Barrow County, Georgia
Unincorporated Barrow County, GA vacation rental requirements
Barrow County requires a $250 yearly short-term rental permit for homes in its residential zones, with no more than 5 bedrooms rented and 12 overnight guests. The county also charges a 5% hotel-motel tax outside city limits.
Checked against official sources November 6, 2026Download checklist (PDF)Free. A printable version of this guide to tick off, with the official sources.
The DCA report doesn’t list Barrow County’s hotel-motel tax; the 5% rate comes from the county code.
Your licensing checklist
In order: the state, the county, then the town.
State of Georgia
Know what the platform collects
Airbnb collects state and local sales tax, the $5-a-night state hotel-motel fee, and the local hotel-motel tax on its Georgia bookings. Ask any other platform what it collects, and keep records either way.Source
Register for direct bookings
If guests book and pay you directly, register for sales tax with the Georgia Tax Center and file the local hotel-motel tax with your city or county. If your city or county requires a business license or occupation tax for the rental, the DOR treats you as an innkeeper and you also owe the $5 state fee on direct bookings.Source
Check your city or county
Most of the rules are local: short-term rental permits, business licenses (occupation tax), zoning limits, and caps. Some cities ban rentals in residential zones. Pick your area.
Barrow County, Georgia
Then your city or area
Permits, zoning, and the hotel-motel tax are set by each city, and by the county outside city limits. Pick your area.
Barrow County (unincorporated areas)
Apply to Planning & Community Development
Include ownership and contact details, bedrooms and square footage, a sworn safety statement for each bedroom, parking spaces, an HOA letter if you’re in one, and a health department septic evaluation if you have septic. The county decides within 30 days.Source
Post the notice and use the permit number
Post the owner and contact numbers, nearest hospital, maximum guests and vehicles, trash day, and quiet hours by the front door, with the permit. Every ad must show the permit number, maximum occupancy, vehicles, and noise rules.Source
Taxes on each stay
Stays here owe 8% sales tax, the local hotel-motel tax, and the $5-a-night state fee. Airbnb collects all three on its bookings. For direct bookings, file sales tax (and the $5 fee, if you need a local license) with the Georgia Tax Center. Pay the county’s 5% hotel-motel tax to the Barrow County clerk for direct bookings, and the county occupation tax.Source
Fees
| Permit or renewal | $250 a year |
|---|---|
| Appeal of a denial | $250 |
| Violations in 12 monthsWith a 30–90 day suspension, then revocation for 12 months. | Up to $250, $500, then $1,000 |
Inspection checklist
What the inspector looks for, from Barrow County (unincorporated areas)’s published checklist.
- Smoke detector in every bedroom, outside each bedroom, and on each story
- Carbon monoxide detector outside the bedrooms
- Emergency escape window or door in every bedroom
- 5-lb ABC fire extinguisher on each floor
- House number visible from the street
House rules for guests
Sources
- Occupancy tax collection and remittance by Airbnb in Georgia · Airbnb
- Rule 560-13-2-.01 amendment notice (2025) · Georgia Department of Revenue
- Short-Term Rentals, Ch. 26, Art. V (§§26-150 to 26-159) · Barrow County Planning & Community Development
- Code section · Barrow County (Municode)
A plain-language summary to help you prepare, not legal advice. Rules and fees change; confirm with the office before you apply. Spot something out of date? Email hello@licensedrental.com.