Sumner County, TN Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Debris/Overgrowth
- Notice then abatement
- Junk Vehicles
- Barred in residential zones
- Notice Period
- 10 days
- Cost
- Liened to property
Summary
Sumner County can order removal of debris, overgrowth, and dilapidated conditions that endanger health or safety, and its zoning resolution bars inoperable or unregistered vehicles from residential districts. Owners get notice before the county abates and liens the cost.
Inoperable, dismantled or unregistered recreational vehicles, water crafts, all-terrain vehicles or trailers are not allowed in residential zoning districts.
3. No such equipment shall be used for living, sleeping, or housekeeping purposes when parked or stored on a residential lot unless in accordance with Temporary Portable Structure
120 Regulations, contained in this Chapter.
R. Temporary Portable Structure Regulations
A portable structure is defined as any structure enclosed by walls and a roof designed to be transported on its own wheels or on a flatbed truck or trailer and delivered to a site ready for occupancy or use for temporary purposes. This definition shall not include mobile homes as defined elsewhere herein or factory manufactured modular units that comply with the adopted building code.
1. In any residential zone, a portable building shall be an accessory use and used only for storage of materials commonly incidental to the occupancy of the principal residential use.
a. No more than one (1) portable structure may be utilized for temporary storage during remodeling or for household moves but shall be located on the premises no longer than sixty (60) days. One permit extension for no more than sixty (60)
Full Breakdown
Two tools govern blight in the unincorporated county. Under Tennessee law, the county may order an owner to remedy overgrown vegetation, accumulated debris, trash, and litter, or a vacant dilapidated building, that endangers health or safety or invites rats and pests; if not corrected within ten days, the county abates the condition and liens the cost to the property. Separately, the Zoning Resolution prohibits inoperable, dismantled, or unregistered recreational vehicles, watercraft, ATVs, and trailers in residential districts, and requires other stored vehicles screened from property lines. Cities enforce their own property-maintenance codes inside their limits.
Violations & Fines
Written notice with a ten-day window to correct; unresolved conditions are abated at the owner's expense and liened to the property. Junk-vehicle and screening violations are enforced under the zoning resolution.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as blight in Sumner County?
Can the county clean up my property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sumner County
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