Nashville short-term rental laws (2026)
Nashville allows short-term rentals with a Metro Codes permit, but which of the two permit types your address can get decides everything. The owner-occupied permit means living at the property permanently and applying as an individual, never through an LLC. A not-owner-occupied permit still exists, but Metro no longer issues new ones in the AR2A, R, RS and RM residential zones. Either permit covers at most four sleeping rooms and 12 guests, with no cap on nights. The fee is $313 a year, and operating without a permit brings citations and a one-year wait before you can apply.[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
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
- 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]
Four 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 | New Orleans | Hawaii | South Lake Tahoe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Permit | Required$313 permit fee, 12 months | Required$500 owner, $150 operator a year | RequiredState GET and TAT licenses | Required$548 application plus annual fee |
| Primary residence | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Night cap | None published | None published | No state cap, county rules vary | None published |
| Number on listing | Required | Required | Required | Required |
| Where allowed | Set by zoning and owner occupancy | Listed districts, one per block | Set by each county | Residential zones: 900 cap, waitlist |
| Occupancy tax | Airbnb collects occupancy taxes | 6.75% STR tax, Airbnb collects | 11% state TAT plus county TAT | 12% or 14% city TOT |
| Fine without permit | Not published | At least $1,000 per offense per day | $500 fine, $2,000 if cash-based | VHR fines of $1,500 to $5,000 |
| New Orleans rules | Hawaii rules | South Lake Tahoe 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 house rules
Generate a complete PDF house rules document for your property: rules, schedule, amenities, emergency contacts.
Rental arbitrage calculator
Rent, deposit, furnishing, nightly rate and occupancy. You get monthly cash flow, the occupancy you break even at, and how long the setup takes to pay back.
Check-in instructions
The message a guest reads before getting in: access, keys, WiFi, parking, contact. English or bilingual output.