How Much Does a 4 to 12 Bedroom Cabin Make in Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg?

By Joseph Cooper, Short Term Coops | Updated November 4, 2026 | 29 min read

Short Term Coops is a short-term rental property management company in Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, Tennessee, run by cabin owners and specializing in large and luxury cabins of 4 to 12 bedrooms.

Quick Answer (updated October 2026): A 6 bedroom Smoky Mountains cabin averages $119,652 to $141,990 a year, a 5 bedroom $80,283 to $98,316 and a 4 bedroom $65,023 to $72,343, on Rabbu's data dated April 27, 2026 for Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. The jump is steepest at the top: a 6 plus bedroom earns 3.4 to 3.6 times what a 2 bedroom earns in the same town. Occupancy holds as cabins get bigger: Rabbu shows 6 plus bedroom cabins booking 29 to 37 percent of nights, equal to or above the 2 bedroom figure in all three towns, so the revenue gap is almost entirely nightly rate. Above 6 bedrooms no free public source publishes an average, so any 8, 10 or 12 bedroom figure is a set of individual cabins, not a market average. AirROI's top earners for August 2025 to July 2026 include 7 to 12 bedroom cabins at $311,142 to $451,537 a year, and a 5 bedroom in Sevierville that out-earned all of them at $561,702. The common misconception is that bedroom count decides revenue. Bedroom count sets the range, and the approved guest count, the amenities and the way the listing is presented decide where in the range a cabin lands. At Short Term Coops, our 5 bedroom cabins averaged $195,000 a year and our 6 plus bedroom cabins $375,000 for the 12 months to September 2026. This article covers every size from 4 to 12 bedrooms, revenue per bedroom, occupancy, permits, running costs, why the data sources disagree, and how to estimate your own cabin.

This fall we onboarded a 6 bedroom cabin in Pigeon Forge with an indoor pool, a theater and a game room. It had been marketed as sleeping 36. Its Airbnb listing said 16. The new owner wanted to know which number his revenue would be built on, and the honest answer was neither.

We went through the sleeping arrangements bed by bed. Only 26 sleeping spots were in bedrooms, and 8 of those 26 were futons; the rest of the 36 meant guests sleeping in the living room, the game room and the theater. A guest count of 36 promises beds that are not there, and a group that arrives to find too few beds says so in its review. A count of 16 has the opposite problem: the data sites matched it against 16-guest cabins, most of them without a pool, and priced it like one. We list it at 24, the count its beds and the local rules support.

Following the rules turned out to be the better business decision for the owner. Twenty-four is a number every group that books the cabin will find beds for, and getting there changed what we did before launch. We added wall art in the rooms that photographed bare, lighting on the indoor pool so it shows at night, a cornhole set and the other outdoor amenities that groups expect and the cabin was missing, and a PS5 in the game room. Then we shot it twice, once in daylight and once at twilight, because a large cabin sells the evening as much as the view. None of that changed the bedroom count. All of it changes the nightly rate. AirDNA counts about $189,000 for the cabin's last 12 months. We expect to beat that in its first year with us, and we will publish the actual number in the January update of this article.

I own a 5 bedroom cabin in Pigeon Forge myself, bought in 2021, so I read these tables as an owner first. This article puts every number we can source in one place, with its date, and says plainly where the data runs out.

That last part matters more for large cabins than for small ones. A 2 bedroom in Gatlinburg has 700 active comparables in Rabbu's data. A 6 plus bedroom has 108. Thin data means wide ranges, and a wide range is where an owner either leaves money on the table or buys on a projection the cabin cannot meet.

Schedule a free consultation with Short Term Coops or call us directly at +1 (865) 333-3093.

How Much Does a Large Cabin Make in the Smoky Mountains?

A large cabin in the Smoky Mountains, meaning 4 to 12 bedrooms, earns between about $65,000 and $142,000 a year on market averages, and the top earners on AirROI's town lists for August 2025 to July 2026 brought in $311,142 to $561,702. Rabbu's data dated April 27, 2026 puts the average active 4 bedroom at $65,023 to $72,343 a year across Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, the average 5 bedroom at $80,283 to $98,316, and the average 6 plus bedroom at $119,652 to $141,990. Rabbu stops at "6 plus," so every 7 to 12 bedroom cabin is inside that last row. Pigeon Forge trails the other two towns at every large size, and Sevierville has by far the most large cabins: 275 active 6 plus bedroom listings, against 108 in Gatlinburg and 51 in Pigeon Forge.

