How Memphis Handles Rental Property Rules: A Practical Guide
Memphis maintains 200 local ordinances across all categories, and 10 of those deal specifically with rental property rules. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Memphis falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.
Relocation Assistance
Tennessee preempts most local landlord regulation under TCA 66-35-101, and Memphis has not adopted (and cannot adopt) a tenant relocation-assistance ordinance for rent hikes, no-fault evictions, or condo conversions.
Key details: Local ordinance: None (preempted). State preemption: TCA 66-35-101. Federal exception: URA 42 USC 4601. Coverage: HUD-funded only.
Because no city ordinance exists, private no-fault evictions do not require relocation payments. URA-funded projects that skip required relocation aid can lose federal funding and face HUD enforcement action.
Memphis is more permissive than most cities when it comes to relocation assistance. That said, there are still limits.
Security Deposit Rules
Tennessee URLTA (TCA 66-28-301) requires landlords in URLTA-counties (including Shelby) to hold security deposits in a separate account and return them with itemized deductions within 30 days of move-out.
Key details: Statute: TCA 66-28-301. Refund window: 30 days. Deposit cap: None statewide. Account: Separate identifiable.
Commingling deposits with operating funds, missing the 30-day refund window, or skipping the itemized statement forfeits the landlord's right to withhold deductions and exposes them to small-claims suits.
No-Fault Evictions
Tennessee URLTA (TCA 66-28-512) lets a landlord end a month-to-month tenancy for any non-discriminatory reason with 30 days written notice. Memphis cannot impose a just-cause requirement because TCA 66-35-101 preempts local rent control and most local landlord regulation.
Key details: Notice required: 30 days written. Just-cause preempted: TCA 66-35-101. Anti-retaliation: TCA 66-28-514. Lookback: 6 months.
Eviction motivated by a tenant's protected class, retaliation for code complaints filed within six months, or notice shorter than 30 days exposes the landlord to TURLTA damages and federal Fair Housing claims.
Memphis is more permissive than most cities when it comes to no-fault evictions. That said, there are still limits.
Tenant Anti-Harassment
Tennessee URLTA prohibits landlords from changing locks, shutting off utilities, or removing belongings to force a tenant out (TCA 66-28-504). Retaliation for code complaints filed in the prior six months is also barred (TCA 66-28-514).
Key details: Self-help ban: TCA 66-28-504. Anti-retaliation: TCA 66-28-514. Damages: 3x actual or 3 months rent. Lookback: 6 months.
Lockouts, utility shutoffs, removing tenant property, or terminating leases within six months of a code complaint expose landlords to TURLTA damages, attorney fees, and possible criminal mischief charges.
Section 8 Voucher Acceptance
Memphis Housing Authority (MHA) administers federal Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers in the city. Tennessee does not bar source-of-income discrimination, so private Memphis landlords may legally refuse vouchers unless a federal program rule applies.
Key details: Local PHA: Memphis Housing Authority. Source-of-income: Not protected in TN. Vouchers: ~6,000-7,000. Federal floor: Fair Housing Act.
Refusing vouchers may be lawful as source-of-income, but rejections that mask race, disability, or familial-status discrimination violate the federal Fair Housing Act and HUD complaint procedures.
Source-of-Income Discrimination
Unlike many states, Tennessee does not classify source of income as a protected category. Memphis landlords may legally refuse Section 8 vouchers, SSI, child support, or veterans benefits as the basis for rent without state-law liability.
Key details: TN protection: None for source of income. State statute: TCA 4-21. Federal floor: FHA disparate impact. Memphis ordinance: Preempted.
Voucher refusal alone is lawful, but pretextual refusals targeting race, disability, or familial status, or refusals at HUD-funded properties, violate the federal Fair Housing Act and HUD program rules.
The rules around source-of-income discrimination in Memphis lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.
Cash-for-Keys Agreements
Memphis has no ordinance setting minimum cash-for-keys payments. Landlords may negotiate voluntary buyouts of leases or month-to-month tenancies at any amount, and tenants may accept or refuse without statutory protections.
Key details: Local minimum: None. State minimum: None. Typical offer: 1-3 months rent. Form: Get it in writing.
Buyouts induced by lockouts, utility shutoffs, or threats violate TCA 66-28-504 (self-help ban) regardless of whether money changed hands. Genuine voluntary offers are lawful at any amount.
If you are coming from a city with tighter rules, you will find Memphis gives residents more flexibility on cash-for-keys agreements.
Rent Control
Memphis does not have rent control, and Tennessee state law preempts local rent control ordinances. TCA Section 66-35-102 prohibits any Tennessee municipality from enacting rent stabilization or rent control measures. Landlords in Memphis may set and increase rents without limit, subject only to the terms of the lease agreement. There are no caps on rent increases, no mandatory notice periods for increases beyond lease terms, and no local tenant protection ordinances governing rental pricing.
Key details: Rent Control: Prohibited by state law. State Preemption: TCA Section 66-35-102. Rent Increases: No caps or limits beyond lease terms. Notice Requirements: Per lease agreement only.
Rent increases without proper notice: tenant may challenge. Retaliatory rent increases after complaint: prohibited under state law. Violation of lease terms: standard landlord-tenant remedies.
The rules around rent control in Memphis lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.
Just Cause Eviction
Memphis does not have a just-cause eviction ordinance. Tennessee follows standard landlord-tenant law under the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (TCA Title 66, Chapter 28). Landlords may decline to renew a lease for any lawful reason. Evictions for nonpayment require a 14-day notice under TCA 66-28-505. Month-to-month tenancies can be terminated with 30 days written notice without stating cause. Tennessee law does not require landlords to provide a reason for non-renewal.
Key details: Just-Cause Requirement: None — not required in Tennessee. State Law: TCA Title 66, Chapter 28 (URLTA). Nonpayment Notice: 14 days under TCA 66-28-505. Month-to-Month Termination: 30 days written notice, no cause needed.
Illegal self-help eviction: tenant damages and penalties. Retaliatory eviction: prohibited, tenant may counterclaim. Improper notice: eviction case dismissed.
The rules around just cause eviction in Memphis lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.
Rental Registration
Memphis requires rental property registration through its rental property code enforcement program. Landlords must register rental properties with the city and maintain them in compliance with the International Property Maintenance Code (Ordinance No. 5708). The Code Enforcement division conducts inspections of rental properties upon complaint or as part of proactive enforcement. Properties that fail inspection must be brought into compliance or face Environmental Court action.
Key details: Registration: Required for rental properties. Code Standard: International Property Maintenance Code (Ord. 5708). Inspections: Complaint-based and proactive. Enforcement: Environmental Court for non-compliance. Contact: Memphis Code Enforcement Division.
Operating without registration: fines $100 to $1,000 per unit. Failed inspection: correction notice, re-inspection required. Renting uninhabitable unit: penalties up to $5,000 and potential criminal charges.
The Bottom Line
Compared to many U.S. cities, Memphis gives residents more room on rental property rules. 6 of the 10 rules here are rated permissive. But permissive does not mean unregulated. There are still requirements, and the city does enforce them when violations are reported.
Keep in mind that Memphis can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.