Chatham County, Georgia
Savannah, GA vacation rental requirements
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.
Checked against official sources November 6, 2026Download checklist (PDF)Free. A printable version of this guide to tick off, with the official sources.
Certificates don’t transfer. A new owner of a property with a certificate issued before September 28, 2017 keeps the cap exemption only by applying within six months of the sale.
Renting a room in your own home is a separate use (a bed and breakfast homestay), not an STVR.
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.
Chatham 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.
City of Savannah
Confirm your address qualifies
Check that the property is inside the STVR overlay and, in the Downtown and Victorian districts, whether its ward has reached the 20% cap. Owner-occupied parcels are exempt from the cap. If your ward is full, file the waiting list form. In the Streetcar district, TN-2 parcels need two or more units, one owner-occupied.Source
Apply for the STVR certificate
Apply through the city’s STVR registration portal with the $400 fee. Include an exemplar rental agreement, proof of insurance that names the short-term rental use, proof you notified the adjacent property owners, and, for condos, the declaration showing short-term leasing is allowed.Source
Get your business tax certificate
After the application is approved, get a Business Tax Certificate from the Revenue Department and send a copy to Planning and Urban Design. The STVR certificate is issued after that.Source
Taxes on each stay
Stays here owe 7% 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. Savannah’s hotel-motel tax is 8%. For direct bookings, file it with the city Revenue Department by the 20th of the following month.Source
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 vacation rental regulations · City of Savannah
- STVR application process · City of Savannah
- Local and state taxes (STVR) · City of Savannah
- STVR - Short-Term Vacation Rentals · City of Savannah
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.