Nashville, TN Short-Term Rental Checklist (Free, Printable)

📋 The Basics

Can I rent my place short-term here?: Only in some areas
Do I need a permit?: Yes. You need a Short Term Rental Property permit before you rent or advertise.
What taxes do I pay?: Total about 16.75% plus $2.50 per night. Airbnb says it collects these for you; you still pay them on bookings outside Airbnb.

Your 3 steps to be legal

Check if your home qualifies: owner-occupied, or a non-owner home in allowed zones.
Apply for the STRP permit.
Confirm the taxes Airbnb collects.

⚠️ Biggest risk: Renting a non-owner-occupied home in a residential zone.

Words confusing? See the glossary. Details and official sources are below.

This is the general rule for Nashville. Does your address qualify?

The free info covers the city as a whole. Your property can still be different: zoning can change from one street to the next, and an HOA or condo ban can stop rentals even where the city allows them. The penalties Nashville lists are on the Nashville page.

Your $49 Compliance Check looks at your exact property:

Whether your exact address and zone allow short-term rentals
A check of HOA / condo rental restrictions to look for
Which permits and tax accounts you personally need
What you're missing right now
A personal report with clear next steps and official sources, by email
A refund if we report a rule in error (refund policy)

🔎 How we check: official city, county and state sources, a last-verified date on every page, and nothing guessed. Learn more

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Rules don't change every week, but they do change, and nobody emails you when they do. We'll alert you when city rules, tourist taxes, HOA-related laws, or Airbnb/Vrbo policies change in Nashville. Cancel anytime.

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Permit / license / registration

Permit: A Short Term Rental Property (STRP) permit is required before operating or advertising.

Zoning, where allowed & definitions

Owner-occupied: Must be the owner's primary residence, owned by natural persons (not LLCs/trusts), up to 4 sleeping rooms; one permit per lot in single/two-family zoning.
Non-owner-occupied: New permits only in specified commercial/mixed-use zones, not AR2A, R, RS or RM districts.

Night limits, minimum stays & occupancy

Not listed on our page: Verify with the city/county before renting.

Fees, penalties & pending changes

Fees & penalties: Verify with the city (Metro Codes).

Taxes & who collects them

Register / account for TN state sales tax (7%)
Register / account for Davidson County local sales tax (incl. 0.5% transit surcharge) (2.75%)
Register / account for Metro hotel occupancy tax (7%)
Per-night fee $2.50
What Airbnb collects: Airbnb collects TN state sales tax (7%), local sales tax and locally imposed occupancy taxes in Tennessee.
Vrbo and direct bookings: check which taxes Vrbo collects in your area; for direct bookings you collect and remit all of them yourself.

Total rate: 16.75%. Metro occupancy tax is 7% plus $2.50 per room per night (Metro Code 5.12.150). Davidson local sales tax 2.75% since Feb 1, 2025 (TN DOR). Calculate.

HOA / condo check

Read your declaration, bylaws and rules for rental bans, minimum terms, caps and approval requirements.
Get any association sign-off or approval letter your city or association requires.
See our HOA & condo guide.

Insurance

Confirm your homeowner/condo policy covers short-term rental use, or add a short-term rental policy. Platform host protection is not a substitute for insurance.
Ask your association whether it requires specific liability coverage.

Deadlines

Renew city/county permits or registrations on their schedule (often annually): confirm the date with the office that issued it.
File state and local lodging tax returns on the schedule your tax office assigns.

Official sources

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Is my Nashville rental legal? Checklist