SB0350 creates a statewide rule limiting landlords’ ability to restrict tenants from lawfully possessing, carrying, transporting, or storing firearms, firearm parts, and ammunition in residential rental housing. The bill applies both to residential leases and to the separate landlord-tenant provisions in Tennessee law, and it protects firearm possession inside the tenant’s unit or dwelling unit, in tenant parking areas, and in other landlord-controlled areas only to the extent needed to enter or exit those spaces. It also allows landlords to require that firearms be concealed, holstered, or stored in a carrying container while being moved through common areas such as hallways and elevators.
The bill includes several exceptions. It does not apply to state-leased premises, certain mental health and child services facilities, hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living and memory care facilities, some independent living facilities with shared interior access, or educational property subject to Tennessee’s weapons restrictions. It also authorizes landlords to enforce lease remedies if a tenant fails to comply with the concealment or storage requirements, so long as those remedies do not bar lawful possession inside the tenant’s residence. Tenants who are harmed by a violation may sue for declaratory and injunctive relief, actual damages, punitive damages, and attorney’s fees, while landlords receive protection from civil liability solely for complying with the statute.
The bill’s impact is to preempt or limit private lease rules and landlord policies that would otherwise ban firearms in ordinary residential rental settings. It amends Tennessee Code Annotated Title 66 by adding new sections governing firearm possession in leased residential premises and by making landlord rules invalid if they conflict with the new firearm-protection statute. The act takes effect January 1, 2027, and applies prospectively to agreements and rules entered into, amended, extended, or renewed on or after that date.
Overall sentiment appears favorable among supporters and sufficient to advance through both chambers, as reflected by passage in committee and on the floor, including a unanimous House concurrence vote on the amendment. The recorded votes show meaningful opposition at earlier stages, suggesting the measure was controversial even though it ultimately passed. The bill was approved by the governor, indicating it became law.
The main point of contention is the balance between gun rights and landlord/property-management authority. Supporters likely viewed the bill as protecting lawful firearm possession and self-defense rights for renters, while opponents likely objected to limiting a landlord’s ability to set housing rules for common areas and shared spaces. The carveouts for hospitals, care facilities, educational property, and certain institutional settings suggest lawmakers also tried to address safety and special-use concerns.
The bill adds new landlord-tenant provisions to Tennessee Code Annotated Title 66 that prohibit landlords from banning lawful firearm possession, carrying, transportation, or storage in a tenant’s leased unit or dwelling unit, in tenant parking areas, and in limited access routes through landlord-controlled common areas. It also amends landlord rule provisions so that any lease rule or regulation must not violate the new firearm protections. The law creates a private right of action for affected tenants and expressly shields landlords from liability for merely complying with the statute.
The bill appears to have had generally positive momentum, passing committee and both chambers, and ultimately receiving gubernatorial approval. However, the recorded nays at multiple floor votes show that it was not unanimous and drew substantial opposition, indicating a divided response. The final unanimous concurrence vote on the House amendment suggests the measure was acceptable to both chambers in its final form, even if earlier versions were more contested.
The central dispute is between protecting tenants’ firearm rights and preserving landlords’ ability to regulate conduct in rental properties, especially in shared hallways, elevators, and other common areas. Supporters likely argued that renters should not lose lawful gun rights simply because they live in leased housing, while opponents likely raised safety, liability, and property-management concerns. The bill’s exceptions for hospitals, care facilities, educational property, and certain institutional housing reflect attempts to narrow the scope and address those concerns.