Memphis, TN
Memphis is a major Tennessee logistics, music, healthcare, and cultural center governed by the City of Memphis, with Tennessee landlord-tenant law supplemented by the City’s International Property Maintenance Code, municipal parking and fire-access rules, City solid-waste services, local animal ordinances, and source-specific noise controls.
Essential Relocation Checkpoints in Memphis
Key administrative tasks and local utility setup when moving to Memphis, Tennessee:
Use Tennessee URLTA for covered residential rentals
Covered residential landlord-tenant relationships in Memphis are governed primarily by Tennessee Code Title 66, Chapter 28, the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. Memphis Housing Code Enforcement separately addresses physical property conditions and minimum housing standards.
Do not confuse Memphis Housing Code with landlord-tenant law
Memphis Code Enforcement administers the City’s International Property Maintenance Code for existing residential buildings, including unsafe conditions, excessive vegetation, junk, debris, and abandoned or inoperable vehicles. Private lease disputes remain governed by Tennessee law and the rental agreement.
Know the Tennessee security-deposit procedure
Tennessee requires residential security deposits to be held in a separate account used only for those deposits and requires the tenant to be told where the account is maintained. The tenant also has a statutory right to a move-out inspection procedure before deductions are finalized.
Do not insert a universal local rent cap
No general Memphis rent-control ceiling should be presented without a current statutory or City-Code basis. Ordinary rental pricing, lease terms, and most landlord-tenant rights are governed by the lease and Tennessee law.
Check Memphis parking and fire-access restrictions
Memphis prohibits parking in sidewalks, driveways, intersections, crosswalks, and designated fire-access areas, and the City prohibits parking within 10 feet of a fire hydrant. Exact street restrictions and Tennessee traffic rules can impose additional limits.
Garbage and recycling are weekly
Current Memphis residential service provides weekly household-garbage and recycling-cart collection. Collection schedules can be changed for holidays, severe weather, and operational disruptions, so residents should use the City’s current route information.
Yard waste is also weekly
Memphis provides weekly collection of up to two 60-gallon bags of yard waste alongside regular cart service. Yard waste must be organic material and must be kept in a separate pile.
Outside-cart bulk service is twice monthly
The City describes outside-the-cart collection as a bi-monthly service, meaning two collection opportunities per month on designated weeks for excess yard debris, tree limbs, furniture, and other qualifying bulk material.
Follow the curbside setout window
Current City guidance requires carts and curbside trash to be placed no earlier than 5:00 PM the day before collection and removed by 8:00 AM the day after collection. Carts should be about 3 feet from the street and 4 feet from other carts, vehicles, utilities, hydrants, mailboxes, and other fixed objects.
Do not use Chapter 9-56 as the noise chapter
Memphis Chapter 9-56 is the Garbage Collection and Disposal chapter. The original block’s identification of Chapter 9-56 as the noise ordinance is incorrect, so noise should instead be described using the currently applicable City sound, nuisance, vehicle, amplified-sound, and other ordinances after checking the official code.
License dogs at 3 months
Memphis City Code requires dogs 3 months old or older to have a current City license tag, and a current rabies vaccination is required before the tag can be issued. Cats 3 months and older require current rabies vaccination but do not require the same City license tag.
Microchip dogs and cats before 6 months
Memphis City Code requires owners or custodians to have dogs and cats implanted with a registered microchip before the animal is 6 months old, or within 30 days after acquisition when the animal is already older than 6 months, subject to a veterinary medical exception.
Municipal Regulations at a Glance
Tennessee (TN)
City of Memphis
Tennessee Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, Title 66 Chapter 28
International Property Maintenance Code administered by Memphis Housing Code Enforcement
Separate account required under Tennessee law
Weekly
Weekly
Weekly
Twice monthly on designated weeks
No earlier than 5 PM day before; remove by 8 AM day after
10-foot minimum clearance
Required at 3 months; annual 12-month tag
No City license tag requirement; rabies vaccination required at 3 months
Dogs and cats before 6 months, subject to medical exception
Housing & Rental Regulations in Memphis
1. Tennessee Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act
Covered Memphis residential rentals are governed by Tennessee Code Title 66, Chapter 28. URLTA establishes rules for rental agreements, landlord and tenant obligations, security deposits, maintenance, access, termination, and remedies.
