Exhibit 5.1

                          WALLER LANSDEN DORTCH & DAVIS
                    A Professional Limited Liability Company
                              Nashville City Center
                          511 Union Street, Suite 2100
                             Post Office Box 198966
                         Nashville, Tennessee 37219-8966
                                 (615) 244-6380

                                February 24, 1998

Securities and Exchange Commission
450 Fifth Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C.  20549

                  Re:      Healthcare Realty Trust Incorporated

Ladies and Gentlemen:

         In our  capacity as special  securities  counsel to  Healthcare  Realty
Trust Incorporated, a Maryland corporation (the "Company"), we have examined the
Registration  Statement on Form S-3  (Registration  No.  33-97888)  filed by the
Company under the  Securities  Act of 1933, as amended,  the related  Prospectus
dated  November 2, 1995 and the  Prospectus  Supplement  dated February 18, 1998
(the "Prospectus  Supplement") relating to the offering of 867,679 shares of the
common stock, par value $.01 per share, of the Company (the "Common Stock").  In
this regard, we have examined and relied upon such records,  documents and other
instruments  as in our judgment are necessary or appropriate in order to express
the opinions hereinafter set forth.

         Based upon the foregoing, we are of the opinion that the 867,679 shares
of Common Stock referred to in the Prospectus Supplement, to the extent actually
issued  and sold in the  manner  and on the terms  described  in the  Prospectus
Supplement, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable shares
of the Common Stock of the Company.

         We hereby  consent to the  filing of this  opinion as an exhibit to the
Registration  Statement  and further  consent to the  reference  to us under the
caption "Legal Matters" in the Prospectus Supplement.

                                Very truly yours,

                                /s/ Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, PLLC