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 the rental agreement is terminated under this section, the landlord shall return all prepaid rent and security deposits.
Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-504
Unlawful ouster, exclusion, or diminution of service
Known as the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act
The act spans §§ 66-28-101 to 66-28-521 (44 sections).
Acts 1975, ch. 245, § 4.104; T.C.A., § 64-2844.
Current official text: Tennessee Code (LexisNexis). Digitized from the UniCourt Code Improvement Commission public-domain capture. Reproduced from public-domain Tennessee statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.