Bill requiring landlord transparency passes

By Logan Langlois NASHVILLE, TN — Tenants around Nashville rejoice the passage of bill HB1814 sponsored by Senator Jeff Yarbro (D-Nashville) in the Senate and Representative Dwayne Thompson (D-Cordova) which will require landlords to provide all tenants or the management companies acting on their behalf with the contact information to report questions, concerns, or statements. TN4SafeHomes organizer Jack Willey said before this bill’s passing, it was only Nashville/Davidson County that required landlords to provide a rental registry which includes information such as their name, phone number, and physical address. Willey said he was frustrated that legislators amended much of the language in the bill that would have guaranteed more transparency from landlords, though he is happy to see the increased transparency for Tennessee renters in general.& Willey said rental registries are especially important to tenants who may be renting from landlords and management companies located out of state. He said out-of-state investment firms have been purchasing large amounts of properties throughout Tennessee over the last couple of years. Willey said many of the tenants in these properties report it to be extremely hard to get into contact with landlords regarding questions, reports, and emergency maintenance.& “Property management always seems in...