Accessory Structures in Nashville, TN (2026)
6 verified accessory structures rules for Nashville, Tennessee, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
ADU Rules
Metro requires detached ADUs be owner-occupied and capped at 700-850 square feet by lot size, permitted only in the Urban Services District, a DADU overlay in the General Services District, or via Specific Plan; a recorded covenant precedes permit issuance.
Nashville Detached ADU Permit Rules
Significant RestrictionsMetropolitan Code of Laws § 17.16.030(G)(10)-(11)
10.Restrictive Covenant. Prior to the issuance of a permit, an instrument shall be prepared and recorded with the register's office covenanting that the detached accessory dwelling unit is being established accessory to a principal structure... 11.Location. Detached accessory dwelling units shall only be permitted within the Urban Services District, within a Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit ove...
ADU Owner Occupancy
Metro Nashville limits each lot to one detached accessory dwelling unit, requires it to share ownership with the principal house, and mandates that one of the two dwellings be owner-occupied before a permit issues.
Nashville ADU Owner-Occupancy Rule
Some RestrictionsMetropolitan Code of Laws Section 17.16.030(G)(3)
b.The detached accessory dwelling unit cannot be divided from the property ownership of the principal dwelling.c.Only one detached accessory dwelling unit shall be permitted and only when one single-family principal structure is present. When two principal structures are present, then no detached accessory dwelling unit is permitted.d.The detached accessory dwelling unit shall be owned by the s...
ADU Rental Restrictions
Metro Nashville bars newly built or converted detached accessory dwelling units on single-family, RN-, or RL-zoned lots from operating as owner-occupied short-term rentals under the zoning code's ADU standards.
Nashville ADU Short-Term Rental Ban
Significant RestrictionsMetropolitan Code of Laws § 17.16.030(G)(12)
Short Term Rental Property (STRP). Upon enactment of this section, on any single-family-zoned, Residential Neighborhood-zoned, or Residential Limited-zoned lot where a new detached accessory dwelling unit is built, or on any single-family-zoned, Residential Neighborhood-zoned, or Residential Limited-zoned lot where a new detached accessory dwelling unit is established via conversion of an exist...
Shed & Carport Rules
Metro Nashville caps rear-yard accessory buildings under 40,000-square-foot lots at 850 square feet (or half the house's footprint, whichever is larger) and never more than 2,500 square feet, with reduced side and rear setbacks for small sheds.
Nashville Shed Size & Setback Rules
Some RestrictionsMetropolitan Code of Laws § 17.12.050(A)
On all lots with a size of less than forty thousand square feet, the building coverage of an accessory structure other than a detached accessory dwelling unit located to the rear of the principal dwelling and complying with the district setbacks shall be limited to eight hundred fifty square feet or fifty percent of the building coverage of the principal dwelling, whichever is greater, but in n...
Garage Conversions
Converting an attached garage or detached garage to living space in Nashville requires a building permit. Converting a detached garage to a DADU requires a contractor permit and compliance with all DADU standards.
Nashville Garage Conversion Rules
Some RestrictionsMetro Code 17.04.060
By definition (17.04.060) a DADU shall be clearly subordinate in size, height, and purpose to the principal structure, it shall be located on the same lot as the principal structure and is detached from the principal structure. A detached accessory dwelling unit can be an independent structure, it can be a dwelling unit above a garage, or it can be attached to a workshop or other accessory stru...
Tiny Homes
Metro Nashville allows tiny homes only as Detached Accessory Dwelling Units (DADUs) on a permanent foundation, capped at 700 sq ft (or 850 sq ft on lots 10,000+ sf), and only in the Urban Services District, DADU overlays, or qualifying UDO/SP plans. Tiny houses on wheels are not permitted as full-time residences.
Tiny Home Rules in Nashville
Heavy RestrictionsMetro Code 17.16.030G.7.a; 17.12.040E.1.a
(17.16.030G.7.a) The living space of a detached accessory dwelling unit shall not exceed seven hundred (700) square feet for lots less than ten thousand square feet, or eight hundred and fifty (850) square feet for lots ten thousand square feet or greater and shall not exceed the size of the principal structure. DADU Building Setbacks (17.12.040E.1.a) Accessory buildings (DADU) with a footprint...