Cherokee County, Georgia
Woodstock, GA vacation rental requirements
Woodstock requires a yearly short-term rental certificate, filed as an addendum to a city home occupation license. Your agent must reach the property within two hours of a city call, and you need vacation rental insurance.
Checked against official sources November 6, 2026Download checklist (PDF)Free. A printable version of this guide to tick off, with the official sources.
Fines: $500, $750, then $1,000 within 12 months, not reducible. Three violations in 12 months revoke the certificate for a year.
Changing agents means applying for a new certificate within 30 days.
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.
Cherokee County, Georgia
Then your city or area
Inside a city, the city’s own hotel-motel tax normally applies instead of the county’s; ask your city to confirm. Pick your area.
City of Woodstock
Apply with Development Services
File under oath with owner and agent contacts, parking spaces on the property (per the city’s residential parking rules), an HOA statement if you’re in one, a sample rental agreement, a signed code compliance form, and proof of rental/vacation property insurance.Source
Post the certificate
Post it inside with the agent’s contact, occupational tax certificate number, maximum occupancy, and maximum vehicles.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. For direct bookings, file the City of Woodstock’s 8% hotel-motel tax with the city.Source
Sources
- Occupancy tax collection and remittance by Airbnb in Georgia · Airbnb
- Rule 560-13-2-.01 amendment notice (2025) · Georgia Department of Revenue
- Code section · City of Woodstock (Municode)
- Hotel/motel excise tax rates and revenue report · Georgia Department of Community Affairs
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.