Vacation Rental Management
Vacation Rental Management in Memphis, TN
From Beale Street weekends to Grizzlies game nights and Memphis in May, guests book this city all year, and Fairly runs your home through every stretch of it: listings on Airbnb, Vrbo and Fairly.com, pricing for each event, a caretaker nearby for every turnover, and the lodging taxes collected and remitted.
4.8
Average review in Memphis, TN
Fairly is an Airbnb Superhost, and our homes average 4.84 stars across 21,000+ guest reviews. 96% of our reviews are four stars or better. Better reviews attract better guests, at higher prices, maximizing your revenue.
Memphis market overview
Memphis draws travellers for its music and its history more than for any single season. Graceland, Beale Street, Sun Studio and the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel anchor a steady flow of leisure visits, while FedExForum, the Liberty Bowl and the city's hospitals and universities add game-night, graduation and family-visit demand through the year. Memphis Tourism keeps the citywide calendar.
Among top-performing homes, occupancy runs near three nights in five across the year. Spring builds from March, and May brings the highest nightly rates as Memphis in May fills the riverfront with its music festival and barbecue contest. Summer holds close to 60% of nights booked, August adds Elvis Week at Graceland, and September is the busiest month of all, at about two nights in three. January is the quiet month, at around two nights in five, with December and February only a little stronger.
What homes earn in Memphis, TN
The chart above shows what premium vacation rentals inside the Memphis city limits earn. It covers only homes listed on Airbnb and Vrbo with an average review score of 4.8 or higher, and only those available or rented at least 300 days a year. A home's results depend on its size, its neighbourhood and how close it sits to downtown, Midtown or Graceland. You can customize a projection for a specific home.
| Month | Total rent | Occupancy | Avg. daily rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | $1,489 | 40% | $134 |
| Feb | $1,651 | 47% | $142 |
| Mar | $2,611 | 58% | $164 |
| Apr | $2,495 | 57% | $166 |
| May | $3,056 | 65% | $188 |
| Jun | $2,372 | 59% | $169 |
| Jul | $2,604 | 64% | $166 |
| Aug | $2,519 | 61% | $151 |
| Sep | $2,674 | 68% | $154 |
| Oct | $2,505 | 55% | $164 |
| Nov | $2,331 | 56% | $170 |
| Dec | $1,950 | 47% | $158 |
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This is based on properties listed on Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com with an average review score of 4.8 out of 5 or higher, limited to homes available or rented at least 300 days a year. Earnings vary based on the unique amenities and qualities of each home.
A guaranteed $5,000 increase in earnings
We guarantee that homeowners coming from self management or other managers will make an extra $5,000 in their first year with Fairly.
Vacation Rental Taxes and Regulations in Memphis, TN
Can you rent your home here?
Yes. The City of Memphis licenses short-term rentals, meaning stays of 1 to 29 nights, in homes of up to three sleeping rooms. The licence comes from the Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development through its short-term rental registry. A home already used as a short-term rental before the city's licence rules took effect keeps an exemption under Tennessee law until it is sold or transferred, goes 30 continuous months without short-term use, or is found in violation three times. A new owner needs the licence. Homes with a Memphis mailing address outside the city limits, in unincorporated Shelby County, follow the county's own short-term rental permit instead. The Shelby County Clerk's Office issues it after a final inspection by Memphis and Shelby County Code Enforcement.
Lodging and occupancy taxes
Inside the city, three layers apply. Tennessee sales tax, the 7% state rate plus the local rate, goes to the Department of Revenue. The City of Memphis levies a 3.5% short-term rental privilege tax and a $2 assessment per occupied room night, which funds destination marketing. Shelby County adds its 5% room occupancy tax, administered by the County Clerk. Outside the city limits, the state sales tax and the county's 5% apply, and the city's tax and assessment do not.
Getting and keeping the city licence
The application states the home's maximum nightly occupancy with a scaled site plan, and includes proof of ownership, fire, hazard and liability insurance of at least $1 million per occurrence, a compliance form for building, health and life-safety codes, and a named responsible party within 50 miles. The city may inspect before issuing the licence and before each renewal. Every listing must display the licence number. A licence lasts 365 days, and the renewal must be filed at least 30 days before it expires. A rental found operating without a licence pays double fees when it applies, and the city sends warning letters to unregistered rentals it identifies.
How Fairly handles it
We register your home for Tennessee sales tax, the Memphis short-term rental tax and the Shelby County occupancy tax, and collect and remit all of them on every booking. We assist with the licence application and each annual renewal, and your Fairly caretaker lives nearby and can serve as the home's responsible party.
Operating a vacation rental in Memphis, TN
Memphis summers are long, hot and humid, so air conditioning, dehumidification and pest control carry more weight here than in most markets, and a failed unit in July needs a same-day fix. Winters are mild but bring the occasional ice storm, when pipes, power and steps need checking between stays.
Demand clusters on weekends and around big events, so turnovers bunch on Fridays and Sundays and on festival and game weekends. The city's licence rules shape daily operation too: no stay shorter than 24 hours, a principal renter at least 18 years old, the owner's or designee's phone number posted inside and answered around the clock, and a responsible party within 50 miles who can come to the property when a neighbour complains. Your Fairly caretaker lives nearby and can be that responsible party, and they handle every turnover and walkthrough personally.
Frequently asked questions
Fairly charges a flat 20% commission on the rental revenue your Memphis home earns, with no long-term contract and no hidden fees, and is paid only when the home books. That covers listings on Airbnb, Vrbo and Fairly.com, pricing, guest messaging, and collecting and remitting Tennessee sales tax, the Memphis short-term rental tax and the Shelby County occupancy tax.
Yes. Inside the city limits you need a short-term rental licence from the Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development, renewed every 365 days, for a home of up to three sleeping rooms. The licence number must appear on every listing. Homes in unincorporated Shelby County take a county permit from the Shelby County Clerk instead. Fairly assists with the application and renewal.
Yes. Both the city licence and the county permit require a responsible party living or based within 50 miles who can come to the property to deal with complaints, and inside the city the owner's or designee's number must be posted in the home and answered around the clock. Your Fairly caretaker lives nearby and can act as that responsible party.
May brings the highest nightly rates, with Memphis in May filling the riverfront, and September is the busiest month, with top-performing homes booked about two nights in three. Summer holds close to 60% occupancy. January is the quietest month, at around two nights in five, so winter pricing matters most to the annual total.
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Fairly Vacation Rental Management
Serving Memphis, TN and neighboring areas
Available 24/7