Source: Rabbu, annual revenue per active Airbnb listing, data dated April 27, 2026.

Read the table as a set of ratios rather than a promise. Rabbu counts every active listing, including part-time and dormant ones, which pulls every average down. The ratios between sizes are the reliable part: in every town the 6 plus bedroom row is 3.4 to 3.6 times the 2 bedroom row, and roughly 1.8 to 2.0 times the 4 bedroom row.

The step from 5 to 6 plus bedrooms is the biggest jump in the table. In Sevierville it adds $46,837 a year, in Pigeon Forge $39,369 and in Gatlinburg $43,674, a gain of 44 to 50 percent. The step from 4 to 5 adds 23 to 37 percent. Large cabins do not earn a little more per added bedroom; past 5 bedrooms they move into a different kind of guest, the reunion, the wedding party and the church retreat, a group that books a whole cabin together and pays for the space.

How Much Does a 4 Bedroom Cabin Make in Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg?

A 4 bedroom cabin in the Smoky Mountains earns $65,023 to $72,343 a year on average, according to Rabbu's data dated April 27, 2026: $72,343 in Sevierville, $65,023 in Pigeon Forge and $71,899 in Gatlinburg. Average nightly rates run $262 to $316 and occupancy 25 to 29 percent on Rabbu's measure. PriceLabs data pulled by Short Term Coops on October 7, 2026 from 9,915 Airbnb listings around Gatlinburg puts the median booked night for a 4 bedroom at $327, against a median listed price of $392. Short Term Coops counts 4 bedroom cabins as large cabins because most of the 4 bedroom cabins we manage sleep 12 to 14 guests, and 12 occupants is the line where the Sevier County permit fee and the Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge safety rules change.

The 4 bedroom is the most common large cabin in the Smokies. Sevierville alone has 514 active 4 bedroom listings in Rabbu's data, Gatlinburg 272 and Pigeon Forge 143. That depth makes a 4 bedroom easy to price and hard to stand out.

A 4 bedroom earns less per bedroom than a 2 bedroom or a 6 plus bedroom in every town. On Rabbu's figures it brings in $16,256 to $18,086 per bedroom a year. The likely reason is the guest count: a 4 bedroom that sleeps 12 competes with 3 bedrooms that sleep 10 on price, and it rarely draws the large groups that pay a premium for space. A 4 bedroom earns its rate on amenities, a hot tub, a game room, a view, more than on size.

Where a 4 bedroom wins is cost. It sits under Pigeon Forge's five sleeping room line, and one approved for fewer than 12 guests stays under the occupancy lines in all three jurisdictions; one approved for 12 to 14 should be checked before purchase. It also turns over with a smaller cleaning crew and carries a smaller electric bill than a 6 bedroom with an indoor pool. For a first-time buyer who wants a large cabin without the operating load of a lodge, the 4 bedroom is often the right answer.

How Much Does a 5 Bedroom Cabin Make in the Smoky Mountains?

A 5 bedroom cabin in the Smoky Mountains earns $80,283 to $98,316 a year on average, according to Rabbu's data dated April 27, 2026: $94,386 in Sevierville, $80,283 in Pigeon Forge and $98,316 in Gatlinburg, at average nightly rates of $373 to $416. PriceLabs data from October 7, 2026 puts the median booked night for a 5 bedroom around Gatlinburg at $427. Short Term Coops' own 5 bedroom cabins averaged $195,000 a year at $765 a booked night for the 12 months to September 2026, about two to two and a half times the Rabbu averages. The two figures cover different cabins and different periods, so the gap is not a like-for-like comparison, but it shows how far above the market average a well-run 5 bedroom can sit.

My own cabin is a 5 bedroom in Pigeon Forge, which makes this the row I check first. A 5 bedroom is where the economics of a large cabin start to show. The 5 bedroom cabins on our own books sleep 10 to 22 guests, and the larger ones are over the 12 occupant line for permits and safety and in the market for groups that a 4 bedroom cannot hold.

