LicensedRental

Butts County, Georgia

Jackson, GA vacation rental requirements

Jackson allows short-term rentals (15 days or less) only in single-family detached homes zoned R-15, R-20, or R-30, and only for individual homeowners, not LLCs. Permits are renewed every January: $50 for your primary residence and $250 for a second home, with no more than two per person.

Checked against official sources November 6, 2026

Download checklist (PDF)Free. A printable version of this guide to tick off, with the official sources.

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Zoning
R-15, R-20, R-30 detached homes only
Not townhomes, apartments, multifamily, or manufactured homes.Source
Who can get a permit
Homeowners only
Not businesses, LLCs, or corporations; no more than two rentals per person.Source
Permit fee
$50 primary home, $250 second home
Renewed by January 1 each year.Source
Taxes
8% sales tax + 8% hotel-motel tax + $5/night

Two or more code citations in the previous calendar year revoke the permit.

Permits aren’t grandfathered: when the council changes the rules, existing rentals must comply by the next calendar year.

Your licensing checklist

In order: the state, the county, then the town.

State of Georgia

  1. 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

  2. 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

    Georgia Tax Center →

  3. 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.

Butts County, Georgia

  1. Then your city or area

    Pick your area.

City of Jackson

  1. Apply for the permit

    Apply each year with your name, address, and contact, the rental’s address (zoned R-15, R-20, or R-30), and a valid photo ID. Each dwelling needs its own permit.Source

  2. 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. The permit holder pays the city’s 8% hotel-motel tax to the City of Jackson for direct bookings.Source

Sources

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.