Every BiggerPockets thread about Memphis includes the same question within the first five replies: "What about the crime?"

It is the number one objection from out-of-state investors considering the Memphis short-term rental market. And it is based on a perception that is years behind the data. Memphis has real challenges. But the gap between what investors think they know and what the numbers actually say is costing them money.

The Numbers Tell a Different Story

Memphis closed 2025 with the most significant crime reduction in a generation. Part I crimes dropped 27% year over year. Murders fell 26%, from 301 in 2024 to 235 in 2025. Carjackings plummeted 48%. Shootings declined 38%, meaning roughly 500 fewer shooting victims across the city compared to the prior year. The Memphis Police Department reported that overall crime hit a 25-year low, with robbery, burglary, and larceny all reaching levels not seen since the early 2000s.

Early 2026 data is even more striking. January Part I crimes came in at 1,915, compared to 3,709 in January 2025. Motor vehicle thefts dropped from 1,426 reports in early 2025 to 445 in early 2026. By late March 2026, homicides were tracking 65% below the same period the prior year.

None of this means Memphis has solved public safety. Crime rates still sit above national averages. But the trajectory is undeniable, and it matters for investors evaluating the Memphis short-term rental market.

Guests Are Not Staying Away

If crime perception drove booking behavior, you would expect Memphis tourism to be shrinking. The opposite is happening.

Memphis attracted 13.1 million visitors in 2024, 6% above pre-pandemic levels. Visitor spending hit a record $4.3 billion. Tripadvisor named Memphis one of the top five fastest-rising travel destinations in the U.S. in 2025. And Memphis was one of the few hotel markets nationwide to post occupancy growth in 2025, gaining 2.7% while most markets declined.

The demand is there. Over 40% of Memphis short-term rental bookings happen within 48 hours of arrival. This is a transit, work, and family market with year-round demand driven by FedEx, St. Jude, University of Memphis, and a tourism base that includes Graceland, Beale Street, and the National Civil Rights Museum.

Guests are not Googling Memphis crime statistics before booking a two-night stay for a work trip. They are looking at listing photos, reviews, and price. The investors sitting on the sidelines because of a perception problem are ceding ground to operators who understand this.

The Real Memphis Airbnb Safety Risk Is Operational

Here is what the crime conversation usually misses: the biggest safety risk to a Memphis Airbnb is not the neighborhood. It is the operation.

An unscreened guest who throws a party causes more damage than most property crimes. A slow maintenance response to a broken

lock creates more liability than the local crime rate. A property with no guest communication plan is a property that generates complaints, bad reviews, and neighbor conflict.

Memphis Airbnb safety starts with who you let through the door. At LPS, we reject 25% of all booking requests. One in four. That is not paranoia. It is a screening system built to protect properties, neighbors, and review scores. It is the reason we carry an 87.1% five-star rating across 4,000+ guest reviews.

Screening is the first layer. The second is operational responsiveness. Four dedicated guest support staff covering near-24/7 communication. Forty-five-minute turnovers by an in-house cleaning team. Before-and-after photo documentation on every single turn. These are not amenities. They are risk controls.

Neighborhood Selection Still Matters

Crime perception is not uniform across Memphis, and neither is risk. Choosing the right neighborhood is a legitimate part of the safety conversation.

Downtown Memphis commands $150-200+ nightly rates and benefits from heavy foot traffic and a concentrated police presence. Midtown attracts medical and university travelers in a walkable corridor. Cooper-Young delivers a trendy, neighborhood feel with strong organic demand. East Memphis draws families and corporate travelers who value quiet, suburban settings.

Every neighborhood has a different risk profile and a different guest demographic. The smart play is matching your property to the right market segment, not avoiding Memphis entirely because of a cable news segment from 2022.

For out-of-state investors in particular, neighborhood selection is where a local operator earns their fee. You cannot evaluate a street

from a Zillow listing in California.

What Smart Operators Do Differently

The investors who are winning in Memphis right now share a few common traits. They lead with data instead of headlines. They invest in screening and operations instead of security cameras alone. They treat guest communication as a safety tool, not a concierge service.

And they price based on value, not fear. Memphis short-term rental listings managed with professional operations earn $151 per night on average versus $138 for the broader market. That 9.4% premium is not from fancy furnishings. It is from higher review scores, better listing visibility at 2.2x the peer average, and a reputation that comes from screening out the bookings that create problems.

The crime perception keeps some investors away. For the operators who stay, that reduced competition is an advantage.



The Bottom Line

Memphis Airbnb safety is a real consideration, not a dealbreaker. The city is in the middle of a historic crime decline. Tourism spending is at record levels. Guest demand is stable and year-round. The investors who let outdated perceptions drive their strategy are leaving a market that favors disciplined operators with strong systems.

The question is not whether Memphis is safe enough to invest in. It is whether your operation is built to manage risk at a professional level.

Ready to see what a professionally managed Memphis short-term rental actually earns? Run your numbers with our free STR Calculator or call us at (901) 244-2911.