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

4 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.

Short-Term Rental Permits

No one may operate a Short-Term Vacation Rental anywhere in unincorporated Hamilton County without first obtaining a Short Term Vacation Rental Certificate from the county's Development Services Office, and the certificate comes with a matching ban on renting the property out for weddings, reunions, or other group events.

Hamilton County STVR Certificate Requirement

Significant Restrictions

Hamilton County Zoning Regulations, Art. IV, Sec. 100(10)(a)-(b), A-1 Agricultural District, Short Term Vacation Rental

(10) Short Term Vacation Rental, subject to the following: ADDED (Res. 423-35, 4/19/23) a) Short Term Vacation Rental Certificate: No person or entity shall operate a Short-Term Vacation Rental unless a Short Term Vacation Rental Certificate is issued by the Hamilton County Development Services Office. (Res. 1224-36, 12/18/24) b) Prohibited Uses: The single-family residence that received a Shor...
Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Short-Term Rental Parking Rules

Every Short-Term Vacation Rental permitted in Hamilton County's unincorporated zoning districts must provide off-street parking for guests, and the code flatly bars using the street for STVR parking, a condition written into the STVR use regulations for the A-1 Agricultural District and repeated verbatim across the county's other residential districts.

Hamilton County STR Off-Street Parking Rule

Some Restrictions

Hamilton County Zoning Regulations, Art. IV, Sec. 100(10)(g), A-1 Agricultural District, Short Term Vacation Rental

(10) Short Term Vacation Rental, subject to the following: ADDED (Res. 423-35, 4/19/23) ... g) Off-Street Parking: Off-street parking shall be provided. No on-street parking shall be permitted.
Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Occupancy Limits

Hamilton County caps how many guests a Short-Term Vacation Rental can sleep: no more than five sleeping rooms, and total occupants can't exceed twice the number of sleeping rooms plus four, a formula written into the STVR use conditions across the county's zoning districts.

Hamilton County STR Occupancy Cap

Some Restrictions

Hamilton County Zoning Regulations, Art. IV, Sec. 100(10)(d)-(e), A-1 Agricultural District, Short Term Vacation Rental

d) Maximum Number of Sleeping Rooms: There shall be no more than five (5) sleeping rooms. All proposed sleeping rooms shall be in compliance with all adopted, applicable state and local building and fire safety codes. e) Maximum Occupancy: For structures meeting all other regulations and requirements, the maximum occupants permitted shall not exceed more than twice (2) the number of sleeping ro...
Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Extended Home Share

Renting a single-family home in unincorporated Hamilton County for 31 consecutive days or longer falls outside the county's Short-Term Vacation Rental definition entirely, so the STVR certificate, room caps, occupancy formula, and parking rules in Article IV never attach to that longer stay.

Hamilton County 31-Day Rental Exemption

Few Restrictions

Hamilton County Zoning Regulations, Art. II, Definitions - Short-Term Vacation Rental

SHORT-TERM VACATION RENTAL: A single-family detached dwelling unit that is rented in part or its entirety on a daily or weekly basis for not more than 30 days for overnight stay and are generally advertised or otherwise held out to the public. Short-Term Vacation Rentals are also sometimes referred to as "tourist homes" or "short-term residential rentals" and advertised as such. AMENDED (Res. 4...
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

9 verified rules • Extended Home Share, Host Presence Rule

All Hamilton County ordinances

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