Nashville Is the No. 3 Short-Term Rental Market in America

Owner-Occupied

You live there full time and rent out the home, or part of it.

• The home must be your primary residence, or on the same lot as it.
• Rent the whole home, or part of it (at least one bedroom and a bathroom), to one group at a time.
• Prove you live there with two documents, like a Tennessee driver’s license, voter card, W-2, pay stub or bank statement, matching the deed.
• The owner must be a person. LLCs, corporations, trusts and partnerships don’t qualify.
• One permit per lot in single- and two-family zones. For a duplex, both units stay under one owner and one must be your home.
• Allowed in most residential neighborhoods.

Non-Owner-Occupied

An investment property you don’t live in. This is the permit most investors need.

• For homes that aren’t your primary residence. One group of guests at a time.
• Ownership on the application must match the deed on file with the Davidson County Clerk.
• New permits only in mixed-use, office, commercial and downtown zones (MUN, MUL, MUG, MUI, OG, OR, CN, CL, CS, CA, CF, DTC and SC districts).
• No new permits in AR2A, R or RS residential zones, and none in RM multifamily zones since January 1, 2022.
• SP and PUD properties qualify only if their plan allows it. Check with Metro Planning before you buy.
• Existing permits in residential zones can be renewed, but they don’t automatically transfer to a new owner, and in some cases can’t transfer at all.

Every STR Needs a Permit

Metro Nashville requires a short-term rental permit before a property is listed on Airbnb, VRBO or any other site. Permits are renewed every year, and stays are capped at 30 days.

The Permit Doesn’t Transfer

Existing non-owner-occupied permits in residential zones can be renewed, but they do not automatically transfer and in some cases don’t transfer at all when the property sells. A listing that says “Airbnb income” may not be allowed for the next owner. We check before you buy.