LicensedRental

Decatur County, Georgia

Bainbridge, GA vacation rental requirements

Bainbridge has allowed short-term rentals since 2018, defined as renting one to six rooms of a home for less than 30 days, with or without the owner living there. You need a city occupational tax certificate and must pay the city’s 8% 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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Allowed
1 to 6 rooms, stays under 30 days
Owner may or may not live there (2018 council vote).Source
Business license
Occupational tax certificate
Taxes
9% sales + 8% hotel-motel + $5/night

Our only source for the rules is 2018 news coverage. Confirm current zoning, permit, and parking rules with the city.

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.

Decatur County, Georgia

  1. Then your city or area

    Business licenses, zoning, and the local hotel-motel tax are set by each city and the county. Pick your area.

City of Bainbridge

  1. Get an occupational tax certificate

    The city treats a short-term rental as a lodging business that needs an occupational tax certificate. Ask the City of Bainbridge which zones allow it and what other guidelines apply; we couldn’t find the rules in the online code.Source

  2. Taxes on each stay

    Stays here owe 9% 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. Bainbridge’s hotel-motel tax is 8%; for direct bookings, file it with the City of Bainbridge.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.