Nashville STR Permit Now Requires Four Identity Documents. Miss One and You're Stuck.

If you want to legally rent your Nashville home on Airbnb or any other platform, the city's Codes Department now requires you to prove who you are and where you live with four separate documents before your Short Term Rental Property Permit application can proceed. This is not a formality you can wing at the last minute. The application cannot be saved and returned to, and submitting it twice is explicitly prohibited, so showing up unprepared means starting over.

What Changed and When

Nashville's Codes Department launched a new online Short Term Rental permit application process that became effective March 11, 2026. The identity verification requirement is baked into Step 1 of that process, and it applies before you even touch the online application portal. Because sensitive documents cannot be sent through the online system, applicants must email them directly to the Codes Department, with the property address in the subject line, before moving forward.

The Four-Document Rule, Explained

For owner-occupied permits, Nashville requires four documents that each show the owner's name and address matching the rental property. Two must come from Group A and two from Group B. This is not a pick-any-four situation. The split is mandatory.

Group A acceptable documents include:

• Tennessee Driver's License
• Other valid State of Tennessee identification card
• Davidson County Voter Registration card
• Internal Revenue Service tax reporting form, such as a W-2 or similar IRS document
• Current Motor Vehicle Registration or Title

Group B acceptable documents include:

• Current automobile insurance
• Current life insurance
• Current homeowner's insurance policy (wallet cards are not accepted)
• Paycheck or check stub
• Bank statement
• Current employer verification of residential address, or a letter on company letterhead with original signature (self-employed applicants are excluded from this option; if the employer lacks letterhead, the signature must be notarized)

For Not Owner Occupied permits, there is an additional layer. If ownership is not in the name of a natural person, the applicant must also provide documentation linking the individual to the entity, typically an operating agreement, articles of organization, or similar records.

The Rest of the Application Is No Lighter

The identity documents are just Step 1. After that, hosts must assemble a substantial package before they can submit the online application. That package includes a notarized affidavit, proof of current property tax payment, a floor plan of every floor of the dwelling, proof of homeowner's fire, hazard, and liability insurance with limits of not less than one million dollars per occurrence, and written neighbor notification letters sent to every adjacent property owner, including properties in front, behind, to the sides, and where applicable, above and below.

Single-family and two-family dwellings also require a certification from a state-licensed architect, engineer, or home inspector confirming the home meets Metropolitan Code requirements. Multifamily structures require a Fire Marshal inspection instead. And there is a hard cap: properties with more than four bedrooms cannot be permitted as a Short Term Rental Property at all.

All documents must be in PDF format for upload. There is no save-and-return option. Once you submit, you do not submit again. If something goes wrong, you email the Codes Department directly.

Why This Matters Right Now

Nashville has been actively enforcing its short-term rental regulations, with inspections, fines, and permit revocations already on record. Thirteen permits have been revoked in at least one neighborhood alone following neighbor complaints. Operating without a valid permit is not a gray area in Nashville, and the city has shown it will act on complaints.

The Short Term Rental Property Permit must be renewed annually, so even hosts who have been through this before need to stay current. Letting a permit lapse while continuing to list is the kind of exposure that draws enforcement attention.

What Hosts Should Do Now

Pull your documents together before you open the application. Confirm you have two qualifying items from Group A and two from Group B, that every document is current, and that every document shows your name and the address of the rental property. Convert everything to PDF. Then email the identity documents to the Codes Department with the property address in the subject line, and only after that proceed to the online portal for Steps 2 and 3.

If you want someone else to manage or apply on your behalf, a notarized Owner Authorization Form is required before that person can act for you.

For the complete Nashville compliance guide including tax calculator, checklist, and daily monitoring, see Nashville, TN STR Regulations.