Rent Hike Has East Nashville Apartment Residents Considering Legal Action

Residents of an East Nashville apartment complex are considering their legal options in response to a potential doubling of their monthly rents.

New ownership and renovations are expected at the 45-year-old Howe Gardens complex. But residents who met Thursday night say they were blindsided by the rent notifications posted on their doors.

Tracey McCartney, a lawyer with Tennessee Fair Housing Council, said she worried about residents who live on government subsidies.

“As housing that’s been subsidized for a period of time by the government gets out from under that arrangement then developers are circling like buzzards to snatch them up,” McCartney said.

Residents want a meeting with the new owners, who have apologized for the abrupt rent letters.