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                                                                     EXHIBIT 5.1

                                 March 20, 2000



Healthcare Realty Trust Incorporated
3310 West End Avenue
Fourth Floor
Nashville, Tennessee 37203

          Re:  Healthcare Realty Trust Incorporated
               Form S-3 Registration Statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b)

Ladies and Gentlemen:

                  We have acted as counsel to Healthcare Realty Trust
Incorporated, a Maryland corporation (the "Company"), in connection with the
registration under the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Act") of up to an additional
$26,176,088 in aggregate amount of one or more series of (i) unsecured debt
securities (the "Debt Securities"), (ii) shares of preferred stock, $.01 par
value (the "Preferred Shares"), (iii) shares of common stock, $.01 par value
(the "Common Shares") or (iv) warrants to purchase Common Shares (the "Common
Share Warrants" and, together with the Debt Securities, Preferred Shares and
Common Shares, the "Securities"), pursuant to the above referenced Registration
Statement on Form S-3, (the "Registration Statement"). In connection with this
opinion, we have examined and relied upon such records, documents and other
instruments as in our judgment are necessary and appropriate in order to express
the opinions hereinafter set forth, and have assumed the genuineness of all
signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals and
the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as
certified or photostatic copies.

                  Based upon the foregoing, we are of the opinion that as of the
date hereof:

                  (1)      When the Registration Statement has become effective
                           under the Act and when a series of the Debt
                           Securities has been (a) duly established by an
                           Indenture or any supplemental indenture thereto, (b)
                           duly authorized and established by applicable action
                           of the Board of Directors ("Board Action") and duly
                           authenticated by the trustee under such Indenture,
                           and (c) duly executed and delivered on behalf of the
                           Company against payment therefor in accordance with
                           the terms of such Board Action, any applicable
                           underwriting agreement, an Indenture and any
                           applicable supplemental indenture, and as
                           contemplated by the Registration Statement and/or the
                           applicable Prospectus Supplement, the Debt Securities
                           will be duly authorized and validly issued.

                  (2)      When the Registration Statement has become effective
                           under the Act and when a series of the Preferred
                           Shares has been duly authorized and established by
                           applicable Board Action, in accordance with the terms
                           of the Articles of Incorporation and applicable law,
                           and, upon issuance and delivery of certificates for
                           such series of Preferred Shares against payment
                           therefor in accordance with the terms of such Board
                           Action and any applicable underwriting agreement, and
                           as contemplated by the Registration Statement and/or
                           the applicable Prospectus Supplement, the shares
                           represented by such certificates will be duly
                           authorized and validly issued, fully paid and
                           nonassessable by the Company.

                  (3)      When the Registration Statement has become effective
                           under the Act, upon due authorization by Board Action
                           of an issuance of Common Shares, and upon



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                           issuance and delivery of certificates for Common
                           Shares against payment therefor in accordance with
                           the terms of such Board Action and any applicable
                           underwriting agreement, and as contemplated by the
                           Registration Statement and/or the applicable
                           Prospectus Supplement, the shares represented by such
                           certificates will be duly authorized and validly
                           issued, fully paid and non-assessable by the Company.

                  (4)      When the Registration Statement has become effective
                           under the Act and when the Common Share Warrants have
                           been (a) duly established by the related Warrant
                           Agreement, (b) duly authorized and established by
                           applicable Board Action and duly authenticated by the
                           Warrant Agent, and (c) duly executed and delivered on
                           behalf of the Company against payment therefor in
                           accordance with the terms of such Board Action, any
                           applicable underwriting agreement and the applicable
                           Warrant Agreement and as contemplated by the
                           Registration Statement and/or the applicable
                           Prospectus Supplement, the Common Share Warrants will
                           be duly authorized and validly issued.

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

                                       Very truly yours,


                                       /s/ Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, PLLC






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