Short-term rental permit rules in Shelby County, TN — also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration — list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Unincorporated Shelby County requires a Short-Term Rental Property Permit issued by the Shelby County Clerk under Chapter 8, Article XVIII of the County Code. An original permit costs $100 and must be renewed annually. Incorporated cities such as Memphis run their own separate STR permit programs.
Shelby County operates a Short-Term Rental Registration Program codified in Chapter 8, Article XVIII of the Code of Shelby County, governing STRs in the unincorporated county (outside Memphis and other cities, which regulate separately). The permit is obtained through the Shelby County Clerk's Office; the fee is $100.00 original and $50.00 renewal. Applicants submit a scaled site plan, proof of ownership, and proof of insurance, and certify they are current on county property taxes, had no recent citations, and passed a final Memphis/Shelby County code enforcement inspection. Under Tennessee's Short-Term Rental Unit Act (Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 13-7-601 to 13-7-603), the county cannot ban a property already operating as an STR before the rule took effect.
Operating an STR in unincorporated Shelby County without a valid permit, or misrepresenting application facts, is grounds for denial or revocation. Permits are non-transferable. Applicants with delinquent county property taxes or unpaid STR-related court fines are ineligible.
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