Short Term Rental
Management

Surge offers local full service vacation rental management for busy vacation rental owners and Airbnb hosts in Murfreesboro, Tennessee

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Murfreesboro, Tennessee Short Term Rental Overview

Airbnb Market
Murfreesboro presents an exceptionally compelling short-term rental investment opportunity driven by its strategic position as Tennessee's fastest-growing city and home to Middle Tennessee State University's 22,000+ student population, creating consistent demand from visiting families, prospective students, and university-related events year-round. Property owners can capitalize on average daily rates ranging from $85-$150 depending on property size and location, with occupancy rates typically exceeding 70% due to the city's proximity to Nashville (35 miles) attracting overflow visitors seeking more affordable accommodations while maintaining easy access to Music City attractions. The market benefits from limited hotel inventory relative to demand, particularly during MTSU events, graduation weekends, and Nashville's peak tourism seasons, allowing well-positioned properties to command premium rates of $200+ per night during high-demand periods. Additionally, Murfreesboro's robust corporate presence, including Amazon's fulfillment center and numerous healthcare facilities, generates substantial business travel demand, while the city's historic downtown revitalization and growing entertainment district continue to attract leisure travelers, positioning short-term rental properties for sustained revenue growth with annual returns frequently exceeding 15-20% for optimally managed properties.
Short Term Rental Regulations
Navigating short-term rental regulations in Murfreesboro, Tennessee requires careful attention to the city's specific permitting requirements, zoning restrictions, and occupancy tax obligations, which can vary significantly by neighborhood and property type, and these regulations are subject to frequent updates that could leave property owners inadvertently out of compliance and facing substantial fines, legal penalties, or forced closure of their rental operations. The complexity of maintaining proper business licenses, collecting and remitting the appropriate local and state taxes, ensuring compliance with safety codes, and staying current with evolving ordinances creates a significant administrative burden that can quickly overwhelm individual property owners who lack specialized knowledge of municipal regulations. However, partnering with a professional short-term rental management service eliminates these compliance risks entirely, as experienced managers handle all aspects of licensing, permitting, tax collection and remittance, regulatory monitoring, and legal compliance, ensuring your property operates within all applicable laws while you enjoy the income benefits without the stress of navigating the complex regulatory landscape.
Occupancy Rates
Murfreesboro, Tennessee experiences distinct seasonal patterns in Airbnb occupancy rates, with peak tourist seasons occurring during spring (March-May) and fall (September-November) when visitors flock to the area for Middle Tennessee State University events, pleasant weather, and proximity to Nashville attractions, typically achieving occupancy rates of 70-85%. Summer months maintain moderate demand due to family vacations and music tourism spillover from Nashville, while winter represents the slowest shoulder season with occupancy rates often dropping to 45-60% as fewer travelers visit the region during colder months and university breaks. Professional revenue management becomes essential during these fluctuations, requiring dynamic pricing strategies that increase rates during high-demand periods like MTSU graduation weekends, football games, and Nashville festival seasons, while strategically lowering prices during slower winter months to attract budget-conscious travelers and maintain cash flow. Successful Airbnb operators in Murfreesboro must implement sophisticated pricing algorithms that account for local events, university calendars, Nashville tourism patterns, and seasonal weather changes, adjusting rates weekly or even daily to optimize occupancy while maximizing revenue per available night throughout the year's inevitable peaks and valleys.
Vacation Rental Management
Self-managing a vacation rental in Murfreesboro presents formidable operational challenges that can quickly overwhelm property owners and damage their investment returns. The rapid guest turnover common in this Nashville-adjacent market demands precise coordination of cleaning crews, maintenance teams, and supply restocking within tight 2-4 hour windows between bookings, often complicated by Murfreesboro's unpredictable weather and limited availability of reliable service providers during peak Middle Tennessee tourism seasons. Managing 24/7 guest communication becomes particularly demanding when dealing with visitors unfamiliar with the area who require constant assistance with local attractions, dining recommendations, and navigation around Murfreesboro's sprawling layout, while simultaneously handling booking inquiries, maintenance emergencies, and complaint resolution across multiple time zones. Property maintenance challenges are amplified by Tennessee's humid climate that accelerates wear on HVAC systems, the region's hard water that damages appliances and plumbing fixtures, and the difficulty of finding qualified contractors willing to respond to urgent issues during weekends and holidays when most guest problems occur. Without professional property management handling these complex, interconnected operational demands, owners inevitably face declining guest satisfaction scores, negative reviews that devastate bookings in Murfreesboro's saturated short-term rental market, and the transformation of their passive income investment into a demanding second job that generates stress rather than profit.
Attractions and Amenities
Murfreesboro's tourism centers around four major attractions: the Stones River National Battlefield where Civil War enthusiasts explore historic battlegrounds, Middle Tennessee State University which draws thousands of visitors for sporting events and campus activities, the vibrant Historic Downtown Square featuring local shops and restaurants, and Cannonsburgh Village showcasing regional heritage through historic buildings and cultural events. To maximize revenue from guests visiting these specific destinations, properties must offer targeted amenities including secure parking for families carrying picnic supplies and historical materials to the battlefield, high-speed Wi-Fi and workspace areas for university visitors conducting business or research, early breakfast options and local dining recommendations for downtown explorers who want to maximize their shopping and dining time, and flexible check-in/check-out times to accommodate the varied schedules of cultural event attendees at Cannonsburgh Village. Additionally, properties should provide local maps highlighting walking routes between attractions, comfortable seating areas for guests planning their historical tours, and partnerships with local tour operators to offer package deals that combine battlefield visits with downtown experiences.

