Hamilton County · Chattanooga
Sell Your Commercial Property In Chattanooga, TN
From North Shore to Hixson, we buy Chattanooga multifamily and commercial apartment properties of 5+ units in every condition. Owners and agents get a straight answer on fit, usually within two business days.
- Clear feedback on your deal, typically within 48 hours
- 5 to 100+ units, stabilized or distressed, listed or off-market
- Owners, agents, and brokers welcome — every conversation is confidential
We buy:Tired landlordsEstate & trust sales1031 exchangesDeferred maintenanceHigh vacancyPartnership splits
Where We Look: North Shore · East Ridge · Hixson · Red Bank — Hamilton County, TN
Local Demand
Our View On Chattanooga
Chattanooga is close to an even split between owners and renters. Renters occupy 47.6% of its 79,084 occupied homes in the Census Bureau's ACS 2020-2024, against 33.1% statewide. Median gross rent is $1,256 a month, and rental vacancy is 4.7%.
If you plan to sell commercial property in Chattanooga, TN, buyers start with two tax facts. Tennessee assesses buildings with two or more rental units at 40% of appraised value. Hamilton County and City of Chattanooga 2026 rates total $3.4457 per $100 of assessed value.
Three drivers stand out. Volkswagen employs about 4,500 people at its Chattanooga plant, and Hamilton County had 10,773 insurance carrier jobs in 2023. Owners who sell multifamily property in Chattanooga can also cite newcomers: 14,825 Hamilton County residents had moved from another state within a year.
This profile covers who rents in Chattanooga, HUD FY2027 rents, apartment stock and Hamilton County taxes. It ends with Tennessee landlord rules and what they mean for a sale.
Volkswagen Chattanooga plant
Volkswagen employs about 4,500 people at its Chattanooga plant, which builds the ID.4. Hamilton County had 8,062 transportation equipment manufacturing jobs in 2023, per County Business Patterns.Insurance and health care jobs
Hamilton County had 10,773 insurance carrier jobs in 2023, 15.8% of Tennessee's total, per Census County Business Patterns. Health care and social assistance employed another 33,096 people.In-migration from other states
In ACS 2020-2024, 14,825 Hamilton County residents had lived in another state one year earlier. Another 6,990 had moved from a different Tennessee county, per table B07001.Our Buy Box
What We Buy In Chattanooga
Asset Type
Multifamily, 5+ Units
Apartment buildings and income-producing residential.
Size
5 – 100+ Units
Sweet spot: 15–25 units.
Condition
Stabilized To Distressed
Value-add, mismanaged, and high-vacancy properties welcome.
Deal Types
Listed Or Off-Market
Direct-to-owner, pocket listings, portfolios.
Local Market Data
Chattanooga Apartment Market
Figures gathered October 2026 from public market data.
Who rents in Chattanooga
Renters occupy 47.6% of occupied homes in Chattanooga, per ACS 2020-2024 table B25003. Hamilton County's renter share is 36.1%, and Tennessee's is 33.1%.
Chattanooga's 37,647 renter households make up 67.6% of Hamilton County's 55,650. Chattanooga counts 185,783 residents in table B01003.
Median household income in Chattanooga is $64,523 in ACS 2020-2024, per table B19013. Hamilton County's median is $76,183, and Tennessee's is $69,595. Chattanooga households earn 7.3% less than the state median.
Volkswagen employs about 4,500 people at its Chattanooga assembly plant, per Volkswagen Chattanooga. The automaker reports $4.3 billion spent in Chattanooga since its 2009 groundbreaking. Hamilton County counted 8,062 transportation equipment manufacturing jobs in 24 establishments in 2023, per County Business Patterns.
Hamilton County had 10,773 insurance carrier jobs in 2023, or 15.8% of Tennessee's 68,095, per the same Census series. Health care and social assistance employed 33,096 people in Hamilton County that year.
Hamilton County gained 14,825 residents from other states in the year before they were surveyed, per ACS 2020-2024 table B07001. Another 6,990 came from other Tennessee counties.
Rents and affordability in Chattanooga
Median gross rent in Chattanooga is $1,256 a month in ACS 2020-2024, per table B25064. Hamilton County's median is $1,253, and Tennessee's is $1,189.
A median Chattanooga rent equals $15,072 a year, or 23.4% of the $64,523 median household income. In Chattanooga, 43.8% of renter households pay 30% or more of income on rent, per table B25070. That group includes 22.9% who pay 50% or more.
