Last month I shared with you that owners of short-term rentals in Sevier County are required to
apply for a new permit. Sevier County Fire Marshall’s office began taking applications on
January 1. The application window will close on March 31. This is a new mandate that comes
with a $50 per-day penalty for those operating their short term rental without the permit. If
you miss the deadline to submit your application, you will also have to bring your rental unit up
to current codes at that time.
As a homeowner with property in unincorporated areas of Sevier County, if you would like to
sell your property as a short term rental or plan to operate it as a short term rental in the future
there could be wisdom in obtaining a permit now so that you can be “grandfathered” into the
building codes that existed when your home or cabin was built.
The short term rental fee is $250 for properties with an occupancy of 12 or less, and $25 per
additional occupant in properties sleeping 13 or more. For more information, you can visit
www.seviercountytn.gov. The county has also set up an email specifically to field permitting
questions. You can send an email to firecodequestion@seviercountytn.gove
The Mission Statement of the Sevier County Fire & Rescue is to protect our community from
the perils of fire, explosions and other hazardous conditions. This mission will be accomplished
through the review of fire safety plans and sprinkler plan designs, fire investigations and fire
inspections following the applicable regulations of Sevier County.
The main items that the Sevier County Fire Marshal’s Office are inspecting include:
1. Fire extinguishers on every level
2. Smoke alarms in each bedroom or sleeping area
3. Carbon monoxide detectors where there are fuel burning appliances
4. Address number visible with at least 4-inch numbers
5. Maintenance of and clear passage to exit ways
6. Deck rails, stair handrails that meet code
7. Gas grills 18 inches away from rails or structures, on a timer
8. No open burning fire pits on structures
9. Smoke alarms must be interconnected if built after 1993 (wireless is allowed)
10. Sleeping area or bedrooms must have proper egress- windows and doors
11. Sprinklers and fire alarms if sleeping over 12 (over 12 is considered commercial) if you
were built after 2016 and are over 5,000 square feet or 3 levels or more and have a
sprinkler but your certificate of occupancy is for 12- you must apply to the county for a
upgraded certificate with more occupancy (you will need to submit stamped engineer or
architect plans to be consider for more occupants)
If you need guidance on how this new change might affect your value or your future salability,
please feel free to reach out and we can share. If you are looking to sell in this next season, we
will be happy to help you with decisions regarding how to proceed.