2. Landlord Information Disclosure
Tennessee Code §66-28-302 requires the landlord or authorized agent to provide the tenant in writing at or before the beginning of the tenancy with the name and address of the managing agent and the owner or authorized person for service of process and notices, together with a maintenance telephone number, email address, or tenant portal.
3. Security Deposit Account
Tennessee Code §66-28-301 requires a residential landlord collecting security deposits to place those deposits in an account used only for that purpose at a bank or lending institution subject to state or federal regulation. The landlord must tell the tenant where the account is located when the lease is signed and the deposit is submitted.
4. Move-Out Inspection
The Tennessee security-deposit statute provides a mutual-inspection procedure when the landlord asks the tenant to vacate or the tenant gives written notice of intent to vacate. The procedure allows the tenant an opportunity to inspect and address physical-damage claims that may be charged against the deposit.
5. Security Deposit Damage Limits
The landlord can apply the deposit to unpaid rent and other lawful charges and can retain amounts for physical damage beyond ordinary wear and tear when the statutory procedure is satisfied. Additional physical damage discovered after inspection is subject to the statute’s timing limits.
6. Tenant Remedies for Landlord Noncompliance
Under Tennessee Code §66-28-501, a tenant can have statutory remedies for landlord noncompliance after giving the required written notice. Depending on the circumstances, available remedies can include damages, injunctive relief, attorney’s fees, or termination-related remedies.
7. Memphis Housing Code Enforcement
The Memphis Department of Housing Code Enforcement administers the City’s International Property Maintenance Code for existing dwellings. Its stated purpose is protection of public health, safety, and welfare through minimum housing and property-maintenance standards.
8. Common Housing-Code Problems
Memphis identifies common complaints involving abandoned houses and vehicles, structural defects in dwellings, excessive vegetation, junk, trash, and debris. These matters can be reported to City Code Enforcement through the Mayor’s Citizen Service Center.
9. Rental Conditions and Property Maintenance
A Memphis landlord may have obligations under both Tennessee URLTA and the City’s property-maintenance code. A tenant should distinguish a habitability or lease claim under state law from a physical-code violation investigated by the City.
10. Short-Term Rentals
Memphis separately regulates short-term rentals through City permitting. Current City materials state that STR occupancy must be for a minimum 24-hour period, and the permit process includes ownership, tax, insurance, and occupancy requirements.
11. STR Property Requirements
Memphis short-term-rental applicants must provide proof of current ownership, evidence that local property taxes are current, and proof of at least $1,000,000 in fire, hazard, and liability coverage. Additional requirements apply to renters, occupancy, and the responsible operator.
12. No General Memphis Rent-Control Cap
The current Memphis housing and landlord-tenant sources reviewed do not establish a general citywide rent-control cap. Ordinary rent levels and lease provisions should therefore be evaluated under the Tennessee rental agreement and applicable URLTA rules.
Street Parking & Permit Rules in Memphis
1. Parking on Sidewalks
Memphis prohibits parking in sidewalk areas and other pedestrian-use areas where the vehicle interferes with required pedestrian passage. Public-right-of-way parking rules apply in addition to private driveway and property restrictions.
2. Driveway Parking
Vehicles may not be parked in front of or in a manner that blocks a public or private driveway. A resident should also avoid using public sidewalks or the area between a curb and adjacent sidewalk as a vehicle-storage area.
3. Fire Hydrant Clearance
Memphis expressly prohibits parking or leaving any obstruction within 10 feet of a fire hydrant. The rule applies on public streets, alleys, driveways, and qualifying private property, not merely to curbside spaces.
4. Fire Access Areas
Vehicles and trailers cannot be placed or left in officially designated fire-access areas or fire lanes. These areas can include public or private streets, alleys, and certain off-street accessways when properly designated and marked.
5. Crosswalk and Intersection Restrictions
Memphis traffic regulations restrict parking on crosswalks and at intersections. State and local traffic rules can also establish additional approach distances near traffic-control devices and railway crossings.
6. Parking Direction
Drivers should follow the direction-of-traffic requirements applicable to the roadway and curbside space. Double parking and standing on the roadway side of another parked vehicle are also restricted under the applicable traffic rules.
