Mobile home lot rent rules in Tennessee

Tennessee has no dedicated mobile home park act and no rent cap. The Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (URLTA), Tenn. Code Title 66, Ch. 28, applies only in counties with more than 75,000 people; elsewhere the written lease and common law govern. The information below describes how the law generally works; anyone dealing with a specific increase should consider consulting a licensed attorney in Tennessee.

What the statute says

Tennessee has no manufactured-home-park chapter; residential tenancies are governed (in larger counties) by the URLTA. Under Tenn. Code §66-28-102(a), the chapter "applies only in counties having a population of more than seventy-five thousand (75,000), according to the 2010 federal census." Where it applies, §66-28-512(b) provides that "the landlord or the tenant may terminate a month-to-month tenancy by a written notice given to the other at least thirty (30) days prior to the periodic rental date" (10 days for week-to-week, §66-28-512(a)). There is no statute capping the amount of rent and no mobile-home-specific rent-increase notice.

How it works in general

Tennessee's rules depend first on geography: the URLTA — the statute that sets notice, deposit, and habitability rules — applies only in counties over 75,000 people. In a smaller county, the URLTA doesn't apply at all, and the written lease and common law control. Even where the URLTA applies, it doesn't cap rent or set a mobile-home-specific increase notice, and it is built around the rental of a "dwelling unit," so a resident who owns the home and rents only the lot may fall outside it. The practical result is that, across Tennessee, the written lease is the main thing that governs the rent amount and the timing of a change — so reading it carefully matters a great deal.

Common scenarios

General examples Tennessee park residents commonly encounter:

• A resident asks whether rent is capped. It is not — no statewide cap exists.
• A month-to-month tenancy is ended (larger county). 30 days' written notice is required (§66-28-512(b)).
• A resident is in a small county. The URLTA may not apply; the lease and common law govern (§66-28-102(a)).

Other authorities that may apply

The URLTA (Tenn. Code Ch. 28 of title 66) governs covered tenancies in larger counties; elsewhere general lease and common law apply. Because Tennessee has no dedicated park act or rent cap, this guide flags those gaps honestly. Federal law such as the Fair Housing Act can also apply.