Cal. Civ. Code § 66-28-103
Purposes — Rules of construction.
Operative Text
(a) This chapter shall be liberally construed and applied to promote its underlying purposes and policies. (b) Underlying purposes and policies of this chapter are to: (1) Simplify, clarify, modernize and revise the law governing the rental of dwelling units and the rights and obligations of landlord and tenant; (2) Encourage landlord and tenant to maintain and improve the quality of housing; (3) Promote equal protection to all parties; and (4) Make uniform the law in Tennessee. (c) Unless displaced by this chapter, the principles of law and equity, including the law relating to capacity to contract, health, safety and fire prevention, estoppel, fraud, misrepresentation, duress, coercion, mistake, bankruptcy, or other validating or invalidating cause supplement its provisions. (d) This chapter being a general chapter intended as a unified coverage of its subject matter, no part of it is to be construed as impliedly repealed by subsequent legislation if that construction can reasonably be avoided.
Tennessee Code Ann. § 66-28-103 establishes the foundational framework for interpreting the state's residential landlord-tenant law. Courts and agencies are directed to read the chapter broadly, in a way that promotes its core goals: modernizing rental law, encouraging housing quality, ensuring equal treatment of all parties, and creating statewide uniformity. General legal principles—such as those governing fraud, duress, and capacity to contract—continue to apply alongside this chapter wherever they are not directly overridden by it.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Section 66-28-103 signals that Tennessee's landlord-tenant law is designed to be read expansively, meaning that ambiguities in the chapter are generally resolved in favor of its stated goals of housing quality and equal protection. Operators who maintain properties in good condition and deal with tenants in good faith are acting in alignment with the chapter's declared purposes. Because general legal doctrines like fraud and misrepresentation still apply under subsection (c), compliant landlords typically ensure their lease terms and representations are accurate and transparent.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under § 66-28-103, Tennessee's residential rental law is meant to be interpreted broadly to protect all parties equally and to encourage quality housing—not read narrowly in ways that undercut those goals. Because the provision preserves general legal principles such as fraud, misrepresentation, and duress alongside the chapter's specific rules, tenants may have additional legal grounds available beyond what the chapter explicitly states. Tenants who believe their rights under this framework have been violated can explore options such as raising relevant legal principles as a defense in court, contacting a local tenant-rights organization, or consulting with a legal aid provider familiar with Tennessee housing law.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 29, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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