With the first real cold of the season settling over Tennessee this weekend, many households are switching on the heat for the first time in months. For renters, a furnace that will not start raises a practical question: whose job is it to fix it?
Under Tennessee law, the answer is generally the landlord. Landlords are legally required to maintain heating systems, so a broken heater is usually not the tenant's responsibility to repair, according to reporting from WSMV that was shared by WBBJ.
HELP4TN, a statewide legal help program, advises renters whose heat goes out to tell their landlord in writing. That can be an email, a letter or a text message. The program recommends including the date on the request and keeping a copy for your own records.
That paper trail matters if the problem drags on. HELP4TN said that when a landlord has not made a required repair two weeks after being notified, renters may have options, and it recommends talking with a legal aid center or a lawyer at that point. In some circumstances, renters may be able to pay for the repair themselves and deduct the cost from their rent.
HELP4TN also operates a free legal helpline for Tennesseans who have questions about their situation.
Heating professionals say the first cold snap is when many problems show up. Luke Henderson, a technician with Hiller HVAC, told WSMV that a lot can go wrong the first time a system switches over to heat, and that yearly maintenance can help prevent trouble. As people move from air conditioning to heat, experts suggest setting the thermostat at about 68 to 70 degrees.
Forecasters are calling for a chilly weekend, with widespread frost possible on Sunday, so renters who notice a problem are encouraged to put their request in writing right away rather than waiting for temperatures to drop further.
Sources: WSMV via WBBJ; HELP4TN