LicensedRental

Douglas County, Georgia

Unincorporated Douglas County, GA vacation rental requirements

We found no short-term rental section in Douglas County’s code on Municode, but news reports say the county hired a vendor to find listings and check them against county codes. Stays owe 7% sales tax, the county’s 8% hotel-motel tax, and $5 a night.

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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County rental permit
None found in the code
Enforcement
Listing monitoring vendor
Taxes
7% sales tax + 8% hotel-motel tax + $5/night

The county’s zoning rules may cover short-term rentals in a part of the code we couldn’t read. Confirm with the county before you list.

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.

Douglas County, Georgia

  1. 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.

Douglas County (unincorporated areas)

  1. Ask Planning and Zoning

    Ask Douglas County Planning and Zoning whether zoning allows a short-term rental at your address and what permit or business license you need. Check your HOA rules too.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. For direct bookings, file Douglas County’s 8% hotel-motel tax with the county.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.