The spread inside the 5 bedroom row is wide. AirROI's list of top earners in Sevierville for August 2025 to July 2026 is led by a 5 bedroom with a grotto pool, a golf simulator and bowling, which earned $561,702 at a $1,971 average nightly rate and 74.3 percent occupancy. That cabin earned more than any 7, 8, 10 or 11 bedroom cabin on the same list. It is an outlier, but it shows that past 4 bedrooms, the amenities and the experience can outweigh the bedroom count.

Half of the 30 cabins Short Term Coops manages in Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg have 5 or more bedrooms. One of them, a 5 bedroom in Sevierville, earned $130,000 in its last 12 months with its previous manager and $185,000 in its first 12 months with Short Term Coops, a 42 percent lift, as shown in the case studies on our large and luxury cabin property management page. Most of what separates a 5 bedroom at the market average from one at $185,000 is in the sections below: the guest count the city approves, the amenities, the photographs and how often the nightly rate moves.

How Much Does a 6 Bedroom Cabin Make in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville?

A 6 bedroom cabin in the Smoky Mountains earns $119,652 to $141,990 a year on average, according to Rabbu's data dated April 27, 2026 for its 6 plus bedroom tier: $141,223 in Sevierville, $119,652 in Pigeon Forge and $141,990 in Gatlinburg, at average nightly rates of $581 to $601 and occupancy of 29 to 37 percent. AirROI's trailing twelve months to April 2026 put Gatlinburg's 6 plus bedroom cabins at $138,630 a year, 43 percent occupancy and $1,016 a night. Short Term Coops' own 6 plus bedroom cabins averaged $375,000 a year at $1,470 a booked night for the 12 months to September 2026, which reflects the cabins we manage, many with indoor pools, theaters and game rooms, rather than the whole market.

The sources agree on annual revenue and disagree on the nightly rate, and the reason is what each one counts. PriceLabs reports a median, Rabbu averages every active listing including dormant and part-time ones, and AirROI's $1,016 is an average daily rate; in a tier with no upper limit on size, an average sits above a median. PriceLabs also shows how far booked prices sit under listed ones for a 6 bedroom: a median listed price of $709 against a median booked price of $558, a gap of 21 percent.

Schedule a Free Consultation and we will pull the 6 bedroom comparables for your cabin's town and amenities.

What Do 7, 8, 10 and 12 Bedroom Cabins Make in the Smoky Mountains?

The top 7 to 12 bedroom cabins in Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg earn $311,142 to $451,537 a year on AirROI's market reports for August 2025 to July 2026, but no free public source publishes an average for that size. Rabbu's data dated April 27, 2026 groups every cabin above 5 bedrooms into one 6 plus tier, and AirROI publishes no averages by bedroom count, only each town's top-earning listings. Those are the best cabins in each town, not typical ones, so they show what is possible at the top of the market, not what an average 8 or 10 bedroom cabin earns.

Source: AirROI market reports for Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, top-performing listings, August 2025 to July 2026.

Two things stand out. Revenue stops tracking bedroom count above 7 bedrooms: the top cabin in Pigeon Forge is a 7 bedroom that out-earned two 12 bedroom cabins and two 10 bedroom cabins in the same town. And 9 of the 11 cabins in the table name a pool, a theater, an arcade, bowling, a golf simulator or waterpark access in their titles. At this size a guest is choosing an event venue as much as a place to sleep.

The honest reading is that a 10 or 12 bedroom cabin has a higher ceiling and a wider spread than a 6 bedroom, not a guaranteed higher number. A 12 bedroom at 52.0 percent occupancy sits in the same table as an 8 bedroom at 84.8 percent. Anyone quoting an average for 10 bedroom cabins in the Smokies is quoting a small set of cabins, so ask which ones. One first-hand example from our own books: a 7 bedroom cabin in Sevierville earned $305,000 in its last 12 months with its previous manager and $390,000 in its first 12 months with Short Term Coops, a 28 percent lift.

Does Revenue Per Bedroom Fall as Smoky Mountains Cabins Get Bigger?

Revenue per bedroom dips at 3 to 5 bedrooms and is highest for the largest Smoky Mountains cabins, on Rabbu's data dated April 27, 2026. A 6 plus bedroom cabin earns $23,537 per bedroom a year in Sevierville, $19,942 in Pigeon Forge and $23,665 in Gatlinburg, counting the tier as 6 bedrooms. A 4 bedroom earns $18,086, $16,256 and $17,975. A 2 bedroom earns $20,430, $17,526 and $19,899. The pattern is a dip in the middle, at 3 to 5 bedrooms, and a climb at the top: a 6 plus bedroom earns $2,416 to $3,766 more per bedroom a year than a 2 bedroom in the same town.

