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HomeShort-Term Rental LawsTennesseeChattanooga

Local guide

Chattanooga Short-Term Rental Laws

Chattanooga STR rules for 2026: Annual city certificate required. Check eligibility, permits, fees, taxes, renewal, enforcement, and official sources.

  • 100+ U.S. cities
  • Official sources
  • Address used only for local rules

Compliance layers

A Clear Answer, Then a Path Forward.

Critical Finding

See whether the property can operate now, what blocks it, and which exception may apply.

Address Context

Confirm zoning, current land use, jurisdiction, and the rules that actually govern the address.

Required Approvals

Get the permits, licenses, documents, inspections, and tax registrations needed before launch.

Recommended Path

Follow prioritized next steps, deadlines, renewal duties, and viable alternatives when rules change.

Occupancy tax calculator

Estimate occupancy tax in Chattanooga

Enter the nightly rate and stay length to estimate the lodging taxes and guest total for this jurisdiction.

Gross rent$150.00 × 3 nights
$450.00
Mandatory taxable feesRequired cleaning, resort, or similar fees included in the tax base.
$0.00
Tennessee state sales tax on short-term lodging (7%) $450.00 × 7%
$31.50
Estimated taxes and fees
$31.50

Guest pays

$481.50

Assumptions used

  • Covered lodging boundary: Incorporated Chattanooga within Hamilton County. This calculator is limited to stays of 1–29 nights, where the four sourced transaction-tax lines apply without first-30-night allocation logic.
  • Common taxable room and mandatory-fee pool: The included percentage lines use the same room-charge plus mandatory-fee input under the cited official lodging and sales-tax guidance; fixed per-night lines use nights only.

What may change the final amount

  • Local Tennessee sales and occupancy layers are outside the base estimate. City, county, metropolitan, and local occupancy layers vary by jurisdiction and booking arrangement. They are excluded from the displayed Tennessee state base and may increase or otherwise change the result; resolve the property boundary and local rate before filing. This factor is excluded from the displayed estimate and may increase the result; verify it with the cited official source before filing.
Open the full occupancy tax calculator

Estimated tax is $31.50. Estimated guest total is $481.50.

Estimate only. Verify the property jurisdiction, exemptions, taxable charges, filing duties, and marketplace collection with the linked official sources.

Decision rule

Chattanooga STR status and controlling approval

Short-term vacation rentals require a city certificate in an eligible owner-occupied or absentee category.

For this Chattanooga page, the controlling local record is Chattanooga Short-Term Vacation Rental Certificate.

The verified city page lists category-specific application amounts; confirm the current owner-occupied or absentee fee before filing.

  • Annual city certificate required

    Short-term vacation rentals require a city certificate in an eligible owner-occupied or absentee category.

    Warning

Chattanooga rules that change the property decision

Separate the Chattanooga approval, property condition, charge, tax record, and renewal duty before advertising.

Legal posture
Short-term vacation rentals require a city certificate in an eligible owner-occupied or absentee category.
Approval record
Chattanooga Short-Term Vacation Rental Certificate
Government charge
The verified city page lists category-specific application amounts; confirm the current owner-occupied or absentee fee before filing.
Owner or residence condition
Owner-occupied classification uses the city's principal-residence day test; absentee rentals are limited to eligible hotel or motel zones.
Filing cycle
Use the frequency assigned by the tax authority and confirm whether direct bookings, platform bookings, and zero-activity periods require returns.
Renewal
Annual certificate; submit within the city's stated renewal window and maintain category eligibility.
Application deadline
Before advertising, booking, or operating

Chattanooga property and operator decision checks

Resolve the conditions below against the exact address before opening or paying for a Chattanooga Short-Term Vacation Rental Certificate case.

  • Chattanooga: Legal posture

    Short-term vacation rentals require a city certificate in an eligible owner-occupied or absentee category. If the property cannot satisfy this condition, stop before payment or advertising.

    Required

  • Chattanooga: Approval record

    Chattanooga Short-Term Vacation Rental Certificate If the property cannot satisfy this condition, stop before payment or advertising.

    Required

  • Chattanooga: Owner or residence condition

    Owner-occupied classification uses the city's principal-residence day test; absentee rentals are limited to eligible hotel or motel zones. If the property cannot satisfy this condition, stop before payment or advertising.

    Required

Evidence file for the Chattanooga Short-Term Vacation Rental Certificate

Keep every record tied to the same Chattanooga address, owner or operator, rental class, and government case.

  • Chattanooga Short-Term Vacation Rental Certificate application or issued record for the exact Chattanooga property

    Match this evidence to the current Chattanooga application or issued approval.

    Required

  • Property and operator evidence required by the cited Chattanooga source

    Match this evidence to the current Chattanooga application or issued approval.

    Required

  • Tax and renewal records tied to the same Chattanooga address

    Match this evidence to the current Chattanooga application or issued approval.

    Required

Chattanooga filing, payment, tax, and renewal sequence

A submitted form or payment is not the same as an active Chattanooga Short-Term Vacation Rental Certificate.

  1. Resolve the Chattanooga approval class

    Short-term vacation rentals require a city certificate in an eligible owner-occupied or absentee category. Success means the exact address and rental model have one supported path; otherwise stop and use the correction or non-operation path stated by the agency.

  2. Open the official Chattanooga Short-Term Vacation Rental Certificate channel

    Use https://chattanooga.gov/pay-and-apply/permits-applications/short-term-rental. Success means the agency accepts the correct property-specific case type; if it does not, correct the address, category, or prerequisite in that case.

  3. Confirm the Chattanooga government charge

    The verified city page lists category-specific application amounts; confirm the current owner-occupied or absentee fee before filing. Retain the current fee display and payment record with the submitted case.

  4. Maintain the Chattanooga tax record

    Use the cited Chattanooga tax source to identify the lodging-tax account and filing duty that applies to this property.

  5. Keep the Chattanooga Short-Term Vacation Rental Certificate current

    Annual certificate; submit within the city's stated renewal window and maintain category eligibility.

More verified guidance

Related Application Guides

Continue with the related permit, registration, tax, and operating-rule guides for this location.

Chattanooga STR Certificate Guide (2026)

Chattanooga STR application guide: verify eligibility, prepare evidence, use the official channel, confirm issuance, and maintain tax and renewal records.

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Short-term vacation rentals require a city certificate in an eligible owner-occupied or absentee category.

Chattanooga Short-Term Vacation Rental Certificate. The verified city page lists category-specific application amounts; confirm the current owner-occupied or absentee fee before filing.

Use the cited Chattanooga tax source to identify the lodging-tax account and filing duty that applies to this property.

Annual certificate; submit within the city's stated renewal window and maintain category eligibility.