Setting up utilities in Nashville: a renter's guide

The short version

Most Nashville renters need to open one account before move-in: electricity, through Nashville Electric Service (NES). Water is often billed through the property, gas only matters if your unit has gas appliances, and internet is yours to choose. Start the electric account a few days to a week before your move-in date — many leasing offices won't hand over keys until you can show an account number in your name.

That's the outline. The details below cover who to call, what they'll ask for, and where deposits come in.

Electricity: Nashville Electric Service

NES is the electric utility for Nashville and Davidson County — apartments don't get to choose a different provider, so there's no comparison shopping to do. You can start service on the NES website or by phone. Have your new address, your move-in date, and photo identification ready.

NES runs an identity check when you open an account. Depending on how that check comes back, they may ask for a security deposit before service starts. If you're new to the country and don't have much of a credit file yet, expect the deposit to be more likely — it's refundable, and it isn't a judgment on you personally. It's the same system everyone goes through. Our guide to banking, cell phones, and credit for new Nashville residents explains how these identity checks tend to work when you're starting from zero.

Set the start date for the day before your lease begins. Walking into an apartment with working lights and air conditioning is worth the one extra day of billing.

Water and sewer: usually simpler than you expect

Metro Water Services handles water and sewer for Davidson County. Here's the part that surprises people: at many apartment communities, you never open a water account at all. The property keeps the account and either includes water in the rent or bills you back your share each month on your rent statement.

Ask the leasing office directly: "Is water in my name or yours?" If it's in yours, they'll tell you how to start service with Metro Water. If it's theirs, ask what the typical monthly charge looks like so it doesn't surprise you on the first bill. Water billed back by the property is a real cost worth counting when you're working out how much income you need for an apartment.

Gas: only if your unit uses it

Piedmont Natural Gas serves the Nashville area. Whether you need an account depends entirely on the unit — many apartments are all-electric, and if yours is, you can skip this section. If the stove, furnace, or water heater runs on gas, the leasing office will tell you, and you'll open a Piedmont account the same way as electric: address, move-in date, identification, and possibly a deposit.

Gas bills swing with the seasons. Close to nothing all summer, then real money in January and February when the furnace runs. Budget for the winter number, not the August one.

Internet: the one choice you actually get

Nashville has real competition for internet — AT&T, Xfinity, and Google Fiber all serve large parts of the city, though availability comes down to your exact address. Check each provider's site with your new address before assuming anything, because coverage changes block by block.

Two practical notes. First, ask the leasing office if the building is wired for a specific provider — some communities are, and fighting that is rarely worth it. Second, if you're watching your budget, ask providers about low-cost plans; several offer reduced-price internet for qualifying households, and the application is usually short. Installation appointments can run one to two weeks out, so book before you move if working internet on day one matters to you.

Trash, and the move-in checklist

At apartment communities, trash is almost always handled by the property — dumpsters or valet pickup, sometimes with a small monthly fee on your rent statement. Nothing to set up; just ask where it goes and which day.

Pulling it together, here's the week-before-move-in list:

• Electric (NES): open the account, start date the day before your lease begins.
• Water: ask the leasing office whose name it's in; act accordingly.
• Gas (Piedmont): only if the unit has gas appliances.
• Internet: check coverage at your address, book the install.
• Proof for the leasing office: keep your NES account number handy — most offices ask for it at key pickup.

Deposits, connection fees, and first bills add up alongside rent and security deposits. If you're doing the full math on a move, our move-in costs guide and the move-in cost calculator put real numbers on it.

Related reading: how to rent an apartment in Nashville and moving to Nashville from another country.