Sevier County, TN

Sevierville, TN short-term rental registration

Sevierville is the third of the Smokies towns and the one where the building file matters most. Its short-term rental permit is annual, and it is not granted on paperwork alone: the fire department carries out a life-safety inspection of the property before the permit is issued, and again at each yearly renewal. Upstream of that, the city classifies overnight rental cabins and houses as residential projects other than one and two family dwellings, which means the drawings must be prepared, signed and dated by an architect or engineer licensed in Tennessee.[3]

Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified September 20, 2026.

Can you rent short term in Sevierville?

Register before you list

What you apply for: Short-term rental permit

Seasonal homes
310
Housing units
9,631
Residents
18,397

U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates

  • City ruleRegistration required
  • City feeNone published
  • Tax on each staySet locally
  • Seasonal homes32 per 1,000

Sevierville short-term rental permit

Sevierville issues an annual short-term rental permit, and it is not granted on paperwork alone. The application requires specific documentation, a fee, and a life-safety inspection of the property by the fire department, and the permit has to be renewed every year with the inspection repeated. Upstream of the permit sits a building rule that shapes the cost of a new cabin: the city classifies overnight rental cabins and houses as residential projects other than one and two family dwellings, which means their drawings must be prepared, signed and dated by an architect or engineer licensed in Tennessee. The Department of Code Enforcement issues the permits and enforces the ordinances behind them, from 120 Gary Wade Blvd.[3]

What Sevierville asks of you

  • The application requires specific documentation, a fee and a life-safety inspection of the property by the fire department.[3]

  • The permit is annual and has to be renewed every year.[3]

  • Overnight rental cabins and houses are classified as residential projects other than one and two family dwellings, so their drawings must be prepared, signed and dated by an architect or engineer licensed in Tennessee.[4]

  • The Department of Code Enforcement issues the permits and enforces the city ordinances behind them.[3]

Apply on the Sevierville site

What Tennessee asks wherever you host

These rules apply at this address whatever the city decides.

  • A short-term rental unit in Tennessee is a residential dwelling rented wholly or partially for a fee for less than thirty continuous days. Hotels and bed and breakfast establishments are outside the definition.[1]

  • If the property was already being used as a short-term rental when an ordinance was enacted, that ordinance does not apply to it. The rules in force when you started govern instead, until the property is sold, transferred, sits unused as a rental for thirty continuous months, or breaks a generally applicable local law three separate times.[1]

  • A city that runs a permitting or application process may suspend the use of a property for any period in which it does not hold a permit, provided its requirements are reasonable.[1]

All Tennessee short-term rental laws

What a guest pays on top of your nightly rate in Sevierville

Each layer is set by a different authority, and not all of them are collected by the platform.

Short-term rental tax layers in Sevierville
LayerRateRemitted to
City room occupancy tax[2]Not publishedThe city

Sevier County and its cities levy the room occupancy tax on the stay. A Tennessee municipal tax may not exceed four percent where it rests on T.C.A. § 67-4-1402, and a tax levied after July 1, 2021 must fund tourism promotion.[2]

How short-term rental taxes work for US hosts

What the census counts

How much of Sevierville is already a second home

The Census Bureau counts 310 of Sevierville's 9,631 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use — 32 out of every 1,000. That ranks Sevierville 2nd of the 6 Tennessee cities on this site for the share of its housing stock kept for part-year use.

Rank in the state
2nd of 6
Share of housing
32 per 1,000
Median home value
$289,600

U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, tables B25004, B25001, B01003 and B25077.

Nearby and comparable

Where Sevierville sits among its neighbors

Gatlinburg, TN

Registration required

1,641 seasonal homes, 340 per 1,000 housing units.

Rules in Gatlinburg

Knoxville, TN

Registration required

851 seasonal homes, 9 per 1,000 housing units.

Rules in Knoxville

Chattanooga, TN

Allowed by zone

805 seasonal homes, 9 per 1,000 housing units.

Rules in Chattanooga

Johnson City, TN

No city ordinance

271 seasonal homes, 8 per 1,000 housing units.

Rules in Johnson City
The state hubEvery Tennessee city on this site, in one tableState law, the tax stack and every city we cover in Tennessee, with what each one asks of a host.Open the Tennessee hub

FAQ

Sevierville short-term rental questions

Does Sevierville inspect a short-term rental before issuing the permit?

Yes. The fire department carries out a life-safety inspection of the property as part of the application, and the permit is renewed annually.[3]

Do I need an architect for a rental cabin in Sevierville?

For the drawings, yes. The city treats overnight rental cabins and houses as residential projects other than one and two family dwellings, which requires drawings signed by a Tennessee-licensed architect or engineer.[4]
Read nextHow to start an AirbnbThe six steps in order, starting with the permit check.Read the guide

Sources

  1. Public Chapter 972, Acts of 2018, the Short-Term Rental Unit Act, Tennessee Secretary of State, read on September 20, 2026
  2. Room Occupancy Tax, municipal finance reference, Municipal Technical Advisory Service, University of Tennessee, read on September 20, 2026
  3. Short-Term Rentals, City of Sevierville, read on September 20, 2026
  4. Policy on requirements for stamped or sealed drawings, City of Sevierville, read on September 20, 2026

This page is not legal advice. It summarizes the official sources listed on this page as they read on September 20, 2026. Rules can change after that date, so check with the issuing office before you apply or publish a listing.

Before you list

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