Knoxville Type 1 short-term rental permits are restricted to the owner's primary residence, while Type 2 non-owner-occupied permits are allowed only in commercial and select mixed-use zones under Chapter 8.
Type 1 permits in Knoxville require the home to be the operator's primary residence, evidenced through driver license, voter registration, or homestead documentation. Type 2 non-owner-occupied STRs are restricted to designated commercial and mixed-use zoning districts, not single-family residential neighborhoods. This split was the central design of the 2018 Knoxville STR ordinance and remains the most-litigated point of the program. Owners with multiple homes can hold only one Type 1 permit at their primary residence.
Operating a non-owner-occupied STR in a residential zone is a Type 2 zoning violation. Misrepresenting primary residence on a Type 1 application can trigger permit revocation and ineligibility for renewal.
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Knoxville, TN
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Knoxville, TN
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Knoxville, TN
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Knoxville, TN
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Knoxville, TN
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Knoxville, TN
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See how Knoxville's primary-residence-only rule rules stack up against other locations.
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