Calculated from Rabbu's annual revenue by bedroom count, April 27, 2026.

Counting the 6 plus tier as exactly 6 bedrooms overstates its per-bedroom figure slightly, because some cabins in that tier have 7 or more. Even allowing for that, the largest cabins hold their own per bedroom, and they do it with one kitchen, one hot tub, one driveway and one permit instead of three.

The per-bedroom view is the right way to compare a large cabin against two or three smaller ones bought for the same money. It is the wrong way to value a single cabin, because a bedroom added to a cabin that cannot legally sleep more guests adds nothing to the rate.

Why Do Large Cabins Earn More: Occupancy or Nightly Rate?

Large Smoky Mountains cabins earn more almost entirely through a higher nightly rate, not higher occupancy. Rabbu's data dated April 27, 2026 shows 6 plus bedroom cabins booking 37 percent of nights in Gatlinburg, 29 percent in Pigeon Forge and 33 percent in Sevierville, equal to or above the 2 bedroom figure of 26, 22 and 29 percent in the same towns. AirROI's Gatlinburg data for the 12 months to April 2026 shows the same thing from a different source: 48 percent occupancy for a 2 bedroom, 46 percent for a 4 bedroom and 43 percent for a 6 plus bedroom, while the nightly rate climbs from $276 to $507 to $1,016. AirROI's own summary is that occupancy barely declines as bedroom count rises.

That answers a common worry about large cabins, that they sit empty more often than small ones. On Rabbu's and AirROI's data they do not. They book differently. A large cabin books for weekends, holidays and events, the group that has planned a reunion for a year, and its calendar fills further ahead: our large cabins book 6 to 9 months out, sometimes more.

For an owner, that means holiday weeks carry a larger share of a large cabin's year. A Thanksgiving or New Year's week sold early at the wrong rate costs far more than the same mistake on a 2 bedroom, and January midweeks need pricing that moves further to hold occupancy.

Direct and returning guests matter more at this size too. In 2025, 44 percent of the nights booked in Short Term Coops' large cabins came from direct bookings or returning guests. A group that had a good weekend in a large cabin books the same cabin again, and a cabin that keeps those groups is less exposed to any one platform's search ranking.

Why Does Approved Occupancy Matter More Than Bedroom Count?

A large Smoky Mountains cabin earns on the number of guests it is approved to sleep, not on its bedroom count, because the guest count decides which groups can book it and what they will pay. The approved number comes from the permit and the life-safety inspection. Unincorporated Sevier County charges $250 a year for a cabin sleeping 12 or fewer, plus $25 for each occupant above 12. Gatlinburg requires fire sprinklers in a rental that sleeps more than 12 people, is more than three stories or is more than 5,000 square feet. Pigeon Forge applies hotel and motel construction standards to a rental with more than five sleeping rooms, 12 or more occupants, more than 5,000 square feet including decks, or more than three stories. Almost every 6 bedroom cabin crosses at least one of those lines.

The Pigeon Forge cabin in the opening shows how far apart the numbers can be. It was marketed at 36, listed on Airbnb at 16, and we list it at 24. A projection built on 36 guests would have overstated the cabin's market and set up groups to find too few beds; one built on 16 would have understated it, because most of the comparable cabins at 16 guests had no pool. The right projection starts at 24, the count the beds and the rules support, and prices the cabin against cabins with a similar guest count and similar amenities.

Sources: Sevier County, Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge permit and safety rules as summarized in our guide to the cost of owning a Smoky Mountains rental cabin. Confirm with the jurisdiction before you buy, because these change.

For a buyer, the practical rule is to ask for the current permit and the approved occupancy before making an offer on any large cabin, and to treat a listing's "sleeps 30" as a marketing claim until the permit says otherwise. A cabin that cannot pass its inspection cannot legally take a guest. Inside Sevierville city limits the operational permit is $150 the first year and $50 a year to renew, per the 2026 Haven guide, and the same rule applies: the inspection sets the guest count.

Why Do Two 6 Bedroom Cabins in the Same Town Earn Such Different Amounts?

