LicensedRental

Forsyth County, Georgia

Unincorporated Forsyth County, GA vacation rental requirements

Forsyth County allows short-term rentals only on A1 or Ag-Res zoned property, and only after the Board of Commissioners grants a conditional use permit. Approved rentals then need a $250 yearly county license, a local contact on call, and occupancy limits of no more than 15 overnight guests.

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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Zoning
A1 and Ag-Res only, by conditional use permit
Short-term rentals elsewhere aren’t allowed.Source
County license
$250 a year
Renew by the second Monday in December; $50 to update the local contact.Source
Maximum guests
2 per bedroom + 2, up to 15
On septic: 2 per bedroom, up to 15, counting everyone.Source
Local contact
On site within 3 hours
Taxes
7% sales tax + 8% hotel-motel tax + $5/night

Fines up to $250, $500, then $1,000 within 12 months; the second violation suspends the license 30 to 90 days and the third revokes it.

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.

Forsyth 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.

Forsyth County (unincorporated areas)

  1. Apply for a conditional use permit

    The board considers overnight and daytime occupancy, bedrooms, the paved parking area, lot size, distance to neighbors, and sewer or septic capacity, and may add conditions.Source

  2. Then get the county license

    Pay the occupation tax and keep property taxes current. Apply with bedrooms, square footage, and maximum overnight and daytime guests, and swear that bedrooms meet egress codes. The county decides within 30 days.Source

  3. Post the notice by the front door

    Show the owner and local contact with a 24-hour number, guest limits, maximum vehicles with a sketch of the parking spaces, trash day, and quiet hours. Put the license number in every ad.Source

  4. 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 Forsyth County’s 8% hotel-motel tax with the county.Source

House rules for guests

Responsible guest
At least 21
Source
Vehicles
One per bedroom (or the paved lot’s capacity)
Boats and trailers count as vehicles.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.