Nashville short-term rental laws (2026)
Nashville allows short-term rentals with a Metro Codes permit. If you do not live at the property, check the zoning before anything else.[2]
Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified September 14, 2026.
Is Airbnb legal in Nashville?
Legal, with a Metro permit
If you live in the home, apply for an owner-occupied permit. New non-owner-occupied permits are not issued in AR2A, R, RS or RM zones.
12 official sources · verified September 14, 2026
Photo: Matthew Jungling on Unsplash
- PermitRequired · $313 permit fee, 12 months
- Primary residenceVaries
- Number on listingRequired
- Night capNone published
Nashville short-term rental permit
Which Nashville short-term rental permit you can get depends on your address, and that decides everything. Metro Codes issues two types. The owner-occupied permit means you live at the property permanently and apply as an individual, never through an LLC. The not-owner-occupied permit still exists. Metro no longer issues new ones in the AR2A, R, RS and RM residential zones. Either permit covers four sleeping rooms and 12 guests at most. No night cap applies. The fee is $313 a year. Operate without a permit and you collect citations plus a one-year wait before you can apply.[2]
Every Nashville rule, sorted by what it asks
Filter by topic. Each line carries the number of its official source, listed at the bottom of the page.
You must
- Hold a Short Term Rental Property permit[2]
- Owner-occupied: live at the property permanently[2]
- Owner-occupied: show four documents with your name and the property address[3]
- Show the permit number or a picture of the permit on every listing[4]
- Renew every year with proof of insurance and Hotel Occupancy Tax payment[6]
- Respect HOA rules, which can be stricter than Metro's[6]
- Rent to a principal renter aged 21 or older[5]
- 1 or 2-family home: get certified by a licensed architect, engineer or inspector[3]
- Multifamily building: pass a Fire Marshal inspection[3]
- Carry fire, hazard and $1 million per occurrence liability insurance[3]
- Open an Occupancy Privilege Tax account and file by the 20th of each month[9]
You must not
- Operate without a permit: citations and a one-year wait to apply[6]
- List the property on a website before you receive the permit[4]
- Hold an owner-occupied permit through an LLC, corporation, trust or partnership[2]
- Transfer the permit to another person, entity or address[5]
- Give false information or commit three violations, grounds for revocation[5]
- Get a new non-owner-occupied permit in AR2A, R, RS or RM zones[2]
- Rent in a Specific Plan or Planned Unit Development unless the plan allows it[2]
- Run an owner-occupied rental in a detached ADU on single-family, RN or RL lots[10]
- Seek a permit for a home with more than four bedrooms[3]
- Have more than one permit per lot in single or two-family zones[2]
- Let a guest stay more than 30 consecutive days[1]
- Exceed twice the sleeping rooms plus 4 guests, or 12 in total[5]
What a new permit costs
Permit fee, due when your application is approved
$313new permit
- Permit$313
What other cases cost
- Yearly renewal$313
Credit card payments carry a 2.3% processing fee.[6]
How to apply in Nashville
Official name: Short Term Rental Property (STRP) permit
- 1
Look up your address in Metro's Short Term Rental Permit Eligibility Viewer to see which permit type the property can get.[8]
- 2
Send written notice to the owners of every adjacent property, by owner signature or certified mail.[3]
- 3
Prepare a certified floor plan, proof of $1 million per occurrence liability coverage, a notarized affidavit and proof that property taxes are paid.[3]
- 4
Complete the application in ePermits in one sitting, because the form cannot be saved and resumed.[3]
- 5
Pay the $313.00 fee once the application is approved.[6]
- 6
Open a Metro Occupancy Privilege Tax account and file hotel tax returns by the 20th of each month.[9]
Five jurisdictions, same questions
The Nashville column comes from the official sources on this page. The other columns show the headline rule from each WonderGuest page. Open a page for the full detail.
| Question | Nashville | Chattanooga | Memphis | Gatlinburg | Townsend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Permit | Required$313 permit fee, 12 months | Required$250 | Required$300 | Required$15 | Required$250 |
| Primary residence | Varies | Varies | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Night cap | None published | None, but a 25% density cap applies | No night cap, but 5% of units in a multi-family building | Under 30 continuous days is the definition | None, with occupancy capped at 12 people |
| Number on listing | Required | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Occupancy tax | Airbnb collects occupancy taxes | Set locally | Set locally | Set locally | 12.75% |
| Chattanooga short-term rental rules | Memphis short-term rental rules | Gatlinburg short-term rental rules | Townsend short-term rental rules |
Coming up
What's changing
No change with an effective date appears in the official sources on this page as of September 14, 2026.
FAQ
Nashville short-term rental questions
Can I Airbnb my house in Nashville?
How do I find out if my property is eligible for a short-term rental permit in Nashville?
How much does a Nashville short-term rental permit cost?
Can my HOA stop me from running a short-term rental in Nashville?
Sources
- Short Term Rental Property overview, Metro Nashville Codes and Building Safety, read on September 14, 2026
- STRP permit types, Metro Nashville Codes and Building Safety, read on September 14, 2026
- Apply for a Short Term Rental Property permit, Metro Nashville Codes and Building Safety, read on September 14, 2026
- Not owner-occupied application checklist, Metro Nashville Codes and Building Safety, read on September 14, 2026
- STRP operation rules and requirements, Metro Nashville Codes and Building Safety, read on September 14, 2026
- STRP frequently asked questions, Metro Nashville Codes and Building Safety, read on September 14, 2026
- Renew a Short Term Rental Property permit, Metro Nashville Codes and Building Safety, read on September 14, 2026
- STRP property eligibility search, Metro Nashville Codes and Building Safety, read on September 14, 2026
- Pay Short Term Rental Property occupancy tax, Metro Nashville Finance, Collections, read on September 14, 2026
- Ordinance BL2025-1007 on detached accessory dwelling units, Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County, read on September 14, 2026
- File a short-term rental complaint, Metro Nashville Codes and Building Safety, read on September 14, 2026
- Occupancy tax collection and remittance in Tennessee, Airbnb Help Center, read on September 14, 2026
This page is not legal advice. It summarizes the official sources listed on this page as they read on September 14, 2026. Rules can change after that date, so check with the issuing office before you apply or publish a listing.
Before you list
Free tools for new hosts
Short-term rental agreement generator
Parties, dates, rent, deposit checked against your state's cap, and the house rules clauses you enforce. A signed-ready PDF for direct and Vrbo bookings.
Airbnb host fee calculator
What Airbnb takes on a booking under the 15.5% host-only fee or the old split fee, what the guest pays on top, and the payout that reaches you.
Airbnb income calculator
Nightly rate, occupancy, Airbnb fee, management, mortgage, taxes and depreciation. You get cash flow, cash-on-cash return and what is left after the IRS.
Airbnb cleaning checklist generator
Build a printable turnover checklist by room, with restock, photos to take and a place for the cleaner to sign. Free PDF, no sign-up.