Bedford County, Tennessee
Unincorporated Bedford, TN vacation rental requirements
Outside the cities, Bedford County allows short-term rentals only by special exception from the Board of Zoning Appeals in the A-1, R-1, R-2, R-3, and C-1 districts, and never inside a city growth boundary or a platted subdivision. Taxes are 9.75% sales tax plus 7% occupancy tax.
Checked against official sources November 5, 2026Download checklist (PDF)Free. A printable version of this guide to tick off, with the official sources.
The 2023 zoning resolution doesn’t list a fee for the special exception. Ask the county planning office.
Your licensing checklist
In order: the state, the county, then the town.
State of Tennessee
Register for sales tax
Register through the Tennessee Taxpayer Access Point (TNTAP). One registration covers all your rentals in the same city or county. If you take direct bookings, collect 7% plus the local rate and file by the 20th of each month. Once registered, file every month, even a $0 return.Source
Get a business tax license
Rentals under 180 days owe business tax. With $3,000 to $100,000 a year in gross receipts in a city or county you need a minimal activity license; at $100,000 or more, a standard license. Booking platforms don’t handle this for you.Source
Know what the platform collects
Airbnb, VRBO, and other marketplaces collect and remit sales tax and local occupancy tax on their bookings. Keep records showing they did. For direct bookings, you pay sales tax to the state and occupancy tax to the city or county.Source
Then your county and city
Permits, zoning, and occupancy tax rates are where Tennessee towns differ most. Pick your area.
Bedford County, Tennessee
Pick your area
Inside Shelbyville, use the city page. Outside the cities, read the unincorporated page before you buy or list.
Bedford County (unincorporated areas)
Check your location
Confirm the parcel is outside every city’s urban growth boundary and isn’t in a platted subdivision, PUD, or cluster development. If it is, the zoning resolution doesn’t allow a short-term rental there.Source
Apply for a special exception
The Board of Zoning Appeals hears each request. Ask what conditions may come with approval.Source
Meet the standards for a zoning compliance certificate
The rental must be run by the owner or a licensed management company, and guests must sleep in the main house in rooms not built or remodeled for renting. You need Health Department approval that the septic system can handle the bedrooms, and an approved evacuation plan posted on each floor.Source
Register for sales and occupancy tax
Tax on stays here is 9.75% sales tax + 7% occupancy tax. Airbnb and VRBO collect both on their bookings. For direct bookings, file sales tax with the state through TNTAP by the 20th of each month. Ask Bedford County where to file the 7% county tax on direct bookings.Source
Inspection checklist
What the inspector looks for, from Bedford County (unincorporated areas)’s published checklist.
House rules for guests
Sources
- Taxation of short-term vacation rentals · Tennessee Department of Revenue
- SUT-48: Short-term rentals, reporting requirements · Tennessee Department of Revenue
- Zoning Resolution of Bedford County (ver. 11.32, last amended September 12, 2023) · Bedford County
- Local occupancy tax rates report (updated November 4, 2026) · Tennessee Department of Revenue
A plain-language summary to help you prepare, not legal advice. Rules and fees change; confirm with the office before you apply. Spot something out of date? Email hello@licensedrental.com.