Hamilton County, TN Accessory Structures: ADU Rental Restrictions (2026)

' The prohibition covers both structural types the resolution recognizes, so converting a garage or building a stand-alone unit does not open a path to nightly or weekly rental use. The restriction sits alongside Section 304's owner-occupancy requirement, which already requires the property owner to live in either the principal house or the ADU as a permanent residence; together the two sections rule out using a newly permitted ADU as a short-term-rental income property. Section 301's stated intent is to add long-term housing supply and small-scale infill in a manner that keeps the residential character of unincorporated neighborhoods, and the STVR ban is the mechanism that keeps ADUs from becoming visitor accommodations instead.

The rule applies to every ADU permitted under Resolution No. 924-23 regardless of zoning district, other than the A-1 Agricultural District where ADUs are not permitted at all, and regardless of whether the unit is newly built or a conversion of an existing accessory structure or non-conforming detached structure under Section 303. There is no seasonal, occasional-use, or owner-present exception written into Section 305; the text bars the STVR use outright rather than capping the number of rental nights.