Under Tennessee law the responsibility of a landlord for dog bites or other attacks by dogs owned by the landlord’s tenant depends on the facts of the case.
The landlord is responsible only if he, she or it knew or had notice of the vicious propensity of the tenant’s dog and the landlord had sufficient control of the leased premises to require the tenant to remove the dog or safety restrain it.
Control can be demonstrated by provisions in leases that give the landlord the right to evict if the tenant engages in "dangerous" activities or "inappropriate" activities. Control can also be demonstrated in the lease gives the landlord the right to allow or disallow the keeping of a pet.