Why choose Surge?

Surge is local Airbnb management that’s reliable, affordable and the best for your property.
Cost
Guest communications
Host Communications
Insurance
Contract
Cost
Starting at 15% fee
Guest communications
Guest response within 10 minutes, 24 hours a day
Host Communications
Designated host call in phone line
Insurance
Full damage protection for every reservation
Contract
No annual agreements
Other Property Mangers
Cost
25-40% fee
Guest communications
Sporadic guest communications
Host Communications
Bot response assistants
Insurance
Unreliable insurance coverage
Contract
Contract lock-ins

Understand Your STR Income

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Surge is geared towards maximizing potential

Be at ease with the knowledge that your vacation rental is being optimized to its fullest potential.
30%
In gross revenue
150 M
Potential guests
4.9
Superhost status
7+
Booking platforms
1
Property manager
The house was great. It accommodated our large group nicely. The owner was responsive and checked in on us throughout the trip. The gate around the home added privacy and security. The beds were comfortable as well. Extra linen, towels and washcloths. We are looking to book this home in the future!
Airbnb Guest Hosted by Surge
Head of Design, Layers
We really appreciated Surge. He was responsive, attentive, and went above to make sure our stay was seamless. You can tell he takes pride in providing a clean/organized place. Everyone loved the pool table and shuffleboard. This place is also very close to great restaurants. The place we went to had the best catfish. Would definitely rent from Surge again!!
Airbnb Guest Hosted by Surge
Head of Design, Layers
Our group really enjoyed our long weekend stay here! The property was very clean and spacious but also provided some privacy to accommodate our large family. Surge was responsive when we reached out to them and also accommodated an early check-in. We felt secure given that the property was gated and had smart locks on both entry doors. We strongly recommend this property and would love to stay here again!
Airbnb Guest Hosted by Surge
Head of Design, Layers
My family and I were here for my daughter’s graduation from UofH. Surge was very upfront, kept us informed and accommodating. The place was clean and fit my entire family comfortably. We have already made plans to come back. Great location, private and safe environment. Would highly recommend! Thank you Surge for making this stay memorable and stress free for our family!
Airbnb Guest Hosted by Surge
Head of Design, Layers
Great stay that accommodated all our needs for a successful for trip to Houston, i hope to Book in the coming future.
Airbnb Guest Hosted by Surge
Head of Design, Layers
The host was great, he responded quickly when needed and checked in on us from time to time throughout the whole day. He was awesome and the place was great for my family of 16. Definitely will book with him in the future.
Airbnb Guest Hosted by Surge
Head of Design, Layers

