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Murfreesboro, TN · Rutherford County Seat · ~170,000 Population · Nashville–Murfreesboro–Franklin MSA · Fastest-Growing Large US City 2000s–2010s · No Rent Control · TCA §66-35-102 Statewide Preemption · URLTA TCA §66-28 Applies Rutherford County 400,000+ Population 14-Day Pay-or-Quit 30-Day Deposit Return · MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY MTSU Largest Undergraduate Enrollment in Tennessee ~22,000 Undergrads ~26,000 Total R2 Carnegie Music Business Recording Industry est. 1911 Floyd Stadium 31,000 Seats · NISSAN SMYRNA VEHICLE ASSEMBLY PLANT Rutherford County 8,000+ Employees Rogue Leaf Pathfinder Infiniti QX60 est. 1983 First Japanese Auto Plant in TN · Amazon MQY1 Fulfillment Center ~1,500+ Employees · Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford Level II Trauma · TriStar StoneCrest HCA Healthcare · Rutherford County General Sessions Court 1 S Public Square Murfreesboro TN 37130 (615) 898-7790

Murfreesboro TN rent increase 2026 Murfreesboro has no rent control — Tennessee Code Annotated §66-35-102 explicitly bars all counties, metropolitan governments, and municipalities from enacting, maintaining, or enforcing any ordinance regulating the amount of rent charged for private residential or commercial rental property. Rutherford County and the City of Murfreesboro have no authority to cap rents. URLTA (TCA §66-28-101 et seq.) applies in Rutherford County (population 400,000+, well above the 75,000 URLTA threshold): 14-day written notice for non-payment eviction (§66-28-505); 30-day deposit return with itemized statement; §66-28-304 habitability (heating, plumbing, sanitation, structural); 24-hour advance entry notice; 30-day MTM termination; §66-28-514 anti-retaliation 1 year; §66-28-502 repair-and-deduct up to ½ month or $500. MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY (MTSU; 1301 E Main St; est. 1911; LARGEST UNDERGRADUATE ENROLLMENT IN TENNESSEE — ~22,000 undergrads, ~26,000 total; R2 Carnegie; music business + recording industry top programs; Floyd Stadium 31,000 seats CUSA; ~2,600 faculty/staff). NISSAN SMYRNA VEHICLE ASSEMBLY PLANT (Smyrna TN, Rutherford County; ONE OF NISSAN’S LARGEST WORLDWIDE; ~8,000 direct employees; 5.2M sq ft; produces Rogue, Leaf, Pathfinder, Infiniti QX60; est. June 1983 = FIRST JAPANESE AUTO PLANT IN TENNESSEE). AMAZON FULFILLMENT (MQY1 + adjacent facilities; ~1,500–3,000 employees Rutherford County). ASCENSION SAINT THOMAS RUTHERFORD (Level II Trauma; ~1,500 employees). TRISTAR STONECREST MEDICAL CENTER (HCA Healthcare; ~295 beds). Murfreesboro ranked #1 fastest-growing US city multiple years in the 2000s–2010s; Nashville-metro spillover demand. Rutherford County General Sessions Civil Court, 1 S Public Square, Murfreesboro TN 37130; (615) 898-7790. 2026 rents: Blackman 2BR $1,400–$2,100; Oakland 2BR $1,400–$2,000; Downtown 2BR $1,100–$1,700; MTSU area 2BR $1,000–$1,500; Smyrna 2BR $1,100–$1,700; La Vergne 2BR $1,000–$1,500.

Murfreesboro, Tennessee — Rutherford County seat, home to Middle Tennessee State University (largest undergraduate enrollment in Tennessee), the Nissan Smyrna Vehicle Assembly Plant (8,000+ employees), Amazon fulfillment, and Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford — has no rent control of any kind in 2026.

Tennessee Code Annotated §66-35-102 prohibits all Tennessee jurisdictions from regulating rent amounts. The Tennessee URLTA (§66-28) applies in Rutherford County (population 400,000+), providing landlord-tenant rules including a 14-day pay-or-quit notice for non-payment and a 30-day deposit return requirement.

Murfreesboro was ranked the #1 fastest-growing large city in the United States multiple years during the 2000s–2010s. Nashville-metro spillover demand, MTSU student housing, and Nissan/Amazon industrial employment create sustained year-round rental demand across all price segments with no regulatory ceiling.

Why Murfreesboro has no rent control: Tennessee’s statewide preemption

Tennessee Code Annotated §66-35-102 (originally enacted as part of the Tennessee Residential Property Regulation Limitation Act of 1980) provides the statewide prohibition on local rent regulation. The statute reads: “No county, metropolitan government, or municipality shall enact, maintain, or enforce any ordinance or resolution which would regulate or control the amount of rent charged for private residential or commercial rental property.”