HUD places Hamilton County in the Chattanooga, TN-GA MSA for fair market rents. HUD's FY2027 fair market rents took effect October 1, 2026, per HUD fair market rent data.
| Unit size | HUD FY2027 FMR, monthly |
|---|---|
| Efficiency | $1,181 |
| One bedroom | $1,231 |
| Two bedroom | $1,340 |
| Three bedroom | $1,657 |
| Four bedroom | $1,761 |
HUD's FY2027 two-bedroom rent of $1,340 sits $84 above Chattanooga's $1,256 ACS median gross rent. The one-bedroom figure of $1,231 sits $25 below it. When you sell commercial real estate in Chattanooga, TN, expect buyers to compare in-place rents with these HUD figures.
Apartment stock in Chattanooga
Chattanooga has 22,795 homes in buildings of five or more units, per ACS 2020-2024 table B25024. That is 25.9% of its 87,970 housing units. Tennessee's five-plus share is 14.1%.
Buildings of 50 or more units hold the largest group of those Chattanooga homes, 7,122. Buildings of 20 to 49 units hold 5,753, those of 10 to 19 hold 5,155, and those of 5 to 9 hold 4,765.
In Chattanooga, 54.5% of housing was built before 1980, per table B25034. The median year built is 1976, per table B25035. Only 2,000 Chattanooga units date from 2020 or later.
Rental vacancy in Chattanooga is 4.7% in ACS 2020-2024 profile table DP04. Hamilton County's rate is 4.0%, and Tennessee's is 6.1% in the same table.
Chattanooga's median owner-occupied home value is $283,200, per table B25077. Hamilton County's median is $312,800, and Tennessee's is $286,700.
Property taxes in Hamilton County
Chattanooga apartment buildings are assessed at 40% of appraised value. The Tennessee Comptroller classes dwellings with two or more rental units as industrial and commercial property. Residential property carries a 25% ratio.
The Hamilton County Trustee lists a 2026 Hamilton County rate of $1.5157 per $100 of assessed value. The 2026 City of Chattanooga rate is $1.9300. Together they total $3.4457 per $100 inside Chattanooga.
Both rates match the Comptroller 2025 rate table, so the combined rate held from 2025 to 2026. A Chattanooga building appraised at $2,000,000 works out as follows.
- Assessed value: $2,000,000 x 40% = $800,000.
- Hamilton County: $800,000 x 1.5157 / 100 = $12,125.60.
- City of Chattanooga: $800,000 x 1.9300 / 100 = $15,440.00.
- Total: $27,565.60 a year, or 1.38% of appraised value.
Nearby cities carry lower 2026 totals on the Trustee's schedule. East Ridge totals $2.3150 per $100, and Red Bank totals $2.8057. The same $2,000,000 building would owe $18,520.00 in East Ridge.
Chattanooga bills property taxes on October 1, and they are due without interest by the last day of February, per the City of Chattanooga. Interest and penalties of 1.5% a month begin March 1.
June 5 is the last day to appeal to the Hamilton County Board of Equalization, per the Assessor of Property. Hamilton County reappraises every four years, and the next reappraisal is January 1, 2029.
Tennessee's realty transfer tax is $0.37 per $100 of purchase price, per the Department of Revenue. The grantee pays it to the county Register of Deeds, per the same department. On a $2,000,000 sale the tax is $7,400. If you sell commercial property in Chattanooga, TN, that cost falls on the buyer as grantee.
Landlord rules for Chattanooga owners
Tennessee's Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act governs Chattanooga leases. Under section 66-28-102(a), it applies in counties above 75,000 people in the 2010 federal census. Hamilton County counted 336,463 residents in the 2010 Census.
Section 66-28-102(e) says the Act occupies and preempts the entire field of landlord-tenant regulation. Tennessee's section 66-35-102 bars local governments from controlling rent on private residential or commercial property.
Tennessee's section 66-28-301 sets no dollar cap on security deposits. Deposits must sit in an account used only for that purpose, and tenants must be told where it is held. A landlord who skips the account or the damage listing cannot keep any part of the deposit.
For unpaid rent, section 66-28-505 ends the lease if the tenant does not pay within 14 days of written notice. A repeat breach within six months needs only 7 days' written notice. Under section 66-28-512, month-to-month tenancies end on 30 days' written notice and week-to-week tenancies on 10.
Buyers reviewing a Chattanooga rent roll ask for deposit account records and copies of notices served. Organized files make selling commercial property in Chattanooga faster.
What it means for a Chattanooga apartment owner
Chattanooga pairs a 47.6% renter share with 4.7% rental vacancy. Its 2026 combined tax rate is $3.4457 per $100 of assessed value.
Skyline Capital Investments buys 5+ unit apartment buildings across Chattanooga, including North Shore and Hixson, and in East Ridge and Red Bank. If you plan to sell your apartment building in Chattanooga, run the numbers in our cap rate calculator with the $27,565.60 tax example above.
