Residents tell council short-term rentals are disrupting neighborhoods; council says state law limits local regulation
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Summary
Multiple residents told the council that short-term rentals on their blocks are causing parties, trash and safety concerns; council members said existing local ordinances are limited by state law and encouraged residents to document violations while pursuing legislative changes in Nashville.
Several Memphis residents urged the City Council to tighten regulation of short-term rentals, saying properties managed remotely were generating late-night parties, trash and threats to neighborhood safety.
Catherine Creighton Smith said a four-bedroom short-term rental next to her home has hosted “wild parties” for months and left trash and vomit in neighborhood yards. "I no longer feel safe, secure. My anxiety is out the roof," she told the council. Gretchen Larson and other neighbors described repeated noise and safety complaints and said local enforcement and permitting are difficult to obtain.
Larson said the Department of Public Works told her the city considered a four-bedroom property exempt from the short-term rental permitting requirement because the city's current rule defines a short-term rental as three bedrooms or smaller. She also said the property is managed by a company based out of Florida and the owner lives in New Jersey, and that the property’s lack of a local representative made enforcement ineffective.
Council members responded that short-term rental enforcement is constrained by state law and that additional relief may require action by the Tennessee General Assembly. Councilman Warren said the council has pursued ordinances but that "the regulations and the laws in Nashville are limiting what we can regulate here." He urged residents to document incidents so police can act when city ordinances are violated and said council members are discussing legislative remedies with state lawmakers.
Residents requested clearer local rules, faster access to short-term rental permitting records and stronger enforcement authority. The council did not take formal action on the topic; members said they would pursue state-level changes while continuing to use existing nuisance and enforcement tools where possible.
Next steps: Council members said they will continue conversations with state legislators about statutory limitations and encouraged residents to report violations and provide documentation to council offices and police.