Frequently asked questions

Everything you need to know about the product and billing.
Does Surge Property Management allow pets in its short term rentals?
Surge Property Management leaves that decision to the property owner. While allowing pets can be a big perk for some guests, Surge does not have any requirements for the property owner to allow it. Service animals are a different case. Surge is prohibited to refuse a reservation, charge pet fees, hold guests to different rules, apply differential treatment or use discriminatory language if a guest is accompanied by a service animal. A guests service animal must not be out of control, un-housebroken, left alone at the listing without prior approval, allowed into areas that are considered unauthorized by the guest and allowed in a public space without being harnessed, leashed, or tethered and not under the guests control.
Do I get access to an owner portal?
Surge Property Management has a tech leading owner portal to keep its property owners in the loop, instead of on the outside looking in. In the owner portal you can reserve days for personal use, see pending reservations, nightly pricing rates, owner statements, expense receipts, guest messaging and more!
Do you screen the guests that are staying in my property?
Our intelligent Guest Screening technology allows us to screen vacation rental guests before they enter your property, making it easier to keep bad guests out. We proactively assess the risk posed by each guest, through legal, non-discriminatory checks. Guests will be asked to submit some personal details including their name, date of birth, physical home address and contact details. We then verify by having the guest take a live selfie and submit a photo of their ID(either a drivers license or passport). This information will then be processed to determine the true identity of your guest, including whether the ID is fraudulent and if the provided details match those on the ID. This process will generate a risk report for us to review before the guest arrives.
Do you provide insurance for guest damages?
We partner with the premier provider of short term rental protection also offering guest screening and comprehensive insurance coverage. Our partner brings confidence and peace of mind to both Surge Property Management and its clients(homeowners). Our third party partner has protected over 60 billion in homeowner liability coverage and 1 million guest nights. Ask your Surge sales representative for more details.
What happens if there is guest damage to my property?
Each guest is required to make a $500 security deposit. Any damage above $500 we are able to document, submit, and follow a claim through on your behalf with our short term rental insurance partner covering up to $5,000,000.
How does Surge compare to a national provider like Vacasa?
While both Surge and Vacasa both have a full service model designed to be hands off from the property owner, Surge stands out above the rest by being more intentional and selective with the properties we decide to accept into our management portfolio. This allows us to give the required attention to the properties we manage instead of just "setting it and forgetting it" like the other property managers do. Once you go onboard with them you just become another number.
Does Surge handle the maintenance of the vacation rental?
Yes, Surge is able to handle any property maintenance(including hot tub & pool) for your property. We have a large network of service providers, additionally, if you have a preferred vendor we can assign and coordinate maintenance with them as well.
What services does Surge Property Management offer?

Surge is a full-service property manager and provides the following service to property owners:

  • Listing creating and management across multiple channels
  • Calendar management
  • Cleaning
  • Laundry
  • Restocking
  • Maintenance
  • Dynamic Pricing
  • Lock automation
  • Guest Portal
  • Owners Portal
  • Listing optimization
  • Photography
  • 24/7 guest communication
  • Check-in/out support
  • and more!
Is Surge Property Management a Superhost on Airbnb?
Yes, Surge Property Management is a Superhost on AirBNB. Airbnb defines a Superhost as a Host who goes above and beyond to provide excellent hospitality. Guests can easily identify a Superhost from the badge that appears on their Airbnb listing and profile. Superhosts have more visibility and earning potential.
How and when do I get paid?
Surge Property Management initiates ACH payment to its property owners once a month by the 10th day of the next month. Along with the ACH deposit sent to you, you also receive a highly detailed statement for review.
Are there any hidden fees?
Surge Property Management has the most transparent pricing in the industry. Our property owners are our Partners in business which is why we hold transparency at a very high standard. With your monthly statements you will be able to trace every dollar from when the guest paid for their reservation to when it was deposited into your bank account. Contact your Surge sales rep for a personal walk through of our statement structure.
Can I still use my property?
Yes of course. The biggest perk of a vacation rental is still retaining personal use of the property for your personal use. Inside of our Owner’s Portal you can reserve days for personal use.
How do you market my property?

We list your property on the major platforms like Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com, Google Vacation rentals and more! We also allow direct bookings very popular among returning guests. Our integration technology is second to none and was awarded the following:

  • Airbnb Preferred + Software Partner
  • VRBO Elite Partner
  • Booking.com Premier Connectivity Partner
How do you handle complaints or disputes?
We aim to resolve issues quickly and fairly, protecting both the guests and the property owner’s interests. We mediate disputes and ensure a smooth resolution process.
How do I get started with your service?
Contact us to schedule a consultation. We'll discuss your property, our services, and how we can help you achieve your rental goals.
How do you handle waste management?
We coordinate with local services to ensure proper waste disposal and recycling, maintaining cleanliness and environmental responsibility.
What safety measures do you implement?
We ensure the property has functional smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguishers, and complies with all local safety regulations.
What does Surge’s full service property management mean?
Surge's comprehensive property management service allows property owners to be completely hands-off with the daily operations of their Airbnb properties. Surge takes care of all the daily tasks, including listings, guest interactions, cleanings, restocking, and maintenance, ensuring a stress-free experience for the property owner.

Still have questions?

Can’t find the answer you’re looking for? Please chat to our friendly team.
Get in touch
(713) 853-9573