Wireless, and Johnson Controls, Inc.

The city is also home to many well-established law offices and small firms that train excellent attorneys to handle any and every legal need.

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