7. Oversized and Stored Vehicles
Long-term storage of inoperable or abandoned vehicles can become both a parking and property-maintenance problem in Memphis. Housing Code Enforcement specifically lists illegal or inoperable vehicles among common code violations.
8. Residential Street Parking
Memphis does not have a single citywide residential-permit parking system comparable to Nashville’s formal RPP program. Street restrictions are instead driven by traffic signs, location-specific regulations, neighborhood conditions, and City enforcement.
9. Temporary Street Use
Construction, moving, utility, and other projects that occupy or obstruct the public right-of-way can require separate permits or traffic-control measures. A vehicle should not be stored in a public lane solely because work is being performed at a nearby property.
Trash, Recycling & Waste Collection
1. Weekly Household Garbage
Memphis Solid Waste Management provides weekly household solid-waste collection on the customer’s designated collection day. The City generally provides a 96-gallon garbage receptacle to solid-waste fee-paying customers.
2. Weekly Recycling
Memphis residential recycling-cart service remains on a weekly schedule. Current City service notices and holiday announcements separately identify recycling alongside residential garbage collection.
3. Weekly Yard Waste
Residents can place up to two 60-gallon bags of organic yard waste outside the main cart each week. The material must be organic only and kept in a separate curbside pile.
4. Outside-Cart Bulk Collection
The City describes outside-the-cart collection as bi-monthly: twice per month on designated weeks, the City collects yard debris in excess of two bags and qualifying bulk items such as tree limbs and furniture.
5. Curbside Placement
Household garbage and carts should be placed within about 3 feet of the street and not in storm drains. Carts should have at least 4 feet of separation from other carts and curbside waste and from fixed objects such as cars, utilities, fire hydrants, and mailboxes.
6. Setout and Removal Times
Current City guidance says carts and curbside trash may be placed out no earlier than 5:00 PM the day before collection. Carts should be removed by 8:00 AM the day following the scheduled collection.
7. Bag Household Trash
Memphis advises residents to bag, seal, and tie household garbage before placing it in the cart and to keep the lid securely closed. This helps prevent litter, pests, and loose waste during collection.
8. Additional Garbage Cart
Residential customers needing more container capacity can lease a second garbage cart from the City. The current published rate is $10 per month for the additional cart.
9. Monthly Landfill/Convenience-Center Option
Solid Waste fee-paying customers can take up to one truckload of non-hazardous waste to the landfill each month. The City also maintains convenience centers that operate Friday through Sunday, generally 9:00 AM–3:00 PM.
10. Do Not Burn Household Trash
Memphis prohibits residents from burning trash within the City limits. Household garbage and debris should instead be handled through the approved waste-collection or disposal system.
11. Holiday Changes
Holiday schedules can alter City collection days. During the July 4, 2026 holiday, for example, Friday City-service customers were moved to Thursday, while Team Waste customers continued on their regular schedule.
12. Severe Weather Delays
The 2026 winter storm temporarily suspended residential garbage and recycling collection because ice remained in curbs, alleys, medians, and other operating areas. Residents should monitor the City’s current collection notices and Curbside Collection app during significant weather events.
Quiet Hours & Noise Ordinances
1. Do Not Cite Chapter 9-56 as the Noise Ordinance
Memphis Code Chapter 9-56 is titled Garbage Collection and Disposal. The original citation of Chapter 9-56 as the City’s noise ordinance is therefore incorrect and has been removed.
2. Noise Rules Are Source-Specific
Memphis regulates different noise sources through separate municipal provisions, including sound amplification, motor-vehicle noise, business activity, animal noise, construction or property activity, and nuisance conduct. A single citywide quiet-hours statement should not be used without identifying the applicable source.
3. Amplified Sound
Memphis licensing and public-peace rules can restrict amplified music and sound when it is audible on public streets or adjoining premises to an extent that disturbs public peace or is detrimental to health or welfare. The exact standard depends on the source and applicable ordinance.
4. Vehicle and Exhaust Noise
Motor-vehicle noise is regulated separately from general neighborhood noise. Unlawful exhaust modifications, missing or ineffective mufflers, or amplified motor-vehicle sound can create separate enforcement issues.
5. Animal Noise
Excessive animal noise can create an animal-control or nuisance issue. Memphis Animal Services administers animal-control matters, and the applicable facts include the animal, duration, location, and effect of the disturbance.
