I live in blount county in Tennessee. We had been allowing two of the landlords other renters run power from us by way of a heavy duty dropcord. To make a long story short some things happened and one of our cars got damaged by one of the other renters so we unhooked their power and the landlord told us to hook the power back up for them and we said no so she said we needed to find a place to live. I know she has to give written notice that we have 30 days since our oral contract is on a month to month basis. But can she legally make us hook their power back up or leave? The neighbor getting power was not part of our rental agreement, we were just trying to help someone out. Also do we need to unhook the other renter or are we breaking laws by helping?

Your landlord is 100% wrong. Running an extension cord to somebody else's address can and WILL get YOU a fine from the electric company so maybe you should get something in writing from the electric company stating that and just let your landlord take you to court to evict you if she doesn't believe it.
If the landlord send you an eviction notice tell her you will only leave with a court ordered eviction notice.

WOW. Are you kidding?
If the other renters do not have adequate power, then it sounds like its unsafe living conditions. Call you local county clerk, start digging. A landlord can't make you share power with a powercord!

Wait... I just read.. "ORAL" contract? That holds NOTHING in court really. She could make you just leave now. You have no written contract to prove anything.

I would get out anyway... this is going to go downhill fast. But, in the process of finding a new place.. I would turn this person in. this sounds completely unsafe.

Good luck

There is nothing or no way the landlord has any legal standing even if they had it in the lease
It is illegal to run an extension to another residence.
In fact if the other residence has children they can get in trouble with Child services too.

Oh trust me we have been trying to find another place. I have already found out that the oral contract holds in tn because we have written reciepts from the landlord . And reciepts from where we pay the power and water which I unfortunately forgot are in the landlords name. I just remembered that part. But we cannot take the other renters share of the bills off our rent when they don't pay. But we have to still pay all of our rent and eat the loss. Yes it sucks but when you have an eighty year old that you must provide a house for you have to do what you can till you can find something else.

I also forgot it is considered "uninhabitable" properties by law. Couldn't the landlord get in trouble for renting them knowing the conditions?

Yes
Sounds like she can get in trouble with the town ordinances, health department, electric company, safety issues, and if there are children involved CPS, maybe other places too.

Thank you for your help. I would like to find a way to check into all of this without getting us thrown out before we find another place to live

Call the places and ask anonymously 'theoretical' questions then with all the information
Figure the best and most effective easiest route to pursue. When you call block your number by dialing *67 before the rest of the number.

Then when the landlord gives you the eviction notice tell them you want your day in court because what they are asking is totally illegal and they do not need an illegal eviction on top of it all.

I will point out that you can notify all the appropriate agencies that you are living in unsafe and illegal conditions, and the most likely result of doing that is that you will be told to leave and the landlord will not be allowed to re-rent the place until it meets code. Which makes sense... you can't complain that the conditions are unsafe and thus you shouldn't have to live in those conditions, and then turn around and demand the right to stay there until you find alternative arrangements.

Yeah I would definitely be looking for another place because you either do the cord and pay for their electric and possibly get fined and all the drawbacks
Or you get them in trouble and have to move cause they will make life difficult for you and possibly the entire building closed down as froggy said.
MAYBE you can just tell them NO or else you will turn them in and show them proof against them but still that would be making waves most likely

With any of your options I would be looking to move asap

Oh most definitely going to move asap thank you

The Local Fire Marshall would have a field day with your landlord in a heartbeat for unsafe living conditions AND supplying electric in clearly unsafe conditions. Sounds like you should have moved a long time ago. Never, never run electric to another person's house/apt or whatever and risk your wiring overheating and burning the whole shebang to a cinder.

Since you have a month to month oral lease, the landlord can terminate the tenancy at any time with just one rental period's notice. They do not have to provide a reason. If you wait for an eviction hearing and explain what happened, you probably will still have to move since the court may shut the landlord down for an unsafe environment.

Of course many places in TN, small towns and esp in unincorporated have little if any inforcement of housing codes. Houses with no screens, broken doors, and more are all rented all the time in TN, I have visted places where I was scared to walk across the floor , it was giving in so much.

But the landlord can have real electric ran to these apartments, extenstion cords are not legal and are dangerous

You shouldn't be allowing them to use your electricity anyway! You can get in serious trouble for this.your landlord is so wrong for telling you and allowing you to do it she can't chuck you out for not allowing this.

I live in blount county in tennessee. We had been allowing two of the landlords other renters run power from us by way of a heavy duty dropcord. To make a long story short some things happened and one of our cars got damaged by one of the other renters so we unhooked their power and the landlord told us to hook the power back up for them and we said no so she said we needed to find a place to live. I know she has to give written notice that we have 30 days since our oral contract is on a month to month basis. but can she legally make us hook their power back up or leave? The neighbor getting power was not part of our rental agreement, we were just trying to help someone out. Also do we need to unhook the other renter or are we breaking laws by helping?


In NYS it's theft of services, it is a felony - and you, your neighbor and your landlord (if you can prove what you have said) can be criminally charged.

I'm sure theft of services is a crime in Tennessee but don't know if it rises to a felony. Might depend on the dollar amount.

It's considered theft even though someone (I guess you) is paying for the power.

Thank you all. The other renters have since been unplugged. The landlord had a fit till I printed this all out and showed it to her. She has been a lot nicer since. My sister said to tell everyone thank you very much since it is her place. I just asked the question for her as if it was me.

the landlord had a fit till i printed this all out and showed it to her. She has been a lot nicer since.

I love it!!

Shows what happens when you arm yourself with knowledge.

AWESOME! Good news


(still try to move though! Lol)