Nashville, TN

Nashville's noise ordinance sets quiet hours from 10 PM to 7 AM in residential areas. The rules changed significantly in 2023 after years of complaints about Lower Broadway-area noise spilling into neighborhoods. Residential areas now have a hard 75 dB limit during daytime and 65 dB at night. The entertainment districts operate under separate rules, but residential buffer zones along the district edges get the residential standard. Nashville Metro Police handles complaints, and the city added a dedicated noise enforcement team in late 2023.

Nashville has two types of short-term rental permits and the rules depend on whether you live in the property. Owner-occupied permits let you rent part of your home (like a spare bedroom or basement apartment) while you're there. Non-owner-occupied permits let you rent out a whole property you don't live in, but these are capped by district and many neighborhoods are already full. The permit costs $313 and you need a new one every year. Nashville also caps occupancy at 2 people per bedroom, requires off-street parking, and collects a 6% hotel tax.

Nashville limits front yard fences to 4 feet and side/rear fences to 6 feet in residential zones. No permit is needed for fences up to 6 feet. Above 6 feet, you need a building permit and possibly a zoning variance. The city doesn't restrict fence materials in most residential zones, so wood, vinyl, chain link, and wrought iron are all fine. Nashville does prohibit barbed wire and razor wire in residential areas. Corner lot visibility rules require fences within 25 feet of an intersection to stay below 3 feet. The biggest gotcha: if you're in a historic overlay district, the Metro Historical Commission has to approve your fence design.