Short-Term Rentals in Hamilton County, TN (2026)

10 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Hamilton County, Tennessee.

Verified from official government sources

Note: These county rules apply to unincorporated areas of Hamilton County. If you live within an incorporated city, that city's own rules apply — see the city list below.

Permit Requirements

Inside Chattanooga, every short-term vacation rental (STVR) needs a city STVR certificate before it advertises or hosts guests. Certificates split into owner-occupied 'homestay' and non-owner-occupied 'absentee' types. Unincorporated Hamilton County adopted its own STVR permit through Development Services in April 2023.

Chattanooga & Hamilton County STVR permit rules

Some Restrictions

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Noise Rules

Chattanooga does not set a separate STVR noise rule; short-term rental guests must comply with the city's general noise ordinance, which restricts loud, disturbing sound. Repeated noise or nuisance complaints can jeopardize an STVR certificate at renewal or lead to revocation.

STVR guests must follow the city noise ordinance

Some Restrictions

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Taxes & Fees

Chattanooga charges $250 to apply for and renew a homestay STVR certificate and $500 for an absentee STVR. On top of that, guests pay lodging tax: Hamilton County levies a 4% hotel/motel occupancy tax and Chattanooga adds 4%, plus Tennessee's 7% state sales tax and local sales tax.

STVR permit fees and hotel occupancy taxes

Some Restrictions

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Parking Rules

Chattanooga's STVR review checks that a rental has adequate off-street parking for its guests under the property's zoning, but the city code does not publish a single fixed 'spaces-per-bedroom' figure for STVRs. Parking is evaluated with the certificate application by the Land Development Office.

STVR off-street parking expectations

Some Restrictions

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Occupancy Limits

A Chattanooga STVR is capped at five bedrooms, and any STVR in the R-1 or R-2 residential zones may contain no more than five (5) bedrooms. Occupancy is tied to bedroom count, and the use cannot function as a hotel, rooming house, bed-and-breakfast, or boarding house.

STVR bedroom and occupancy limits

Some Restrictions

Chattanooga City Code Ch. 38, Art. XVII (Zoning)

Any short-term vacation rental on a site located in either the R-1 or R-2 Residential Zones shall contain no more than five (5) bedrooms, and shall exclude hotels, rooming houses, bed and breakfast, and boarding houses.

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Insurance Requirements

Chattanooga's published STVR certificate materials focus on zoning, fees, and posting rather than a stated liability-insurance minimum, and no specific coverage amount is confirmed in the accessible code. Hosts should carry short-term-rental or homeowner liability coverage and confirm any insurance documentation the Land Development Office requires.

STVR insurance: recommended, verify local requirement

Some Restrictions

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Night Caps

Chattanooga does not impose an annual cap on the number of nights an STVR may be rented. Instead, the definition limits each booking to 30 days or fewer; a stay of more than 30 continuous days is no longer a short-term rental. Homestays and absentee rentals can operate year-round if

No annual night cap; 30-day per-stay limit

Some Restrictions

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Registration Rules

A Chattanooga STVR certificate is valid for one year and must be renewed annually. The current certificate must be posted inside the rental in a conspicuous spot. Renewal opens 30 days before expiration and a certificate expired more than 30 days cannot be renewed.

STVR certificate, renewal and posting rules

Some Restrictions

Chattanooga City Code Ch. 11, Art. XX (STVR Certificate)

It is a codified requirement that your STVR certificate be posted in a permanent, intentional manner in a conspicuous location within the rental.

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Host Presence Rule

Chattanooga does not require the host to be physically on-site during every stay, but it draws the key line between homestay rentals (the owner's own primary residence) and absentee rentals (no resident owner). Absentee rentals without an on-site host are confined to commercial hotel-zoned properties.

Host presence: homestay vs. absentee rentals

Some Restrictions

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Primary-Residence-Only Rule

Chattanooga's homestay STVR must be the operator's primary residence, defined as living there at least 183 days a year. Absentee STVRs are for properties that are not the owner's primary residence and are restricted to commercial zones that permit hotels, not ordinary residential neighborhoods.

Homestay STVRs require your primary residence

Some Restrictions

Chattanooga STVR Certificate program (Ch. 11 Art. XX / Ch. 38 Art. XVII)

Homestay (Owner-Occupied): The property is your primary residence (you live there at least 183 days a year). Absentee (Non-Owner Occupied): The property is not your primary residence.

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Short-Term Rentals by City in Hamilton County

1 cities in Hamilton County have their own short-term rentals rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.

ChattanoogaPop. 182,000

7 verified rules • Insurance Requirements, Noise Rules

All Hamilton County ordinances

See every category we cover for Hamilton County — parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.

Hamilton County Ordinance Hub →