Kandi Burruss’ estranged husband, Todd Tucker, is firing back at her claim he’s living rent-free in her guest home … saying she’s the one who kicked him out of the main house without notice, TMZ has learned.

Todd filed court docs responding to Kandi’s claim he was essentially squatting in the guest home at her Atlanta property.

In his filing, Todd admitted he was living in the guest house … but he said it was because Kandi “unilaterally removed” him from the main home by directing her family members to relocate his stuff without his consent, and without court intervention.

Todd said he did not voluntarily leave the home … but did not fight Kandi about it, in order to “preserve peace and stability.”

As TMZ first reported … Kandi slammed Todd, claiming he wasn’t paying a dime in rent or any bills connected to the property. She also asserts he hasn’t helped with bills related to their kids, Ace and Blaze … specifically, she said she covered all expenses for two birthday parties thrown since the couple split late last year.

In court docs, Todd alleged before the split, they both added money into a bank account to use for expenses. He claims after the separation, Kandi told him she would stop using the account and would pay all the bills herself.

Todd said, “[Kandi] now attempts to reframe and weaponize this self-created financial arrangement as evidence of financial instability or neglect, while the timing and sequence of events demonstrate otherwise.”

He says Kandi has been making nasty statements against him in an effort to shift the focus away from her extended and “ongoing physical absence from the” kids and her “reliance on a third-party caregiver.” Todd says the judge should give him primary legal and physical custody on a temporary basis until a permanent parenting arrangement is put in place.