66-28-517 - Termination by landlord for violence or threats to health, safety, or welfare of persons or property. - Tennessee Statutes

66-28-517. Termination by landlord for violence or threats to health, safety, or welfare of persons or property.

(a)  A landlord may terminate a rental agreement within three (3) days from the date written notice is delivered to the tenant if the tenant or any other person on the premises with the tenant's consent willfully or intentionally commits a violent act or behaves in a manner which constitutes or threatens to be a real and present danger to the health, safety or welfare of the life or property of other tenants or persons on the premises.

(b)  The notice required by this section shall specifically detail the violation which has been committed and shall be effective only from the date of receipt of the notice by the tenant.

(c)  Upon receipt of such written notice, the tenant shall be entitled to immediate access to any court of competent jurisdiction for the purpose of obtaining a temporary or permanent injunction against such termination by the landlord.

(d)  Nothing in this section shall be construed to allow a landlord to recover or take possession of the dwelling unit by action or otherwise including willful diminution of services to the tenant by interrupting or causing interruption of electric, gas or other essential service to the tenant except in the case of abandonment or surrender.

(e)  If the landlord's action in terminating the lease under this provision is willful and not in good faith, the tenant may in addition recover actual damages sustained by the tenant plus reasonable attorney's fees.

(f)  The failure to bring an action for or to obtain an injunction may not be used as evidence in any action to recover possession of the dwelling unit.

[Acts 1983, ch. 271, § 1.]