The top-earning 6 bedroom cabin in Gatlinburg earned $258,707 more than the town's 6 plus bedroom average, and the bedroom count explains none of the difference. AirROI's top-earning 6 bedroom in Gatlinburg brought in $400,697 from August 2025 to July 2026, at 66.6 percent occupancy and $1,602.44 a night, while Rabbu's Gatlinburg 6 plus bedroom average dated April 27, 2026 is $141,990. The gap comes from five things: the approved guest count, the amenities that groups pay for (an indoor pool, a theater, a game room, a golf simulator), the listing's photographs and title, how often the nightly rate moves, and the reviews. Most cabins in that average have a similar bedroom count to the leader and about a third of its revenue.

The amenities are the visible part. An indoor pool lets a large cabin sell a January weekend that an outdoor pool cannot, and a theater or game room gives a group something to do on a rainy evening. They also cost money to run: on a 6 bedroom we manage, the indoor pool cost $600 in service and $104.52 in chemicals in June 2025, before the electric bill that heats it.

The less visible part is presentation, and it is the cheapest to fix. The work on the Pigeon Forge cabin in the opening (wall art, pool lighting that photographs at night, a cornhole set, a PS5, and a second photo shoot at twilight) needed no construction, and it changes how the listing looks next to every other 6 bedroom in the search results. A large cabin's photos have to show a group what its evening will look like, because that is what a group is buying.

Pricing is the third lever, and it is harder at this size because comparables are thin. Gatlinburg has 108 active 6 plus bedroom listings in Rabbu's data against 700 two bedrooms, and for the Pigeon Forge cabin in the opening, AirDNA's comparable set at its bedroom and bath count held only 5 cabins. A pricing tool running on defaults against a thin set will either undersell the holiday weeks or overprice the slow ones. Our guide to dynamic pricing for Smoky Mountain cabins covers how custom comparable sets work.

If your large cabin sits well below its comparables, our test for an underperforming property manager separates a market problem from a management one, and our guide to switching property managers without losing bookings covers the move itself.

What Does a Large Cabin Cost to Run Against What It Earns?

A 6 bedroom Smoky Mountains cabin with an indoor pool costs at least $33,271 to $47,739 a year to run in property tax, insurance, permits, utilities, pest control, HOA dues, maintenance and linens, before the mortgage, platform fees and the management fee, according to the budget in Short Term Coops' guide to the cost of owning a Smoky Mountains rental cabin; without HOA dues the top of the range is $41,739. Against Rabbu's 6 plus bedroom average of $119,652 to $141,990 dated April 27, 2026, the range without HOA dues is 23 to 35 percent of revenue. A 3 bedroom without a pool runs $12,462 to $21,813 without HOA dues, or 23 to 47 percent of its revenue. A large cabin costs more in dollars and less as a share of what it earns.

Three costs grow faster than the bedroom count. Electricity, because an electrically heated indoor pool can push a winter month's bill near $800. Insurance, because the premium follows the replacement cost and the liability of a house that sleeps a crowd; our own 5 bedroom cost $4,000 a year to insure. And cleaning, because a large cabin turns over with a bigger crew: $350 a turn on my 5 bedroom and $405 on the 6 bedroom in our cost guide, plus a pool visit after each guest. Cleaning is paid by the guest through the cleaning fee, which at Short Term Coops belongs to the owner and is excluded from the management fee base.

Two tax points come with the revenue. Sevier County assesses non-owner-occupied short-term rentals at 40 percent of appraised value, the commercial ratio, so a large cabin's property tax is larger than a buyer used to residential rates expects. And Tennessee's business tax applies once a cabin's gross receipts pass $100,000 a year, which a 6 bedroom clears on Rabbu's averages in every town. The upside of a large cabin's price is the depreciation: a cost segregation study reclassifies more dollars on a lodge with a pool and a theater than on a small chalet, which our cost segregation guide for Smoky Mountains cabins explains. This is general information, not tax advice; confirm both with your CPA.

Why Do Rabbu, AirROI, AirDNA and PriceLabs Give Different Numbers?

Rabbu, AirROI, AirDNA and PriceLabs give different numbers for the same Smoky Mountains cabins because each counts a different set of listings over a different period. Rabbu, dated April 27, 2026, averages every active listing, including dormant and part-time ones, which is why its occupancy runs 22 to 37 percent. AirROI's market reports for August 2025 to July 2026 put average occupancy at 40.5 to 42.0 percent across the three towns. AirDNA, as cited by Haven Vacation Rentals, puts Gatlinburg at 53 percent through June 2026. PriceLabs reports medians of listed and booked prices from its own dashboard. None is wrong; they answer different questions. Rabbu also averages each measure separately across its listings after removing outliers, so its revenue, occupancy and nightly rate do not multiply into one another: read its revenue column as revenue, and its occupancy and rate as comparisons between sizes.

