Repair and maintenance responsibilities are one of the most common sources of confusion between landlords and tenants. A leaking pipe, broken HVAC system, damaged appliance, clogged drain, or neglected yard can quickly lead to disagreements over who is responsible for fixing the problem and paying the bill.
For residential rentals in Clarksville and Montgomery County that are covered by Tennessee’s Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, both landlords and tenants have maintenance responsibilities. The lease is important, but it does not automatically shift every repair obligation from one party to the other.
This guide explains landlord and tenant responsibilities for repairs in Tennessee, who may be responsible for different types of damage, how repair requests should be documented, and what may happen when either party fails to meet their obligations.
Quick Answer: Who Is Responsible for Repairs in a Tennessee Rental?
Landlords are generally responsible for keeping a covered rental property fit and habitable, complying with applicable health-and-safety housing codes, making necessary repairs, and keeping common areas clean and safe.
Tenants are generally responsible for keeping the areas they occupy clean and safe, properly disposing of waste, avoiding deliberate or negligent damage, and following applicable tenant obligations in the lease and Tennessee law.
Who ultimately pays for a particular repair depends on what caused the problem, what the lease says, whether the tenant was negligent, and whether the repair involves a legal obligation that remains with the landlord.
Tired of coordinating maintenance yourself?
Connerth & Co. helps Clarksville rental owners manage tenant communication, maintenance requests, vendor coordination, inspections, documentation, and other day-to-day property management responsibilities.
What Are a Landlord’s Repair Responsibilities in Tennessee?
For rental properties covered by Tennessee’s Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, Tennessee Code § 66-28-304 establishes several important landlord maintenance responsibilities.
A landlord must generally:
- Comply with applicable building and housing codes that materially affect health and safety.
- Make repairs and take necessary action to keep the premises fit and habitable.
- Keep common areas clean and safe.
- Meet applicable waste-receptacle obligations in qualifying multi-unit properties.
This means a landlord’s responsibility is not determined simply by whether a repair is “small” or “large.” The cause of the problem, the lease, applicable housing codes, and whether the condition affects habitability or health and safety all matter.
Examples of issues that may require landlord attention include problems involving plumbing, electrical systems, heat, structural conditions, major leaks, and other conditions affecting whether the rental remains fit and habitable.
For more information about preventive upkeep, read our guide to regular property maintenance for landlords.
What Are a Tenant’s Maintenance Responsibilities in Tennessee?
Tenants also have legal responsibilities for maintaining a rental property.
Under Tennessee Code § 66-28-401, tenants generally must:
- Follow applicable building and housing-code obligations primarily imposed on tenants.
- Keep the part of the property they occupy and use as clean and safe as its condition when they took possession.
- Properly dispose of garbage, rubbish, and other waste.
- Avoid deliberately or negligently damaging, destroying, defacing, impairing, or removing parts of the property.
- Make sure people on the premises with their consent do not disturb neighbors’ peaceful enjoyment.
Tenants should also report maintenance problems promptly. A small leak, moisture issue, electrical problem, or HVAC malfunction can become significantly more expensive if it is ignored.
The tenant should use the landlord’s or property manager’s established maintenance-request process whenever possible so there is a written record of when the issue was reported.
Who Pays for Repairs in a Rental Property?
There is no rule saying tenants pay for every minor repair while landlords pay for every major repair. Responsibility usually depends on why the repair is needed.
Repairs Caused by Normal Use or Property Condition
When a system or component fails through ordinary use, age, or a condition the landlord is legally responsible for maintaining, the repair will generally remain the landlord’s responsibility.
Examples can include a failing HVAC system, plumbing failure, roof leak, electrical problem, or another condition affecting the property’s habitability when the tenant did not cause the problem.
Damage Caused by a Tenant
A tenant may be financially responsible when the need for repair results from deliberate or negligent damage by the tenant, an occupant, or another person on the property with the tenant’s consent.
Documentation is important. Before charging a tenant for a repair, landlords should keep photographs, inspection records, invoices, maintenance notes, communication records, and other evidence showing what happened.
Maintenance Assigned by the Lease
A lease may assign certain routine responsibilities to the tenant, such as lawn care or another specified maintenance task.
Tennessee law also allows landlords and tenants to make a written agreement under which the tenant performs specified repairs, maintenance tasks, alterations, or remodeling. However, the agreement must be made in good faith and cannot be used simply to evade the landlord’s statutory obligations.
Can a Lease Make the Tenant Responsible for Repairs?
A lease can establish many maintenance responsibilities, but the answer is not as simple as writing “tenant is responsible for all repairs.”
