Cal. Civ. Code § 66-28-511
Recovery of possession by landlord limited.
Operative Text
A landlord may not recover or take possession of the dwelling unit by action or otherwise, including willful diminution of services to the tenant by interrupting or causing the interruption of electric, gas, water or other essential service to the tenant, except in case of abandonment, surrender, or as permitted in this chapter.
Tennessee Code Ann. § 66-28-511 establishes that a landlord cannot reclaim a rental unit through self-help methods or by deliberately cutting off essential utilities such as electricity, gas, or water. The only lawful paths to regaining possession are through formal legal proceedings, tenant abandonment, mutual surrender, or other methods explicitly authorized under the same chapter. This rule closes off informal or coercive tactics as a substitute for the court-based eviction process.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-511, compliant property owners rely exclusively on court-authorized eviction procedures when seeking to regain possession of a unit — they do not shut off utilities, change locks, or take other self-help measures to pressure a tenant to leave. Operators generally document any claim of abandonment or surrender carefully before treating a unit as vacated, since the statute treats those as narrow exceptions. Maintaining uninterrupted essential services throughout a tenancy, regardless of any payment dispute, is a hallmark of lawful property management under this provision.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 66-28-511 of the Tennessee Code gives tenants a clear protection against landlords who attempt to force them out by cutting off electricity, gas, water, or other essential services rather than going through the courts. If a landlord engages in such conduct, a tenant may be able to raise the violation as a defense in eviction proceedings or pursue a separate legal claim based on the landlord's unlawful conduct. Tenant-rights organizations and legal aid offices familiar with Tennessee landlord-tenant law can help identify which enforcement or complaint options may be available in a given situation.
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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