LicensedRental

Chatham County, Georgia

Thunderbolt, GA vacation rental requirements

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.

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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Cap
70 registrations
Owner-occupied rentals don’t count toward the cap. Others go on a waiting list.Source
Registration
Yearly, by December 31
Plus a business license and occupation tax certificate. Fees are set by the town’s fee schedule.Source
Guests
4 (1-2 bedrooms); 2 per bedroom (3+)
Taxes
7% sales + 6% hotel-motel + $5/night

Operating without a registration can cost up to $250 a day. A change of ownership, including a change in an LLC’s members, ends the permit.

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.

Chatham County, Georgia

  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.

Town of Thunderbolt

  1. Register with the town

    Register each rental at Town Hall or online with the owner and agent contacts, bedrooms, maximum occupancy, and a drawing of on- and off-site parking. Give the owner and agent contacts to adjacent neighbors on the town’s form letter.Source

  2. 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. Thunderbolt’s hotel-motel tax is 6% (DCA report). For direct bookings, file it with the Town of Thunderbolt.Source

House rules for guests

Minimum use
90 rental days a year
Or the permit is presumed abandoned.Source
Not allowed
Mobile homes, RVs, tiny homes, boats
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.