Housing (Tenant Rights)

HB 1345 shortens the notice period landlords must give tenants before terminating a rental agreement for specific violations. It reduces the required notice from 14 days to 7 days for nonpayment of rent, costs for repairs or damages, or acts of violence posing a real danger to safety. Tenants facing these issues would have less time to resolve the problem before potential eviction. The bill applies to residential rental agreements entered into, amended, or renewed on or after July 1, 2025.

HB 444 (Tennessee Property Rights Protection Act) redefines "blighted property" to require housing authorities to prove individual properties - not entire neighborhoods - meet specific safety code violations before using eminent domain. It deletes the broad "blighted areas" definition, preventing non-blighted properties from being targeted for condemnation, and mandates housing authorities give owners time to fix violations before acquisition. The bill also allows housing authorities to pay above fair market value for non-blighted properties in redevelopment zones through negotiated sales, without eminent domain. These changes aim to limit eminent domain use to truly blighted properties while preserving housing authority powers for redevelopment.