Shelby County's STR ordinance does not require a short-term rental to be the operator's primary residence. Non-owner-occupied and investor STRs may be permitted in unincorporated areas, subject to registration, insurance, and a Responsible Party. State law also grandfathers pre-existing STRs.
The Code of Shelby County's Short-Term Rental Registration Program and the county's permit application do not impose a primary-residence or owner-occupancy requirement. The permit is issued to the property owner, and the ordinance expressly allows an owner to rent a detached accessory dwelling unit as an STR, indicating non-owner-occupied units and separate structures may operate. Rather than requiring the owner on site, the county requires a Responsible Party whose contact is posted in the unit, who answers complaints 24/7, and whose address is within 50 miles of the rental. Tennessee's Short-Term Rental Unit Act (Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 13-7-602 and 13-7-603) further limits local governments from banning properties already used as STRs before a rule took effect.
Because there is no primary-residence mandate, operating a non-owner-occupied STR is not itself a violation in unincorporated Shelby County. Enforcement focuses on operating without a valid permit or lacking a qualifying Responsible Party, which can lead to citations or revocation.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Backyard composting is allowed in Shelby County and has no dedicated permit, but compost and organic material must be managed so it does not become harmful v...
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Shelby County has no ordinance banning or specially permitting artificial turf. Synthetic turf is not counted as living landscaping under the Unified Develop...
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The Memphis and Shelby County Unified Development Code favors native landscaping, directing that trees and shrubs be predominately hardy Tennessee native spe...
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Shelby County has no ordinance prohibiting or specially licensing residential rainwater harvesting. Rain barrels and cisterns are generally allowed, and Tenn...
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Shelby County has no mandatory outdoor watering schedule. Water is supplied by Memphis Light, Gas and Water from the Memphis Sand Aquifer, and MLGW promotes ...
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The Code of Shelby County authorizes the county to compel owners of unincorporated property to cut rank weeds, grasses, and underbrush deemed a health or tra...
See how Shelby County's primary-residence-only rule rules stack up against other locations.
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