Tennessee Code § 66-28-304 permits a written agreement for specified tenant repairs or maintenance tasks when the agreement is made in good faith and is not designed to avoid the landlord’s legal obligations.
That is why a good lease should identify responsibilities clearly instead of relying on vague language.
Examples may include:
- Routine yard maintenance
- Replacing ordinary light bulbs
- Changing filters when specifically required by the lease
- Properly disposing of waste
- Keeping the tenant’s portion of the premises clean
- Reporting leaks or other repair issues promptly
Major questions involving habitability, building codes, essential services, or structural systems should be evaluated under applicable Tennessee law rather than relying only on a general lease clause.
What Happens If a Tenant Does Not Maintain the Rental?
If a tenant fails to comply with maintenance obligations in a way that materially affects health and safety, Tennessee law provides a process for addressing the problem.
Under Tennessee Code § 66-28-506, when the tenant’s noncompliance can be corrected by repair, replacement of a damaged item, or cleaning, the landlord may provide written notice describing the problem and requesting that the tenant correct it.
If the tenant does not comply as promptly as conditions require in an emergency or within the applicable 14-day period after written notice, the statute may allow the landlord to have the work completed and submit an itemized bill for the actual and reasonable cost or fair and reasonable value of the work.
Landlords should document the condition, the notice provided, the work performed, and the cost rather than simply assigning an unsupported repair charge.
What Happens If the Landlord Does Not Make Required Repairs?
Tenants should report repair problems promptly and preferably in writing. Written documentation helps establish when the landlord or property manager became aware of the condition and what was requested.
For covered rentals, Tennessee Code § 66-28-501 provides remedies for certain landlord noncompliance after the tenant gives 14 days’ written notice. Depending on the circumstances, remedies can include damages, injunctive relief, and reasonable attorney’s fees.
Serious conditions involving essential services are addressed separately under Tennessee Code § 66-28-502.
Tenants should not assume that every unresolved repair gives them the right to simply stop paying rent. The correct remedy depends on the type of problem, the required notice, whether the tenant caused the condition, and the specific Tennessee statute involved.
If the condition may make the property unsafe or uninhabitable, see our more detailed guide: When Is a Rental Uninhabitable in Tennessee?
What Are Essential Services in Tennessee?
Tennessee Code § 66-28-502 provides specific remedies when a landlord deliberately or negligently fails to supply essential services.
The statute defines essential services to include utility services such as gas, heat, and electricity, as well as other landlord obligations that materially affect the tenant’s health and safety.
The tenant must first give written notice to the landlord specifying the breach. If the statutory requirements are satisfied, available remedies may include:
- Obtaining essential services and deducting the actual and reasonable cost from rent.
- Seeking damages based on the reduction in the rental value while continuing to occupy the property.
- Obtaining reasonable substitute housing during the period of noncompliance, with the tenant excused from rent for that period.
These remedies have specific legal conditions. A tenant should not treat them as a general right to deduct any repair expense from rent.
Can a Tenant Withhold Rent Because Repairs Have Not Been Made?
Tenants should be cautious about withholding rent on their own.
Tennessee law provides specific remedies for landlord noncompliance and for failure to provide essential services, but those remedies involve particular requirements, including written notice in applicable situations.
A pending repair request does not automatically authorize a tenant to stop paying the full rent. Before withholding, deducting, terminating the tenancy, or taking another legal remedy, the tenant should determine which Tennessee statute applies and consider obtaining legal guidance.
Can a Tenant Repair Something and Deduct the Cost From Rent?
Tennessee does not provide a blanket “repair and deduct” rule covering every maintenance problem.
Section 66-28-502 does allow a tenant, after the required written notice and when the landlord deliberately or negligently fails to provide an essential service, to procure the essential service and deduct its actual and reasonable cost from rent if the statute’s conditions are satisfied.
That is much narrower than saying a tenant may hire a contractor for any repair and subtract the bill from the next rent payment.
How Should Tenants Report Maintenance Problems?
A clear written maintenance request helps both sides.
A useful request should include:
- The address and unit number
- A clear description of the problem
- When the issue was first noticed
- Whether the condition is getting worse
- Photos or video when useful
- Whether water, heat, electricity, security, or another health-and-safety issue is affected
- Any reasonable access information needed to inspect the problem
Tenants should report urgent leaks, electrical hazards, loss of heat, and similar problems promptly rather than waiting for a routine inspection.
Landlords and property managers should acknowledge requests, document their response, coordinate appropriate inspection or repair, and retain records showing what was done.
Why Documentation Matters for Landlords and Tenants
Many repair disputes are really documentation disputes.
