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.
In states with just-cause eviction (California, Oregon), cash-for-keys deals are tightly regulated: minimum payments, written disclosures, recission rights. Memphis sits in a fully unregulated space because TCA 66-35-101 preempts local rent control and TURLTA does not address voluntary buyouts. Landlords routinely offer modest sums (often one to three months' rent) to tenants who decline a no-fault termination notice or want to stay through a lease's end. Tenants signing a buyout agreement waive any future TURLTA claims tied to the move-out unless the agreement carves them out. Get the deal 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.
Memphis, TN
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 im...
Memphis, TN
Tennessee URLTA prohibits landlords from changing locks, shutting off utilities, or removing belongings to force a tenant out (TCA 66-28-504). Retaliation fo...
See how Memphis's cash-for-keys agreements rules stack up against other locations.
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