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Georgia Airbnb & Short-Term Rental Laws 2026

LawfulStay tracks short-term rental (STR / Airbnb / Vrbo / holiday let / vacation rental) regulations for 16 jurisdictions across Georgia. Select a city below for current permit requirements, tax rates, and compliance details.

11 Active 4 Restricted 1 Pending

Georgia Airbnb & Vacation Rental Regulation Overview

The short-term rental regulatory landscape in Georgia encompasses 16 tracked jurisdictions: 11 with active regulations, 4 with restrictions, 1 with pending legislation. Hosts operating on platforms like Airbnb, VRBO, and Booking.com should verify local requirements before listing, as rules vary significantly between cities and regions.

Approximately 81% of tracked jurisdictions in Georgia require some form of permit, license, or registration for short-term rental operations. Requirements range from simple online registration to comprehensive permit applications with inspections.

Tax obligations apply in 11 of 16 jurisdictions. Common taxes include occupancy taxes, tourist levies, and sales taxes. Many jurisdictions require hosts to register for tax collection, and some platforms like Airbnb collect and remit taxes automatically in select locations.

Cities with significant restrictions on vacation rentals include Savannah, Chatham County, Chatham County (Unincorporated). These jurisdictions typically impose permit caps, zoning limitations, or primary residence requirements.

LawfulStay monitors Georgia STR regulations daily and updates this page as rules change. Each city page includes detailed permit requirements, fee schedules, tax rates, zoning rules, and penalty information sourced from official government websites.

Chatham County
The Chatham County Board of Commissioners approved a temporary moratorium on new short-term vacation rental licenses in unincorporated Chatham County. The morat…
Restricted
Chatham County (Unincorporated)
Chatham County has imposed a 120-day moratorium on accepting new STR permit applications, running through November 7, 2026, while officials rewrite the 2021 STR…
Restricted
Georgia
Chatham County (unincorporated areas) has imposed a temporary moratorium on new STR license applications while the county develops comprehensive long-term regul…
Restricted
Savannah
Designated rental agent must be available 24/7 and respond within ~2 hours. New applicants must notify adjacent property owners. Condos must show declaration pe…
Restricted
Atlanta
Ordinance 20-O-1656 adopted March 15, 2021; rules effective March 1, 2022; enforcement effective March 5, 2023. A 24/7 contact (STR agent) responsive within ~2 …
Active
Augusta
Augusta-Richmond County has no dedicated short-term rental ordinance or STR-specific permit as of July 2026. Hosts must: (1) obtain a general Occupational Tax C…
Active
Blue Ridge
Two overlapping frameworks: (1) City of Blue Ridge: has its own STR Ordinance (Article V of Ch. 10 Business Regulations, codified in Municode; Ordinance No. BR2…
Active
Conyers
Page exists; detailed research pending.
Active
Dahlonega
Two overlapping regulatory frameworks exist depending on property location: (1) City of Dahlonega limits: governed by Article VIII of the City of Dahlonega Zoni…
Active
Decatur
Decatur's STR ordinance is now fully enforced as of July 1, 2026. All STR operators must have obtained city registration during the April 1 – June 30 grace peri…
Active
Georgia (Statewide)
SB 570 (effective July 1, 2026): All Georgia STR operators must complete state-approved human trafficking recognition training. Properties must post required aw…
Active
Gwinnett County
Ordinance confirmed effective April 14, 2027 (adopted April 14, 2026, 5-0 vote). Annual STR license required for all rentals under 30 days in unincorporated Gwi…
Active
Jekyll Island
Jekyll Island has a unique governance structure: all land is owned by the State of Georgia and vested in the Jekyll Island-State Park Authority (JIA) per O.C.G.…
Active
Nahunta
Page exists; detailed research pending.
Active
St. Simons Island
St. Simons Island is unincorporated Glynn County; the Glynn County STR ordinance (effective July 1, 2021) applies. Owners must: (1) register and obtain a Glynn …
Active
Tybee Island
Proposal must clear planning commission before city council vote; the current 2024 non-transferable-certificate ordinance remains in effect in the interim. Outc…
Pending