LicensedRental

Georgia county rules

Chatham County, GA vacation rental rules and taxes

Chatham County is Georgia’s biggest short-term rental market, led by Savannah and Tybee Island. Savannah caps whole-home rentals in its historic wards, Tybee limits them in residential zones, Pooler, Thunderbolt, and Garden City require permits, and the county licenses rentals outside city limits.

Checked against official sources November 6, 2026
Market
About 4,400 Airbnb listings
Savannah 2,540, Tybee Island 1,390, Pooler 118, Thunderbolt 67, Port Wentworth 53 (AirROI).Source
Sales tax
7%
State 4% + local 3%, on stays under 90 days.Source
Hotel-motel tax
6% to 8%
Savannah 8%, Tybee Island 7%, Pooler, Port Wentworth, Garden City, Thunderbolt, and unincorporated county 6%.Source
Local permits
Most cities and the county
Savannah, Tybee Island, Pooler, Thunderbolt, Garden City, and unincorporated Chatham County each require a rental certificate or permit.

Each city files its own hotel-motel tax. Inside a city, the city’s tax applies; the county’s 6% applies outside city limits.

What to do

  1. 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.

Towns

Full guide

Garden City

Garden City allows short-term rentals in its R-A, R-1(B), R-2, R-I-N, and M zones with a city short-term rental permit and a business license. Stays pay 7% sales tax plus the city’s 6% hotel-motel tax.

Full guide

Pooler

Pooler requires a yearly short-term rental certificate and a business license, and won’t issue a new certificate within 500 feet of a licensed rental. Stays are capped at 27 nights. Stays pay 7% sales tax plus Pooler’s 6% hotel-motel tax.

Full guide

Port Wentworth

We found no short-term rental permit or rules in Port Wentworth’s code. Stays owe 7% sales tax + 6% hotel-motel tax + $5/night; Airbnb collects these on its bookings.

Full guide

Savannah

Savannah allows whole-home short-term rentals only in its STVR overlay (the Downtown, Victorian, and Streetcar historic districts), and most Downtown and Victorian wards have hit their 20% cap on non-owner-occupied rentals. You need a city STVR certificate ($400 new, $250 a year to renew) and a business tax certificate. Stays pay 7% sales tax plus Savannah’s 8% hotel-motel tax.

Full guide

Thunderbolt

Thunderbolt caps short-term rentals at 70 registrations (owner-occupied homes don’t count) and requires a yearly registration and business license. A new owner doesn’t inherit the permit. Stays pay 7% sales tax plus the town’s 6% hotel-motel tax.

Full guide

Tybee Island

Tybee Island requires a yearly short-term rental registration and occupation tax certificate, and limits rentals in its R-1, R-1-B, and R-2 residential zones. New rules adopted in August 2026 divide the island into sectors with caps and take effect January 1, 2027. Stays pay 7% sales tax plus Tybee’s 7% room tax.

Full guide

Unincorporated Chatham County

Outside city limits, Chatham County requires a yearly short-term rental certificate ($350) and an occupation registration. The county paused new rentals for 120 days in July 2026 and amended its ordinance in September 2026. Stays pay 7% sales tax plus the county’s 6% hotel-motel tax.

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.