Tennessee Department of Health, If You Rent a Place, Know Your Legal Rights and Duties

Does the landlord want to change the renter’s
and amount you paid. This is money to pay for rules after you sign the lease? He can’t IF it would
damage you might do while you live there. The change what the lease says. But he can make
landlord must tell you which bank he puts your other changes to the rules. Don’t like the rules?
deposit in. Then don’t sign the lease.
Does the lease say the security deposit is non-
What if you don’t like something in the lease?
refundable? That means you will not get the
Before you sign it, talk to the landlord. IF both of
money back when you move out. See our
you agree, you can mark out parts you don’t like.
booklet “Security Deposit.” IF both of you agree, you can add new things to
the lease. Put your initials by changes in the lease.
Your landlord must also initial all changes. DON’T
Your Rent sign a lease that is different from what you agreed
to. DON’T sign a lease you don’t understand or
You and the landlord should agree how much agree with. Find someplace else to live.
rent you will pay. This agreement can be written
or spoken. It is best to get it in writing. Spoken Do you have an
agreements are hard to prove. If problems come e-mail address? Then
up, a written lease is the best proof. you can put it in the
lease. The landlord
can use it to write to
you and send you
The lease notices. What if you
change your e-mail
A lease says what you and the address? Give the new
landlord agreed to. It says how e-mail address to the
much the rent and security landlord in writing.
deposit will be. It says when
you must pay rent. It says who
can live there and for how
long. It says who pays the bills Warning! Check your e-mail often for
for gas, lights and water. It says messages from your landlord. Check your in
if you can have pets or not.