Chattanooga, TN Rental Market for Investors
An estimated 72% of Chattanooga's active listings could cash-flow as a short-term rental — here's what the numbers say for investors, as of August 2026.
Homes in Chattanooga that pencil right now
A sample of active Chattanooga listings whose DSCR clears 1.25 using short-term rental income projections we accept as a direct lender. These are spread across the price range, not ranked, and current as of August 2026.
$164,000DSCR 2.593 bed · 1.5 bath · 1,145 sqft
- STR revenue
- $38,008/yr
- Est. interest-only payment
- $977/mo
On the market 41 days · Listed by The Real Estate Mavericks
Scout this home & market: 3-bed house in Chattanooga
$210,000DSCR 2.132 bed · 1 bath · 872 sqft
- STR revenue
- $38,618/yr
- Est. interest-only payment
- $1,207/mo
On the market 78 days · Listed by Rogue Real Estate Company llc
Scout this home & market: 2-bed house in Chattanooga
$229,000DSCR 2.173 bed · 1 bath · 989 sqft
- STR revenue
- $43,695/yr
- Est. interest-only payment
- $1,341/mo
On the market 16 days · Listed by Uptown Firm, LLC
Scout this home & market: 3-bed house in Chattanooga
$240,000DSCR 2.203 bed · 1 bath · 1,232 sqft
- STR revenue
- $46,819/yr
- Est. interest-only payment
- $1,419/mo
On the market 213 days · Listed by Berkshire Hathaway J Douglas
Scout this home & market: 3-bed house in Chattanooga
$255,000DSCR 2.463 bed · 2 bath · 1,120 sqft
- STR revenue
- $51,399/yr
- Est. interest-only payment
- $1,393/mo
On the market 64 days · Listed by Real Broker
Scout this home & market: 3-bed house in Chattanooga
$315,000DSCR 1.623 bed · 2 bath · 1,236 sqft
- STR revenue
- $46,645/yr
- Est. interest-only payment
- $1,921/mo
On the market 30 days · Listed by Real Broker
Scout this home & market: 3-bed house in Chattanooga
$339,000DSCR 1.614 bed · 2 bath · 2,229 sqft
- STR revenue
- $47,906/yr
- Est. interest-only payment
- $1,981/mo
On the market 87 days · Listed by 1 Percent Lists Scenic City
Scout this home & market: 4-bed house in Chattanooga
$409,000DSCR 1.294 bed · 2.5 bath · 2,940 sqft
- STR revenue
- $47,338/yr
- Est. interest-only payment
- $2,440/mo
On the market 86 days · Listed by The Group Real Estate Brokerage
Scout this home & market: 4-bed house in Chattanooga
$450,000DSCR 1.284 bed · 2.5 bath · 2,554 sqft
- STR revenue
- $47,148/yr
- Est. interest-only payment
- $2,460/mo
On the market 65 days · Listed by Coldwell Banker Commercial Kinard Realty
Scout this home & market: 4-bed house in Chattanooga
As of August 2026, we analyzed 1,227 active for-sale homes in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The typical listing is priced at $379,900 and is projected to generate about $44,231 a year as a short-term rental.
After setting aside an estimated 20% for operating costs, an estimated 72.3% of those homes could still cover an investor mortgage payment on short-term-rental income — well above the 52.5% median across the 200 major metros we track, ranking Chattanooga #22 of 200 for cash-flow potential.
On market momentum: homes in Chattanooga sit a median of 61 days on the market, and 29% of active listings came on in just the last 30 days — a steadily paced market, which shapes how much room there is to negotiate.
For a DSCR loan — which qualifies on the property's rental income rather than your personal income — that's a relatively healthy setup: in Chattanooga, a meaningful share of listings throw off enough short-term-rental income, after costs, to cover an estimated investor mortgage payment.
What actually works in Chattanooga
Chattanooga is a broad cash-flow market right now: 448 of the 966 Chattanooga homes, condos and townhomes we can price confidently clear a DSCR of 1.25. Nine in ten of them are priced under $437,000.
| Price | 1 bed | 2 bed | 3 bed | 4 bed | 5 bed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $150k–$250k | 35%1.17 | 90%1.58 | 98%2.21 | 89%2.86 | — |
| $250k–$350k | 6%1.01 | 23%1.09 | 81%1.55 | 91%1.68 | — |
| $350k–$500k | 0%0.72 | 2%0.86 | 39%1.20 | 67%1.34 | 88%1.54 |
| $500k+ | — | 0%0.57 | 5%0.87 | 11%0.86 | 16%0.86 |
Darker means a larger share of that group cash-flows. “—” means fewer than 8 active listings — too few to draw a conclusion from.
Chattanooga in full
| Active for-sale homes analyzed | 1,227 |
|---|---|
| Median list price | $379,900 |
| Median projected STR revenue (annual, gross) | $44,231 |
| Median average daily rate (ADR) | $189 |
| Median occupancy | 64% |
| Median beds | 3 |
| Median size | 1,773 sqft |
| Estimated cash-flow-positive share | 72.3% |
| Median days on market | 61 days |
| New listings (last 30 days) | 29.3% of active |
As a user of this system, you agree to all Scout Terms & Conditions and Home & Mortgage Conditions.
Would a Chattanooga rental qualify for a DSCR loan?
Pre-filled with Chattanooga's median price and projected short-term-rental income — change any field to match a specific property.
Advanced
On a 5-minute call with you, we can use Scout to run real numbers on real properties.
Estimates for educational purposes. Final terms subject to credit, property & program approval.
5 senior bankers · 47 statesPressure-test the market before you trust the median.
We’ll help you compare the market-level signal with the exact property, local costs, rental rules, and financing structure.
Thinking about an investment property in Chattanooga?
Send the address or your target buy box. We’ll run the property with today’s assumptions.
Prefer to talk now? Call or text Chad: 858-353-8331.