City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Memphis, TN
How Memphis regulates short-term rentals: the rules that apply, their sources, and pending changes.
Short-term rentals here operate under a registration or permit system with ongoing operating rules.
- Annual STR permit required before operating or advertising (§4)
- $1,000,000 liability/hazard insurance required (§5.3.k)
- Owner must reside or be located within 25 miles of the property (§2, 'Owner')
- Designated 24-hour STR Agent who must appear on-site within 2 hours (§3)
- Life-safety/building/fire code compliance + Code Compliance Verification Form (§5, §6.2-3)
- Max 4 sleeping rooms per STR property (§2)
- No owner-occupancy requirement, no permit cap, no separation distance, no night cap — whole-home broadly available
Based on: City of Memphis Short Term Rental Ordinance, Code of Ordinances Ch. 5-44 (Ord. No. 5856), effective July 1, 2023
Summary of the rule
STR permitted as accessory use in all zoning districts that allow residential use, provided an STR Permit is issued (whole-home, no owner-occupancy)
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Last reviewed Sep 14, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Memphis · system last checked Oct 25, 2026
Owners in Memphis
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City Watch tracks changes from public sources — council agendas, state bills, local news — not a complete legal compendium.
A city permit is not the whole picture — HOA, condominium, deed, or lease rules may be stricter.
City Watch provides good-faith summaries of publicly available information as of the review date shown. Rules, enforcement, and permit availability can change, and summaries may contain errors or omissions. Ratings describe the general regulatory environment; they do not establish whether a particular property or stay is permitted. This is general information, not legal advice. Before buying, listing, or hosting, verify applicable requirements with the responsible authorities and review any HOA, condominium, deed, or lease restrictions.