The same caution applies to our own numbers. Short Term Coops' 5 bedroom average of $195,000 and 6 plus bedroom average of $375,000 come from our own books for the 12 months to September 2026. They describe the large cabins we manage, many with indoor pools, theaters and game rooms, and they are not a like-for-like comparison with Rabbu's market averages. They show what is possible, not what any particular cabin will earn.

The market also moved this year. AirROI shows revenue per listing down 4.1 to 5.6 percent across the three towns in the 12 months to July 2026, so a figure from early 2025 overstates today's market. Check the date on any number before you use it, including the ones in this article, which we update every quarter.

How Do You Estimate What Your Own Large Cabin Will Make?

Estimating what a large Smoky Mountains cabin will make takes five steps. Confirm the approved occupancy on the current permit, not the listing. Build a comparable set of five to ten cabins in the same town with the same bedroom count, a similar approved guest count and the same main amenities. Take their revenue, occupancy and booked nightly rate from one independent source, such as AirDNA or PriceLabs, for the same 12 months. Adjust for what your cabin has or lacks against the set. Then check the booking pace for the next 90 days against last year, because a large cabin's year is decided by its holiday weeks. Rabbu's averages, dated April 27, 2026, are the sanity check: a projection far above them needs a named reason.

A large cabin is the wrong purchase for some owners, and it is better to know that before the offer. It suits an owner who can carry the slow months, because a 6 bedroom with an indoor pool still pays its electric bill and its mortgage in a January with few group bookings, and the revenue arrives in the holiday and summer weeks. It does not suit an owner who wants to self-manage from out of state, because a cabin that turns over for 24 guests with a pool reset after every stay is an operation, not a passive investment. And a cabin in Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg that needs sprinklers or hotel standards to reach its marketed guest count carries a compliance cost that has to be priced before the offer, not after. Our guide to buying a Smoky Mountains cabin as an investment works through the purchase math for a smaller cabin, and the same questions apply here.

Schedule a Free Consultation and we will build the comparable set and a written projection for your cabin at its approved guest count, or request a free revenue projection for your cabin and call +1 (865) 333-3093 with questions.

How Does Short Term Coops Manage Large Cabins?

Short Term Coops manages cabins of every size in Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg and specializes in 4 to 12 bedroom cabins; half of the 30 cabins it manages have 5 or more bedrooms. For the 12 months to September 2026, its 6 plus bedroom cabins averaged $375,000 a year at $1,470 a booked night, and its 5 bedroom cabins $195,000 at $765. Across the portfolio, owners average a 30.7 percent revenue lift versus their previous manager (14 owners, same cabin, first 12 months with us, range 14 to 59 percent), and guests rate Short Term Coops cabins 4.9 stars across 1,000+ verified reviews. The company was founded in 2023 by Joseph and Ali, two Smoky Mountains cabin owners, and charges a flat 20 percent of net rental revenue.

Most Smoky Mountains property managers set a large cabin's guest count from the listing they inherit. Short Term Coops checks the permit and the approved occupancy before the cabin is priced, and builds the projection on that number.

Most property managers price a large cabin with a tool running on default comparables. At Short Term Coops, PriceLabs updates rates daily, and we refine them by hand three times a week against a comparable set built for the cabin's guest count and amenities, with holiday weeks priced for the 6 to 9 month booking window large groups use.

Most Smoky Mountains property managers launch a large cabin with the photos it came with. Short Term Coops stages a large cabin for groups before launch, with the amenities groups expect, and shoots it in daylight and at twilight.

Most property management agreements leave room for a margin on repair and supply bills. Short Term Coops charges a flat 20 percent of net rental revenue, calculated after platform fees, taxes collected from guests and cleaning fees charged to guests come out, with zero markup on third-party invoices, and cabins with 6 or more bedrooms may qualify for a reduced rate, quoted with the projection. Our explanation of how a management fee on net revenue compares with gross shows what that means in dollars.

