Short Term Rental
Management

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

Schedule a Call

Oakland, Tennessee Short Term Rental Overview

Airbnb Market
Oakland, Tennessee presents an exceptional short-term rental investment opportunity driven by its strategic proximity to Memphis International Airport, Graceland, and the Memphis metropolitan area, positioning properties to capture both business and leisure travelers seeking alternatives to urban accommodations. The market demonstrates strong fundamentals with average daily rates ranging from $120-180 for well-appointed properties, while occupancy rates consistently exceed 70% during peak seasons due to limited hotel inventory in the immediate area and growing demand from visitors attending events at nearby FedExForum and AutoZone Park. Property owners benefit from Oakland's lower acquisition costs compared to Memphis proper—typically 30-40% less per square foot—while commanding premium nightly rates due to the area's appeal as a quieter, family-friendly base with easy highway access to major attractions. The investment thesis is further strengthened by Tennessee's favorable tax environment with no state income tax, minimal short-term rental regulations, and the area's rapid residential development attracting corporate relocations and extended-stay business travelers who prefer home-like accommodations over traditional hotels, creating a diversified revenue stream that reduces seasonal volatility and maximizes annual yield potential.
Short Term Rental Regulations
Short-term rental regulations in Oakland, Tennessee involve a complex web of local zoning ordinances, business licensing requirements, and tax obligations that can change without warning, leaving property owners vulnerable to costly fines, legal penalties, and potential shutdown of their rental operations if they fail to maintain proper compliance. The intricate permitting process requires navigating multiple city departments, understanding specific occupancy limits, parking requirements, and neighbor notification procedures, while also staying current with evolving safety standards and registration deadlines that many owners inadvertently miss. However, professional short-term rental management services eliminate these compliance risks entirely by handling all licensing applications, permit renewals, tax collection and remittance, and ongoing regulatory monitoring, ensuring your property remains fully compliant with all local laws while you enjoy the income without the legal headaches or fear of violations.
Occupancy Rates
Oakland, 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 outdoor activities, local festivals, and favorable weather conditions, typically achieving occupancy rates of 75-85%. Summer months (June-August) maintain moderate demand due to family vacations and lake activities, while winter (December-February) represents the slowest shoulder season with occupancy rates often dropping to 45-60% as outdoor tourism declines and fewer events take place. Professional revenue management becomes crucial during these fluctuations, requiring hosts to implement dynamic pricing strategies that increase rates during peak demand periods while offering competitive pricing during slower months to attract budget-conscious travelers and maintain cash flow. Successful Oakland Airbnb operators must continuously monitor local events, weather patterns, and competitor pricing to adjust their rates in real-time, often increasing prices by 20-40% during peak seasons and reducing them by 15-25% during shoulder periods, while also offering extended-stay discounts and targeted marketing to business travelers during traditionally slow periods to achieve optimal year-round occupancy rates.
Vacation Rental Management
Self-managing a vacation rental in Oakland, Tennessee presents formidable operational challenges that can quickly overwhelm property owners and damage their investment returns. Guest turnover in this competitive market demands precise coordination of cleaning crews, maintenance teams, and supply restocking within tight 2-4 hour windows between bookings, often complicated by Oakland's rural location and limited service provider availability. The 24/7 communication requirement means fielding guest inquiries, emergency calls, and booking management at all hours, including weekends when guests typically arrive and discover issues like Wi-Fi problems, HVAC malfunctions, or missing amenities that require immediate resolution to prevent negative reviews. Maintenance challenges are particularly acute in Oakland's humid climate and seasonal weather patterns, where properties require constant attention for issues like mold prevention, pest control, HVAC servicing, and outdoor area upkeep, while finding reliable local contractors who can respond quickly to urgent repairs often proves difficult and expensive. Without professional property management handling these complex logistics, owners frequently find themselves trapped in reactive cycles of guest complaints, last-minute cancellations, and declining review scores that ultimately destroy their passive income potential and 5-star reputation in a market where guests have numerous alternative options.
Attractions and Amenities
Oakland, Tennessee's primary tourist draws center around the scenic Hatchie River for fishing and boating activities, the historic Oakland Depot and Museum which attracts history enthusiasts, Shelby Farms Park located nearby for outdoor recreation and events, and its proximity to Memphis attractions just 30 minutes away, making it an ideal base for exploring the region. To maximize revenue from guests visiting these specific attractions, properties must offer boat and fishing gear storage along with cleaning stations for Hatchie River visitors, secure parking for boats and trailers, outdoor equipment storage and drying areas for Shelby Farms adventurers, high-speed Wi-Fi and comfortable common areas for guests researching historical sites and planning Memphis excursions, early check-in and late check-out flexibility to accommodate varying activity schedules, and outdoor spaces like fire pits or grills where guests can prepare their catch of the day or relax after long days of sightseeing, as these targeted amenities directly support the activities that bring visitors to Oakland while encouraging longer stays and positive reviews.

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

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

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