Illegal Evictions in Nashville: As Many as 10,000+ a Year

Reviewed Nov 4, 2026

Short answer: In Tennessee, your landlord cannot lock you out, change your locks, shut off your utilities, or remove your things to force you out. Only a court judgment followed by a writ of possession, carried out by the sheriff, can legally remove you. Yet for every eviction that goes through court, national research finds two to five or more happen “off the books.” Applied to Davidson County, that could mean as many as 10,000 or more Nashville households a year pushed out without a judge ever looking at their case.

What an illegal (“self-help”) eviction looks like

• Your locks are changed or your key suddenly doesn’t work.
• Your power, water, gas or heat is shut off by the landlord.
• Your belongings are removed or put on the curb.
• Threats: “Be out by Friday or I’m calling the police,” pressure, harassment, or removing doors or windows.
• Bogus papers: a typed “eviction notice” or “final notice” that looks official but was never filed with any court. A landlord notice is not a court order. See notice vs. detainer warrant.
• “Cash for keys” deals made under pressure, or being told you have to leave the same day.

The numbers: how many Nashville renters may be pushed out off the books

Nobody counts informal evictions directly, because no court case is filed. So researchers estimate them with surveys. Here is the math, step by step. This is an estimate: national research ratios applied to Davidson County sheriff data.

1. Court evictions in Davidson County. The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office reported that more than 2,200 people had been evicted through October 2022, up from 870 over the same period in 2021 (KTVZ/CNN, Nov 2022). Spread over a full year, that is about 2,600 court evictions (2,200 ÷ 10 months × 12 ≈ 2,640).
2. The low ratio: 2 informal for every 1 formal. Earlier research, based on Milwaukee renters, found about two informal evictions for every court eviction. 2,640 × 2 ≈ 5,300 a year.
3. The high ratio: about 5.5 informal for every 1 formal. The 2017 American Housing Survey found that 72.3% of forced moves were informal evictions and 13.1% were formal, about 5.5 to 1 (Eviction Lab researchers in HUD’s Cityscape, summarized by NLIHC). 2,640 × 5.5 ≈ 14,500 a year.

Result: roughly 5,000 to 14,500 Nashville households a year may be forced out without a court case, with the midpoint around 10,000. The researchers themselves caution that the ratio varies by place and that surveys can undercount formal evictions, so treat this as a range, not a headcount. Even the low end is double the number of court evictions.

What police call data shows

Metro Nashville Police calls closed with the disposition “advised in civil case” under the assistance call code (data.nashville.gov):

<th>Year</th><th>Calls</th>

2022	396
2023	411
2024	399
2025	315
2026 (through Nov 3)	322

These are not all lockouts. The category covers many civil disputes. But it shows something important: when police are called to a landlord-tenant fight, they often treat it as a “civil matter” and leave. That means you usually have to enforce your rights through the court, and that is where a lawyer matters.

The lawyer gap in Davidson County

Vanderbilt researchers studying Davidson County eviction cases from 2016 to 2021 found that landlords had an attorney in 99.8% of cases. Tenants had one in 0.37%. They also found 53,717 detainer warrants filed in that period, and nearly half (48.8%) were repeat filings against the same tenant name.

What Tennessee law says

Under the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-504: “If the landlord unlawfully removes or excludes the tenant from the premises or willfully diminishes services to the tenant by interrupting essential services as provided in the rental agreement to the tenant, the tenant may recover possession or terminate the rental agreement and, in either case, recover actual damages sustained by the tenant, and punitive damages when appropriate, plus a reasonable attorney’s fee.” If you end the lease under this section, the landlord must return all prepaid rent and your security deposit.

Separately, § 66-28-517(d) says a landlord may not recover possession by willfully interrupting electric, gas or other essential services, except when the tenant has abandoned or surrendered the unit. And § 66-28-514 bars retaliation against tenants who complain or exercise their rights.

The only legal path is court: a landlord notice (like a 14-day pay-or-vacate notice), then a detainer warrant and a hearing in General Sessions Court, then a judgment. If you don’t appeal within 10 days (§ 27-5-108), a writ of possession can issue, and the sheriff carries it out. Until then, it is still your home. Your landlord also can’t just walk in whenever they want; see right of entry in Tennessee.

Note: these protections apply where Tennessee’s URLTA applies, which includes Davidson County. Some arrangements, like certain rooming or employer housing, may differ. Ask a lawyer if you are unsure.

If it happens to you: what to do today

1. Stay safe. Don’t break in or fight. If you are threatened, call 911.
2. Document everything. Photos and video of the changed lock, the shutoff, your things outside, any notes or texts. Write down dates, times and names.
3. Call police and ask for a report number, even if they call it a civil matter. Ask the landlord, in writing, to restore access or service.
4. Check for real court papers. Look up your name in General Sessions civil records or call the clerk. No case, no warrant, no writ means no legal eviction.
5. Call the utility if service was cut. Ask whether the account was shut off for nonpayment or at the landlord’s request.
6. Get legal help fast. Under § 66-28-504 you may be able to get back in and recover damages and attorney’s fees. A lawyer can file to restore possession.
7. Upload what you have. Any notice, text or paper from your landlord. We’ll tell you what it is and what comes next.

Don’t be one of the uncounted

Most off-the-books evictions work because the tenant doesn’t know their rights and doesn’t have a lawyer, while the landlord almost always does. You can change that. Upload your notice or photos today. Your first review is free. Can’t find a lawyer? We guarantee you one.

Sources

• KTVZ/CNN, Nov 2022: Davidson County Sheriff’s Office, “more than 2,200 people have been evicted through October” (ktvz.com).
• NLIHC summary of Gromis & Desmond, “Estimating the Prevalence of Eviction in the United States: New Data from the 2017 American Housing Survey,” Cityscape 23(2), 2021: 72.3% informal, 13.1% formal, 5.5:1; prior research about 2:1 (nlihc.org; HUD Cityscape; HUD User).
• Barrett & Wiley, “Evictions in Davidson County,” Vanderbilt University (CaseLink data 2016–2021), and the National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel representation table.
• Metro Nashville Police Department calls for service, data.nashville.gov (pulled Nov 3, 2026).
• Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 66-28-504, 66-28-514, 66-28-517, 27-5-108.

This is general information to help you understand your papers, not legal advice for your situation. Rules and court practice can change, so check your papers and talk with a lawyer if you can. Can’t find a lawyer? We guarantee you one.