City of Knoxville rental-housing information
Use the City’s rental-housing page for a local rental question. Ask the City directly about any requirements that apply to this house and its current occupancy.
Knoxville, TN seller information / Tenant-occupied house
Can I Sell My Knoxville House With Tenants Still Living There?
You're done — no turnover, no repairs, no more bad tenants.
Yes. You can sell a Knoxville house with tenants still living there. If we buy it occupied, the lease does not disappear—the buyer takes the house subject to it and becomes the new landlord. You can leave the rental without first turning it over or making repairs.
USA Home Buyers buys houses as-is in Knoxville and Knox County, Tennessee. Call 888-274-5006 or use the form to ask for a written cash offer. You can start the conversation before deciding what should happen with possession.
We'll give you a written cash offer within 24 hours.
We give written cash offers in 24 hours.
Share the address, occupancy, lease details, condition, and timing you are weighing.
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What we do
We talk through the house and the tenancy together: who lives there, what the lease says, access, repairs, deposits, and the kind of handoff you are considering.
We buy houses as-is, in any condition — no repairs, no cleaning, no cleanout required to sell to us.
You don't always need to evict to sell to us. We buy houses with tenants in place — we've done it many times, including cash-for-keys when that works better for everyone.
An occupied sale and a separate move-out arrangement are different choices. We can discuss the tenancy as it stands, including whether a cash-for-keys arrangement may work better for everyone.
Bring us the tenancy problem
Lease timing, access, repairs, rent, or a tenant move-out conversation getting in the way? Call 888-274-5006 and tell us what is happening. You do not have to settle the possession question before you call.
What happens next
1. We discuss the lease, occupancy, and house
Share the Knoxville address and what you know about the lease, who is living there, access, deposits, repairs, and timing. Start with what you know; you do not need to make the house vacant before talking with us.
2. We give you written terms
We give written cash offers in 24 hours. The offer and terms are in writing before you commit.
Written offer and written terms before you commit; title-company closing.
3. You review the handoff and close
If you decide to go forward, the lease, occupancy, notice, and security-deposit handoff can be addressed with the written terms and closing paperwork. Keep the lease and deposit records together so the people handling the closing can review the details.
When you sell to us, we pay the closing costs, including Tennessee's realty transfer tax. Your mortgage, liens, back taxes and share of current property taxes are separate.
Local rental and code contacts
The City of Knoxville and Knox County are separate governments. If the house is inside Knoxville city limits, these City pages are local starting points; confirm the property’s jurisdiction and ask the office what current requirements apply to its address.
City of Knoxville Codes Enforcement
Start here for a City code question or an open code notice. Confirm the responsible office for the property before relying on a City process.
Knox County Government
Knox County identifies Knoxville as the county seat and describes City and County government as separate. Check the property’s actual jurisdiction so a City office is not mistaken for a County office.
Tennessee leases, notice, possession, and security deposits
A sale does not cancel a lease. The buyer takes the house subject to the lease and becomes the new landlord. Closing by itself does not set a tenant’s move-out date; if you want the house vacant, that is a separate possession question governed by the lease and applicable notice rules.
Tennessee’s Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act applies only in counties that had more than 75,000 people in the 2010 census. Where the Act applies, the landlord must keep security deposits in an account used only for deposits and tell tenants where the account is. (Tenn. Code Ann. §66-28-301.)
Where the Act applies, ending a month-to-month tenancy takes written notice at least 30 days before the rent date named in the notice. A week-to-week tenancy takes at least 10 days’ written notice. (Tenn. Code Ann. §66-28-512.) A fixed-term lease and other legal protections may require a different approach.
Where the Act applies, and unless agreed otherwise, a seller who sells in good faith is released from the lease for later events only after the tenant receives written notice of the sale and the security deposit is transferred to the buyer. Keep the lease and deposit records together so the notice and handoff can be addressed as part of the sale. (Tenn. Code Ann. §66-28-305.)
Testimonials are real, from our transactions, verified and approved by our attorneys. Reviews keep their actual location.
What sellers say about USA Home Buyers
More Knoxville seller information
Knoxville and Knox County seller resources →Find more local offices and seller information.Selling with code violations →Review questions about an open property-code notice.Knoxville market report →See local market context and Tennessee selling-cost information.Knoxville home-sale net proceeds calculator →Compare a written offer or sale price with your own costs and estimates.How the Knoxville sale process works →See the broader path from property details to title-company closing.Knoxville seller reviews →Read approved seller reviews with their original locations.
Knoxville tenant-occupied seller questions
Can I sell my Knoxville house while tenants are still living there?
Yes. A sale doesn't cancel the lease. The buyer takes the house subject to it and becomes the new landlord. We buy houses with tenants in place, including cash-for-keys when that works better for everyone.
Do I have to evict before I call?
No. You don't always need to evict to sell to us. We buy houses with tenants in place — we've done it many times, including cash-for-keys when that works better for everyone. Tell us about the property and tenancy.
Does selling the house end the tenant’s lease?
No. The sale itself doesn't cancel the lease; the buyer takes the house subject to it and becomes the new landlord. A separate move-out plan is different from the sale.
What notice is required to end a month-to-month tenancy in Tennessee?
Where the Tennessee Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act applies, a month-to-month tenancy takes written notice at least 30 days before the rent date named in the notice. A week-to-week tenancy takes at least 10 days’ written notice. A fixed-term lease may require a different approach.
What happens to the security deposit when the house is sold?
Where the Tennessee Act applies, the deposit must be kept in an account used only for deposits, and the tenant must be told where it is. Unless agreed otherwise, a seller who sells in good faith is released from the lease for later events only after the tenant receives written notice of the sale and the deposit is transferred to the buyer.
What should I have ready before I contact you?
Start with what you know about the address, lease, occupancy, rent, deposit, access, repairs, and timing. You can call before you have every record or have made a possession decision.
How do I ask for a written cash offer?
Call USA Home Buyers at 888-274-5006 or use the form on this page. We'll give you a written cash offer within 24 hours.
Talk through the tenant situation
Call 888-274-5006 or return to the form above. Tell us about the lease, occupancy, access, or repairs; you do not have to decide on eviction before you talk.