LicensedRental

Georgia county rules

Athens-Clarke County, GA vacation rental rules and taxes

Athens-Clarke County has about 600 Airbnb listings, busiest on UGA game days. Since 2024 the unified government allows owner-occupied “home occupation” rentals in residential zones but limits investor-owned “commercial” rentals to commercial districts, and grandfathered rentals must comply by March 2027.

Checked against official sources November 6, 2026
Market
About 600 Airbnb listings
Athens-Clarke County 602 (AirROI).Source
Owner-occupied rentals
Home occupation permit, $20
The owner-occupant or a long-term tenant must live there; one structure per parcel.Source
Investor-owned rentals
Commercial zones only
Commercial STRs are permitted in C-G, C-D, C-O, C-N, and C-R and not permitted in the RM-1 to RM-3 residential districts.Source
Grandfathered rentals
Must comply by March 1, 2027
24 months from the March 1, 2025 final list; a sale ends the status.Source
Taxes
8% sales + 7% hotel-motel + $5/night
Airbnb and Vrbo pay the 7% on their bookings.Source

Rentals on the legal non-conforming list may keep operating until 24 months after March 1, 2025, unless the property is sold or the rental stops for 12 months. Plan to comply or stop by then.

We didn’t read the single-family (RS) district use table. Ask Planning whether a commercial STR is allowed in your district before you buy.

Winterville is a separate city inside the county with its own license.

What to do

  1. Decide which type you are

    A home occupation STR is run by the owner-occupant (or a long-term tenant with the owner’s permission) and only one structure on the parcel can be rented. Any other rental is a commercial STR, allowed only where its zoning district permits it.Source

    ACCGov short-term rentals →

  2. Owner-occupied: apply for a home occupation permit

    File the $20 application with two forms of ID showing primary residency, a notarized affidavit, a site plan showing the rental structure and on-site parking, and the Fire Marshal’s STR acknowledgement. No on-street parking by guests and no signs.Source

  3. Commercial: submit through plans review

    Commercial STRs go through Construction Plans Review. You must give neighbors within 300 feet your local contact’s name and phone, and tell guests the maximum occupancy, vehicles, and noise and parking rules. Tents, RVs, and accessory structures can’t add occupancy.Source

  4. 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. Get a business occupation tax certificate. For direct bookings, pay the 7% hotel motel tax to Athens-Clarke County by the 20th of the next month.Source

Towns

Full guide

Winterville

Winterville requires a yearly city short-term rental license ($150). An owner can license their own home plus only one other short-term rental in the city.

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.