This preemption covers all Tennessee jurisdictions: general law counties, metropolitan governments (Nashville-Davidson is a metro government), and municipalities. Murfreesboro City Council and Rutherford County Commission have had no authority to enact rent control for over 45 years. Tennessee has no statewide rent cap either (unlike California’s AB 1482 or Oregon’s SB 611). The result: Murfreesboro is a pure market-rate rental environment.

Tennessee URLTA: the landlord-tenant framework for Murfreesboro

The Tennessee Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (URLTA), TCA §§66-28-101 through 66-28-521, applies in Rutherford County because the county population exceeds 75,000 (the URLTA activation threshold; Rutherford County population 2026: ~400,000+). The URLTA also applies if a city within the county has a population exceeding 68,000. Murfreesboro’s city population (~170,000) independently triggers URLTA by both pathways.

Key URLTA rules for Murfreesboro landlords:

  • Habitability duty (§66-28-304): Landlord must maintain the dwelling fit and habitable; keep plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and sanitary systems functional; maintain common areas; provide hot water. Non-compliance after written notice allows tenant remedies (termination, rent abatement, or repair-and-deduct).
  • Entry (§66-28-403): At least 24 hours’ written advance notice for non-emergency landlord entry. Emergency (imminent hazard, fire, flood): immediate entry permitted. Build the 24-hour notice requirement into your standard lease.
  • Security deposit (no cap): URLTA does not cap deposit amounts. Market standard in Murfreesboro: 1–2 months’ rent. Provide written receipt at collection.
  • Deposit return (§66-28-301 et seq.): Return within 30 days of tenancy termination with itemized statement of deductions. Failure to return within 30 days + itemized statement: tenant may recover the full deposit plus attorney’s fees.
  • Non-payment eviction (§66-28-505): Serve 14-day written notice to pay or vacate before filing detainer warrant. If tenant pays in full within 14 days, eviction proceeding terminates.
  • MTM termination (§66-28-512): 30 days’ written notice by either party to terminate month-to-month tenancy.
  • Other violations (§66-28-505(b)): 30-day notice to cure; landlord must allow one cure per violation per rental period. Second violation of the same provision: landlord may terminate without another cure opportunity within 6 months.
  • Anti-retaliation (§66-28-514): No adverse action (rent increase, non-renewal, reduced services, filing eviction) within 1 year of tenant complaining to a government agency or exercising a legal right.
  • Repair-and-deduct (§66-28-502): After 14 days’ written notice without landlord cure, tenant may deduct repair cost up to ½ month’s rent or $500 (whichever is less). Note this is a low ceiling — respond to maintenance requests promptly.

Middle Tennessee State University: the dominant rental market driver

Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) is the single largest source of rental demand in Murfreesboro by volume. Established September 11, 1911, as Middle Tennessee State Normal School on land donated by the City of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County, MTSU is the second-oldest Tennessee public university. It is now the Tennessee public institution with the largest undergraduate enrollment: approximately 22,000+ undergraduates (routinely exceeding University of Tennessee Knoxville, East Tennessee State, and Middle TN’s own sister institutions). Total enrollment including graduate students: approximately 26,000.

MTSU academic and programmatic profile relevant to the rental market:

  • Carnegie Classification: R2 Doctoral University: High Research Activity. MTSU has been investing in research infrastructure and grant acquisition; the R2 designation distinguishes it from regional comprehensive universities.
  • Music Business and Recording Industry: MTSU’s College of Media and Entertainment houses one of the most recognized Music Business degree programs in the country, routinely ranked in the top 5 nationally. Located 30 miles from Nashville’s Music Row, MTSU graduates and students frequently intern at major record labels, publishing companies, and management firms. This creates a pipeline of music-industry aspirants who rent in Murfreesboro (cheaper than Nashville) and commute or transfer to Nashville upon graduation. These are typically older students (22–27) with more stable rental behavior and 12-month lease preferences.
  • Aerospace and Flight programs: MTSU operates the Middle Tennessee State University Aerospace Department from a dedicated facility at Murfreesboro Airport (MBT). Flight students maintain year-round presence in the market even between academic semesters.
  • Jones College of Business (AACSB accredited): business students are a stable, professional-trajectory tenant segment; international students from the business school often rent for 2-year+ periods.
  • Floyd Stadium (31,000 capacity; CUSA): football game days drive short-term parking lot demand and hospitality economics, and the athletic community creates modest housing demand for athletes and athletics staff.
  • Faculty and staff (~2,600): MTSU faculty and administrators rent across all Murfreesboro price points; tenured faculty in Blackman and Oakland; adjunct and professional staff in the MTSU area and La Vergne.

