Rental Rules by City / Free checklist / Pigeon Forge

Is my Pigeon Forge rental legal? Checklist

Sevier County, Tennessee · Based on our Pigeon Forge page, last verified Oct 24, 2026 · Print

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📋 The Basics

Can I rent my place short-term here?: Yes, with a license or tax registration
Do I need a permit?: Yes. You need city and county business licenses and a Tennessee tax ID.
What taxes do I pay?: Total about 12.25%. Airbnb collects some; you pay the 1% city gross receipts tax yourself.

Your 3 steps to be legal

Check your zoning with the city.
Get city and Sevier County business licenses and a Tennessee tax ID.
File the 1% gross receipts tax every month.

⚠️ Biggest risk: Forgetting the gross receipts tax, which you pay yourself.

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

This is the general rule for Pigeon Forge. 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.

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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Permit / license / registration

Licenses: City business license and Sevier County business license ($15 application each), plus a Tennessee DOR tax ID for the Pigeon Forge location.
Gross receipts tax: 1% of gross sales, paid by the owner monthly.

Zoning, where allowed & definitions

Zoning: Overnight rentals are limited by zoning: verify your parcel with city Planning.

Night limits, minimum stays & occupancy

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

Fees, penalties & pending changes

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

Taxes & who collects them

Register / account for TN state + local sales tax (9.75%)
Register / account for City of Pigeon Forge lodging tax (2.5%)
What Airbnb collects: Confirm Airbnb remits sales tax and the 2.5% city lodging tax; the 1% gross receipts tax is yours to file.
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: 12.25%. 12.25% to the guest per the City. Owners also pay a 1% city gross receipts tax (not added to the guest), due the 20th monthly. 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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Not legal or tax advice. Last verified Oct 24, 2026. Rules and rates change: confirm with the official sources linked before you rent or file.