Landlords should maintain records such as:
- Move-in condition reports
- Inspection photographs
- Tenant maintenance requests
- Vendor work orders and invoices
- Repair completion dates
- Emails, texts, and portal communication
- Before-and-after photographs
Tenants should also keep copies of written repair requests, photographs of the condition, and responses from the landlord or property manager.
Clear records make it easier to determine when a problem began, whether it was reported, what caused it, and how quickly it was addressed.
How Rental Inspections Help Prevent Repair Problems
Routine inspections can help identify water intrusion, deferred maintenance, unauthorized alterations, HVAC issues, safety concerns, and other problems before they become more expensive.
Inspections should not replace tenant maintenance requests, but they can provide another opportunity to document the condition of the rental and plan preventive maintenance.
Learn more in our guide explaining how often a landlord should inspect a rental property.
Property Maintenance Support for Clarksville Landlords
Managing repairs involves more than calling a contractor. Owners also need a reliable process for receiving tenant requests, evaluating urgency, communicating with vendors, documenting completed work, keeping tenants informed, and maintaining records.
Connerth & Co. helps Clarksville rental owners coordinate these day-to-day responsibilities through our landlord property management services.
If you own a rental property in Clarksville or Montgomery County and would like to discuss its rental potential and management needs, request a free rental analysis.
Key Takeaways
- Landlords and tenants both have maintenance responsibilities under Tennessee law.
- Landlords generally must maintain covered rentals in a fit and habitable condition and comply with applicable health-and-safety housing codes.
- Tenants generally must keep their occupied areas clean and safe, dispose of waste properly, and avoid deliberate or negligent damage.
- A tenant is not automatically responsible for every “small” repair.
- A landlord is not necessarily responsible for damage caused by a tenant’s deliberate or negligent actions.
- A written lease may assign specified maintenance duties, but it cannot simply be used to evade the landlord’s statutory obligations.
- Tenants should report repair problems promptly and in writing.
- Tennessee provides specific remedies for failure to supply essential services, but there is no blanket right to stop paying rent because any repair remains unresolved.
- Good documentation helps both landlords and tenants resolve maintenance disputes.
This article provides general information about Tennessee rental-property law and is not legal advice. Repair responsibilities and available remedies depend on the lease, the cause and seriousness of the condition, applicable housing codes, and the facts of the specific tenancy. Consult a qualified Tennessee attorney regarding a specific legal dispute.
Last reviewed: September 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What repairs are landlords responsible for in Tennessee?
For rentals covered by Tennessee’s Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, landlords generally must comply with applicable health-and-safety housing codes, make repairs necessary to keep the premises fit and habitable, and keep common areas clean and safe. Responsibility for a particular repair still depends on the cause of the problem, the lease, and applicable law.
Is a tenant responsible for maintenance in Tennessee?
Yes. Tenants generally must keep the areas they occupy clean and safe, properly dispose of waste, avoid deliberate or negligent damage, and comply with applicable tenant obligations. A lease may also assign specified maintenance tasks when permitted by Tennessee law.
Who pays for repairs if a tenant causes the damage?
A tenant may be responsible for the cost of repairing damage caused deliberately or negligently by the tenant, an occupant, or another person on the premises with the tenant’s consent. Landlords should document the damage and the actual or reasonable repair cost.
Can a landlord make a tenant responsible for repairs in the lease?
Tennessee law permits a written agreement for specified tenant repairs or maintenance tasks when the agreement is made in good faith and is not intended to evade the landlord’s legal obligations. A lease does not automatically transfer every habitability or health-and-safety responsibility to the tenant.
Can a tenant withhold rent for repairs in Tennessee?
A tenant should not assume that an unresolved repair automatically gives the tenant the right to stop paying rent. Tennessee provides specific remedies for landlord noncompliance and failure to provide essential services, and those remedies have notice and eligibility requirements.
Can a tenant repair something and deduct the cost from rent in Tennessee?
There is no blanket repair-and-deduct rule for every maintenance problem. Tennessee Code § 66-28-502 provides a specific remedy for failure to supply essential services when its requirements are met, including written notice to the landlord and other statutory conditions.
What are essential services under Tennessee landlord-tenant law?
Essential services include utility services such as gas, heat, and electricity, as well as other landlord obligations that materially affect a tenant’s health and safety. Tennessee law provides specific remedies when a landlord deliberately or negligently fails to supply those services and the statutory requirements are satisfied.
How should a tenant request a repair?
A tenant should report the problem promptly and preferably in writing. The request should describe the condition, when it began, whether it affects health or safety, and include photographs when useful. Keeping a written record helps document when the landlord or property manager received notice.
