LicensedRental

Cobb County, Georgia

Acworth, GA vacation rental requirements

Acworth allows short-term rentals as an accessory use in its residential zones with an occupational tax certificate. The owner (or, for an LLC, the agent) must live in Cobb, Cherokee, Bartow, or Paulding County, and you must list on a platform that collects 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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City license
Occupational tax certificate
$57.75 administrative fee plus tax based on gross receipts; renew by June 30.Source
Zoning
Residential districts R-1 to RM-8
Not listed in commercial or industrial districts.Source
Residency
Owner lives in Cobb, Cherokee, Bartow, or Paulding
If an LLC or other entity owns it, the agent must live in one of those counties.Source
Maximum guests
2 per bedroom
Taxes
6% sales tax + 8% hotel-motel tax + $5/night

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.

Cobb County, Georgia

  1. Then your city or area

    Permits, zoning, and the hotel-motel tax are set by each city or by the county outside city limits. 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 Acworth

  1. List on a tax-collecting platform

    The zoning code requires every short-term rental to register on a platform that collects hotel-motel tax (Airbnb or VRBO, for example). The application asks for proof of your listing, or a tax remittance form if you use another platform.Source

  2. Apply for the occupational tax certificate

    Submit the application with a secure ID, the SAVE affidavit, and your state sales tax certificate if you have one. Pay after all departments approve. Name a 24-hour agent for complaints.Source

    Acworth application (PDF) →

  3. Taxes on each stay

    Stays here owe 6% 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. The City of Acworth’s hotel-motel tax is 8%.Source

House rules for guests

One booking at a time
One rental agreement per structure
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.