Owners ready to sell commercial property in Chattanooga, TN can request an offer through our sell my apartment building page. Send the address, unit count and current rent roll.
Seller Notes
Selling In Chattanooga
More about selling in Tennessee →Investing in Chattanooga? See apartment syndications in Chattanooga →
- Tennessee assesses Chattanooga buildings with two or more rental units at 40% of appraised value, under the Comptroller's industrial and commercial property class.
- Anyone planning to sell commercial real estate in Chattanooga, TN should know the buyer, as grantee, pays Tennessee's $0.37 per $100 realty transfer tax.
- In Chattanooga, 54.5% of housing units were built before 1980 and the median year built is 1976, per ACS 2020-2024 tables B25034 and B25035.
- Hamilton County's next property reappraisal is January 1, 2029, per the Assessor of Property, which reappraises every four years.
Seller Guides
Your Situation, Handled — Chattanooga
Learn More
Taxes & Rules For Chattanooga Property
The Tennessee rules that shape any deal in Chattanooga: what a sale costs in tax, how buildings are taxed, what landlords must follow, and how to defer gains.
Chattanooga Seller FAQ
How do I sell commercial property in Chattanooga, TN without listing it?
Send the address, unit count and a current rent roll to Skyline Capital Investments. We buy 5+ unit apartment buildings across Chattanooga as they stand, so you do not need to finish repairs or lease-up first. Our offer reflects in-place rents and Tennessee's 40% assessment ratio on rental buildings. It also reflects the 2026 combined Hamilton County and Chattanooga rate of $3.4457 per $100 of assessed value.
What are property taxes on a $2 million apartment building in Chattanooga?
Tennessee assesses property with two or more rental units at 40% of appraised value, so a $2,000,000 building is assessed at $800,000. The Hamilton County Trustee lists a 2026 county rate of $1.5157 per $100 and a City of Chattanooga rate of $1.9300. Together that is $27,565.60 a year, or 1.38% of appraised value. In East Ridge the same building would owe $18,520.00.
Can Chattanooga pass rent control?
No. Tennessee Code 66-35-102 bars any local government from enacting, keeping or enforcing an ordinance that controls the rent charged for private residential or commercial property. Section 66-28-102(e) adds that the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act preempts the entire field of landlord-tenant regulation in covered counties. Hamilton County is covered because it had 336,463 residents in the 2010 Census.
What closing taxes apply when I sell commercial real estate in Chattanooga, TN?
Tennessee's realty transfer tax is $0.37 per $100 of purchase price, so a $2,000,000 sale carries $7,400. The grantee pays it to the county Register of Deeds, per the Tennessee Department of Revenue. Recorded mortgage debt is taxed at $0.115 per $100, with the first $2,000 exempt, and the debtor pays it. The Register of Deeds collects both taxes for the state.
When is the deadline to appeal a Hamilton County assessment?
June 5 is the last day to appeal to the Hamilton County Board of Equalization, per the Assessor of Property. The board convenes June 1 and has five members, three appointed by Hamilton County and two by the City of Chattanooga. Owners can first request an informal review with the Assessor. Appeals may be rejected if the owner provides no supporting evidence.
Does the Volkswagen plant matter to Chattanooga apartment owners?
Volkswagen says about 4,500 people work at its Chattanooga plant, which builds the ID.4. The automaker reports $4.3 billion spent in Chattanooga since 2009. Hamilton County also counted 8,062 transportation equipment manufacturing jobs across 24 establishments in 2023, per County Business Patterns. Owners who sell multifamily property in Chattanooga can point buyers to that employment base.
Will you buy a Chattanooga property that needs work or has high vacancy?
Yes. We regularly evaluate value-add, mismanaged, and distressed multifamily properties and underwrite them as they are today — no repairs or lease-up required before selling.
Can I sell my Chattanooga apartment building off-market?
Yes. We work directly with owners and through listing agents. Off-market conversations are confidential, and we coordinate tours so tenants and staff are not disrupted.
Who buys occupied rental property in Chattanooga?
We do. Skyline Capital Investments is a commercial real estate buyer of 5+ unit multifamily, and we buy apartment buildings with tenants in place, including properties with below-market rents.
How fast can I sell my apartment building in Chattanooga?
Most owners get clear feedback within 48 hours of sending the address, unit count, and a rent roll. Closing is typically set around your timeline, including extra time for a 1031 exchange.
Submit A Deal
Tell Us About Your Property In Chattanooga
Share the basics below and we will follow up directly. Agents and brokers representing Chattanooga sellers are welcome.