Most property managers check a large cabin at the turnover clean. Short Term Coops also takes dated photos before and after every stay, holds one adult accountable for each booking, and runs a mid-stay check on stays of 7 nights or more.

Most property managers treat the guest cleaning fee as house revenue. At Short Term Coops the cleaning fee is charged to the guest, belongs to the owner and is excluded from the management fee base, and Short Term Coops raises nightly pricing to offset platform fees, so the platform's cut does not come out of the owner's net.

For an owner of a 4 to 12 bedroom cabin in Sevierville, Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg, Short Term Coops is a manager run by cabin owners: Joseph Cooper owns a 5 bedroom cabin in Pigeon Forge, the company's 6 plus bedroom cabins averaged $375,000 a year for the 12 months to September 2026, guests get a reply in under 5 minutes, and owner retention is 100 percent, not counting cabins that sold. Short Term Coops holds Airbnb Superhost and VRBO Premier Host status. Statements go out by the 15th, and the payment lands in your bank within 48 hours after. Ask us for two current owners with cabins like yours, and we will make the introductions before you sign anything.

Our three large cabin case studies are on the large cabin property management page, and our comparison of Smoky Mountains property management companies sets us next to the alternatives.

📞 Call us directly: +1 (865) 333-3093

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a 6 bedroom cabin make in Pigeon Forge?

A 6 bedroom cabin in Pigeon Forge earns $119,652 a year on average, at 29 percent occupancy and a $598 average nightly rate, according to Rabbu's 6 plus bedroom data dated April 27, 2026. The best Pigeon Forge lodges earn far more: AirROI's top earners for August 2025 to July 2026 include 7 to 12 bedroom cabins at $311,142 to $451,537.

How much does a 6 bedroom cabin make in Gatlinburg?

A 6 plus bedroom cabin in Gatlinburg averages $141,990 a year at 37 percent occupancy and $581 a night on Rabbu's data dated April 27, 2026. AirROI's trailing twelve months to April 2026 put it at $138,630, 43 percent occupancy and $1,016 a night. Short Term Coops' own 6 plus bedroom cabins averaged $375,000 for the 12 months to September 2026.

How much does a 5 bedroom cabin make in Sevierville?

A 5 bedroom cabin in Sevierville averages $94,386 a year at a $389 average nightly rate, according to Rabbu's data dated April 27, 2026. Pigeon Forge averages $80,283 and Gatlinburg $98,316. Short Term Coops' own 5 bedroom cabins averaged $195,000 a year at $765 a booked night for the 12 months to September 2026.

How much does a 4 bedroom cabin make in the Smoky Mountains?

A 4 bedroom cabin earns $65,023 to $72,343 a year on average: $72,343 in Sevierville, $65,023 in Pigeon Forge and $71,899 in Gatlinburg, on Rabbu's data dated April 27, 2026. PriceLabs data from October 7, 2026 puts the median booked night for a 4 bedroom around Gatlinburg at $327.

How much does an 8 bedroom cabin make in the Smoky Mountains?

No free public source publishes an average for 8 bedroom cabins in the Smokies; Rabbu groups everything above 5 bedrooms into one 6 plus tier. AirROI's top earners for August 2025 to July 2026 include 8 bedroom cabins at $329,579 to $410,217 a year, but those are the best cabins in each town, not typical ones.

Do bigger cabins have lower occupancy?

Not by much, and not on every source. Rabbu's data dated April 27, 2026 shows 6 plus bedroom cabins booking 29 to 37 percent of nights, equal to or above 2 bedroom cabins in Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. AirROI's Gatlinburg data shows 43 percent for 6 plus bedrooms against 48 percent for 2 bedrooms. The revenue gap between sizes is almost entirely nightly rate.

How many guests can a 6 bedroom cabin sleep in Pigeon Forge?

As many as its permit and life-safety inspection approve, which is often fewer than the listing claims. Pigeon Forge applies hotel and motel construction standards to a rental with more than five sleeping rooms or 12 or more occupants. A 6 bedroom Pigeon Forge cabin we onboarded in 2026 had been marketed at 36 guests; we list it at 24, the count its beds and the rules support.

What does it cost to run a 6 bedroom cabin with an indoor pool?