Student rental patterns: off-campus market activates primarily for sophomores+ (some freshman housing required on-campus); lease signings peak January–March for August move-in; highest May/June turnover in the MTSU zone; co-signers (parents) standard for undergrad leases. Studios and 1BRs in the $650–$950 range within walking distance of campus see the highest competition and lowest vacancy.

Nissan Smyrna: the manufacturing anchor of Rutherford County

The Nissan Motor Manufacturing Corporation USA Smyrna Vehicle Assembly Plant opened in June 1983 in Smyrna, Tennessee (Rutherford County), approximately 10 miles northwest of downtown Murfreesboro. Its establishment marked a watershed moment for Tennessee’s economy and for Japanese direct foreign investment in the United States: the Smyrna plant was one of the first Japanese automotive assembly facilities in the country, predating Toyota Georgetown KY (1988), Honda Anna OH (1982), and other subsequent Japanese auto investments.

Key production and employment facts:

  • Facility: approximately 5.2 million square feet; among Nissan’s largest manufacturing complexes globally.
  • Current production: Nissan Rogue (one of the top-5 selling vehicles in the US; approximately 400,000 units/year); Nissan Leaf (electric vehicle); Nissan Pathfinder; Infiniti QX60.
  • Direct employment: approximately 8,000 Nissan employees ranging from production assembly technicians to engineers, quality control specialists, and management. UAW-aligned wage scales: $25–$40/hour for production workers (in late 2023, Nissan agreed to wage increases following the UAW’s successful negotiations at Detroit Three automakers).
  • Supplier ecosystem: dozens of Tier 1 and Tier 2 supplier plants clustered in Rutherford County and adjacent counties add 10,000–15,000 additional automotive manufacturing jobs to the broader market. Marelli (formerly Calsonic Kansei), Magna International components, Trim Masters, and others operate in Smyrna, Murfreesboro, and La Vergne industrial parks.
  • Rental market impact by pay tier: Production workers ($60,000–$80,000/year) rent in the $950–$1,400 range in Smyrna, La Vergne, and south Murfreesboro. Quality and production engineers ($70,000–$110,000) rent in the $1,200–$1,800 range in Barfield, Cason Lane, and western Murfreesboro. Plant management and corporate functions ($100,000+) rent or buy in Blackman, Oakland, and Brentwood (commuting to Smyrna from the Nashville south suburbs).

Amazon and the logistics employment base

In addition to Nissan, Amazon has established a major presence in Rutherford County and adjacent Wilson County. Amazon MQY1 (a fulfillment center in the Murfreesboro area) and several associated delivery stations and sortation centers employ an estimated 1,500–3,000 workers in Rutherford County. Amazon warehouse employment wages ($18–$20/hour in 2026) create demand in the $900–$1,300 range, concentrated in La Vergne and south Murfreesboro. The logistics sector overall (Amazon, UPS, FedEx, Target regional distribution) makes La Vergne and the Interstate 24 corridor one of the most active industrial employment zones in Middle Tennessee.

Healthcare employment: Saint Thomas Rutherford and TriStar StoneCrest

Murfreesboro has two significant hospitals serving Rutherford County:

  • Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford (1700 Medical Center Parkway): Level II Trauma designation; approximately 286 beds; operated by Ascension Saint Thomas Health (Catholic health system). Approximately 1,500+ employees including physicians, nurses, allied health, and administrative staff. Located in central Murfreesboro; generates physician and nursing staff housing demand in the $1,200–$2,200 range in Blackman, Barfield, and Downtown.
  • TriStar StoneCrest Medical Center (200 StoneCrest Boulevard, Smyrna): HCA Healthcare affiliate; approximately 295 beds; Level III trauma center designation. Approximately 1,200 employees. Located in Smyrna, serving both Smyrna and western Murfreesboro populations; healthcare worker demand in the $1,100–$1,800 range in Smyrna and La Vergne.

The two hospitals combined employ approximately 2,700+ healthcare workers in Rutherford County, creating stable, year-round, income-qualified rental demand across all Murfreesboro submarkets.

Murfreesboro landlord compliance checklist

  • Provide written receipt for security deposit at collection (URLTA requirement).
  • For non-payment: serve 14-day written pay-or-vacate notice before filing detainer warrant at Rutherford County General Sessions Civil Court (1 S Public Square, Murfreesboro TN 37130).
  • Give at least 24 hours’ advance written notice before non-emergency entry (§66-28-403).
  • Return deposit within 30 days of tenancy termination with itemized deduction statement.
  • Respond to maintenance requests within 14 days to prevent repair-and-deduct (§66-28-502).
  • Do not retaliate within 1 year of tenant complaint to government agency (§66-28-514).
  • For MTM tenancies: provide 30 days’ written notice of termination or rent change (§66-28-512).
  • For student leases: require parent co-signers; conduct move-in and move-out inspection with dated photos.
  • For other lease violations (non-payment): provide 30-day written notice to cure; allow one cure per violation per rental period.