6. Construction and Property Activity
Noise from construction, property work, and commercial activity can be governed by separate building, zoning, and public-nuisance requirements. The appropriate rule should be checked against the activity instead of assuming an ordinary residential quiet-hours provision applies.
7. Entertainment and Alcohol-Licensed Premises
Memphis alcohol-licensing provisions also restrict music, bands, jukeboxes, amplifiers, and speakers at licensed establishments when the resulting noise or vibration disturbs adjoining premises or public areas.
8. Neighborhood Complaint Strategy
For an active disturbance, document the location, source, time, duration, whether the sound is amplified, and whether it crosses property lines or affects a dwelling. This information helps determine whether the issue belongs with police, Codes, or Animal Services.
Pet Licensing & Animal Ordinances
1. Dog License at 3 Months
Memphis City Code §8-3-2 makes it unlawful to keep a dog 3 months old or older in the City without a current City license tag, subject to statutory exceptions.
2. Rabies Required Before Dog License
Before a Memphis dog license tag is issued, the dog must have a current rabies vaccination or the owner must provide evidence of a current vaccination.
3. Annual Dog License
A Memphis dog license tag is valid for a 12-month period beginning in the month of purchase and must then be renewed annually. The applicable fee depends on whether the animal is fertile or sterile.
4. Cats Need Rabies Vaccination, Not City Licensing
Memphis Code §8-3-2 requires cats 3 months old or older to have a current rabies-vaccination certificate, but it does not impose the same City license-tag requirement that applies to dogs.
5. Mandatory Spay and Neuter
Memphis requires dogs and cats to be spayed or neutered unless an applicable exception exists, such as being under six months old, a veterinary health certification, shelter/adoption status, or specified public-safety and breeding-permit circumstances.
6. Mandatory Microchipping
Every dog and cat must be implanted with a registered microchip before the animal reaches six months of age, or within 30 days after acquisition if already older than six months, unless a veterinarian determines the animal is medically unsuitable.
7. Leash Requirement for Dogs
Memphis Animal Services states that dogs must be on a leash when off the owner’s property. Cats are not covered by the same leash rule, and healthy free-roaming cats are generally treated as community cats unless there is an immediate welfare or safety concern.
8. Animal Bite Reporting
When a dog or cat bites a person and breaks the skin, or the animal is suspected of rabies, Memphis requires the owner or custodian to notify Memphis Animal Services within 24 hours and comply with the applicable 10-day quarantine process.
9. Animal-Control Agency
Memphis Animal Services handles animal-control calls inside the City. Calls involving sick or injured animals, loose dogs, cruelty, dangerous animals, or other animal emergencies are dispatched through the Memphis Police system.
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Relocation Navigation
Frequently Asked Relocation Questions
1. Does Memphis have a local rent-control law?
No general Memphis rent-control cap should be presented as current law. Covered residential tenancies are governed primarily by Tennessee’s Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, while Memphis Code Enforcement separately handles physical property conditions.
2. Does Memphis have a housing code for rental properties?
Yes. Memphis Housing Code Enforcement administers the City’s International Property Maintenance Code for existing residential buildings, including minimum housing standards and conditions such as structural defects, junk, trash, excessive vegetation, and inoperable or abandoned vehicles.
3. How often are garbage and recycling collected in Memphis?
Household garbage and residential recycling are collected weekly. Yard waste is also collected weekly, while qualifying outside-the-cart bulk and excess yard debris are collected twice per month on designated weeks.
4. What are the Memphis curbside trash setout rules?
Current City guidance allows carts and curbside trash to be placed out no earlier than 5:00 PM the day before collection. They should be removed by 8:00 AM the day after collection, with about 4 feet of clearance from other carts, vehicles, hydrants, utilities, mailboxes, and other fixed objects.
5. Does Memphis have 10 PM to 7 AM citywide quiet hours?
The original statement should not be used. Chapter 9-56 is the garbage-collection chapter, not a noise chapter, and Memphis noise restrictions are spread across source-specific ordinances covering amplified sound, vehicles, animal noise, commercial activity, and other disturbances.
6. Do cats need a license in Memphis?
Cats 3 months and older must have current rabies vaccination documentation, but Memphis City Code does not require the same City license tag for cats that it requires for dogs. Dogs 3 months and older require an annual City license tag and current rabies vaccination.