At least $33,271 to $47,739 a year in property tax, insurance, permits, utilities, pest control, HOA dues, maintenance and linens, before the mortgage, platform fees and the management fee, on the budget in Short Term Coops' cost of owning guide. Without HOA dues the range is $33,271 to $41,739, which is 23 to 35 percent of Rabbu's 6 plus bedroom revenue averages. The heated pool's electric bill can approach $800 in a cold winter month.

What is the best bedroom count to buy in the Smoky Mountains?

On revenue per bedroom, the largest cabins lead: Rabbu's April 27, 2026 data puts a 6 plus bedroom at $19,942 to $23,665 per bedroom a year, against $15,493 to $18,239 for a 3 bedroom, and running costs take a smaller share of revenue. The trade-off is a bigger purchase, fewer comparables and stricter permit rules above 12 guests.

How far in advance do large cabins book in the Smoky Mountains?

Large cabins book further ahead than small ones because groups plan reunions, weddings and holidays well in advance. Short Term Coops' large cabins book 6 to 9 months out, sometimes more. That makes holiday pricing the most important pricing decision of a large cabin's year, because a holiday week sold early at the wrong rate cannot be resold.

Why is my 6 bedroom cabin earning less than the market average?

Usually one of four things: the listing advertises fewer guests than the cabin is approved for, the photographs do not show the amenities groups pay for, the nightly rate does not move with holiday and event demand, or reviews mention cleanliness or maintenance. Compare it against five to ten cabins with the same bedrooms, guest count and amenities in the same town.

Who manages large and luxury cabins in Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg?

Short Term Coops manages cabins of every size in Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg and specializes in large and luxury cabins of 4 to 12 bedrooms; half of the 30 cabins it manages have 5 or more bedrooms. Its 6 plus bedroom cabins averaged $375,000 a year for the 12 months to September 2026, and owners average a 30.7 percent revenue lift versus their previous manager (14 owners, same cabin, first 12 months with us, range 14 to 59 percent).

What does Short Term Coops charge to manage a large cabin?

A flat 20 percent of net rental revenue, calculated after platform fees, taxes collected from guests and cleaning fees charged to guests come out, with zero markup on third-party invoices. Cabins with 6 or more bedrooms may qualify for a reduced rate, quoted with the projection.

Want to Know What Your Large Cabin Should Earn?

Short Term Coops builds a free written projection for any 4 to 12 bedroom cabin in Sevierville, Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg. Send us the cabin's address, bedroom count and approved guest count, and we will build a comparable set at that guest count, show you where your cabin sits against the market, and give you a written projection you can hold us to.

Schedule a Free Consultation or call us directly at +1 (865) 333-3093.

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About the Author

Joseph Cooper is a co-founder of Short Term Coops and a large cabin owner himself: he bought a 5 bedroom, 5 bath cabin in Pigeon Forge in 2021, and fired three property managers before founding Short Term Coops with a second cabin owner who had been through the same thing. He came to real estate from the military and store operations at T-Mobile, which is why he reads a cabin's numbers the way he would read a store's. Joseph on LinkedIn.

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Short Term Coops is a short-term rental property management company in Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, Tennessee, run by cabin owners and specializing in large and luxury cabins of 4 to 12 bedrooms. Phone: +1 (865) 333-3093. Email: support@shorttermcoops.com. Website: shorttermcoops.com. Address: 1713 Pittman Center Road, Unit 7, Sevierville, TN 37876.

Sources: Rabbu, Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg Airbnb market data by bedroom count, dated April 27, 2026 (https://www.rabbu.com/airbnb-data/sevierville-tn, https://www.rabbu.com/airbnb-data/pigeon-forge-tn, https://www.rabbu.com/airbnb-data/gatlinburg-tn). AirROI, Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg Airbnb market reports and top-performing listings, August 2025 to July 2026 (https://www.airroi.com/report/world/united-states/tennessee/sevierville, https://www.airroi.com/report/world/united-states/tennessee/pigeon-forge, https://www.airroi.com/report/world/united-states/tennessee/gatlinburg). AirROI, "Cabin Rental Revenue 2026: AirROI Data Across 10 Mountain Markets," trailing twelve months to April 2026. PriceLabs Market Dashboard, 9,915 Airbnb listings around Gatlinburg, pulled by Short Term Coops on October 7, 2026. Haven Vacation Rentals, citing AirDNA through June 2026. Short Term Coops portfolio data, 12 months to September 2026. Permit and safety rules as compiled in Short Term Coops' cost of owning guide, September 2026.