Murfreesboro TN 2026 rent overview by neighborhood

Neighborhood / Submarket 1BR 2026 2BR 2026 3BR 2026 Notes
Blackman / Elam Farm (SW Murfreesboro) $1,100–$1,600 $1,400–$2,100 $1,800–$2,800 Fastest-growing; top schools; Nashville spillover
Oakland / SE Murfreesboro $1,050–$1,500 $1,400–$2,000 $1,700–$2,600 Stewarts Creek schools; newer SFH rentals
Barfield / Cason Lane / Siegel $1,000–$1,400 $1,300–$2,000 $1,600–$2,400 S-Central; Nissan commute; mixed stock
Downtown / Public Square $850–$1,300 $1,100–$1,700 $1,400–$2,200 Main St revitalization; courthouse proximity
MTSU area / East Main / Old Fort Pkwy $650–$950 $1,000–$1,500 $1,300–$1,900 Student demand; high May turnover; older stock
Smyrna (Rutherford County) $850–$1,200 $1,100–$1,700 $1,400–$2,000 Nissan plant adjacent; low vacancy; industrial
La Vergne (NW Rutherford County) $800–$1,100 $1,000–$1,500 $1,300–$1,900 Amazon MQY1 adjacent; logistics workers; affordable

Frequently asked questions about Murfreesboro TN rent laws 2026

Does Murfreesboro TN have rent control in 2026?

No. Tennessee TCA §66-35-102 bars all Tennessee counties, metropolitan governments, and municipalities from enacting any ordinance regulating rent on private residential or commercial property. Rutherford County and the City of Murfreesboro have no authority to cap rents under any circumstances. The prohibition has been in effect since 1980 and covers every Tennessee jurisdiction including Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Clarksville, and Murfreesboro. No Tennessee jurisdiction has enacted or may enact rent control.

What is the URLTA eviction notice period for Murfreesboro?

Under TCA §66-28-505 (URLTA applies in Rutherford County), for non-payment of rent, the landlord must serve a written 14-day notice to pay or vacate before filing a detainer warrant. If the tenant pays all rent owed within those 14 days, the eviction proceeding terminates. For other lease violations: 30-day written notice to cure. Compare to NC (7-day MTM notice), GA (no specific notice period for non-payment before dispossessory), and TX (3-day calendar day demand). Tennessee’s 14-day cure period is in the middle of the national range.

How has Murfreesboro’s rental market grown?

Murfreesboro was ranked the #1 fastest-growing large city in the United States multiple years in the 2000s and 2010s. The city grew from approximately 68,000 in 2000 to approximately 170,000 in 2026 — a 150%+ increase in 25 years. This growth was driven by: Nashville-metro spillover (Murfreesboro is 30 miles from Nashville’s downtown; I-24 commuters can access Nashville in 35–45 minutes off-peak); MTSU growth; Nissan Smyrna plant expansion and supplier plant growth; Amazon and logistics sector expansion. Average 2BR rents have grown from approximately $650–$800 in 2000 to $1,200–$2,100 in premium submarkets today — entirely at market rate with no rent regulation.

What is the deposit return deadline in Murfreesboro TN?

Under Tennessee URLTA (TCA §66-28-301), the landlord must return the security deposit within 30 days of tenancy termination with an itemized statement of any deductions. Permissible deductions: unpaid rent, late fees authorized by lease, damage beyond normal wear and tear, and costs to return the unit to move-in condition. Failure to return within 30 days: tenant may recover the full deposit amount plus reasonable attorney’s fees. Tennessee URLTA does not specify a treble-damages penalty (unlike NC’s 3× for willful withholding or GA’s 3× for bad faith), but attorney’s fee awards create meaningful deterrence.

How does Murfreesboro compare to Nashville for landlords?

Murfreesboro and Nashville share the same Tennessee state law framework (no rent control; TCA §66-35-102). URLTA applies in both Davidson County (Nashville metro government) and Rutherford County. The key difference: Murfreesboro rents are 20–35% lower than comparable Nashville submarkets, making it more accessible for first-time landlords. Gross yield potential is similar or slightly higher in Murfreesboro due to lower acquisition prices relative to rents. Vacancy rates in Murfreesboro’s MTSU zone and Nissan/Amazon corridors are typically lower than Nashville inner-belt because demand drivers (students, factory workers) are geographically constrained to the Murfreesboro market, while Nashville renters have more geographic flexibility.