LicensedRental

Fulton County, Georgia

Alpharetta, GA vacation rental requirements

Alpharetta requires a yearly short-term rental license for rentals in residential areas, plus an occupation tax certificate. Guests are limited to 2 per bedroom and 15 overnight, with one paved parking space per bedroom. Stays pay 7.75% sales tax plus 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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City license
Required, renewed each year
Expires December 31. Fee set by city council. Plus an occupation tax certificate.Source
Maximum guests
2 per bedroom, up to 15
Daytime: 4 more, up to 19 people.Source
Parking
1 off-street space per bedroom
On paved or gravel surfaces only; no parking in the yard.Source
Taxes
7.75% sales + 8% hotel-motel + $5/night

We didn’t find the license fee amount in the code; it is set by the city council. Ask 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.

Fulton County, Georgia

  1. Find your city

    Nearly every Fulton address is inside a city, and each city sets its own permit, zoning, and hotel-motel tax rules. Check your city on your property tax bill, then pick it below.

  2. Know what the platform collects

    Airbnb collects state and local sales tax, the $5 state fee, and the city hotel-motel tax on its bookings. For direct bookings you file them yourself.Source

City of Alpharetta

  1. Apply for the license

    Apply yearly with the address, every owner’s contact details, your local contact, the number of bedrooms, the overnight and daytime limits, and a sworn statement that every bedroom and its exits meet safety codes.Source

  2. Set up the house

    Put working smoke detectors in every bedroom, hallway, and common area. Post a notice by the front door with the 24-hour contact, nearest hospital, occupancy and vehicle limits, a parking sketch, trash day, and quiet hours.Source

  3. Rent to a responsible person

    Each booking needs a named responsible person who signs that they understand the rules. Keep those records for a year.Source

  4. Taxes on each stay

    Stays here owe 7.75% 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. Alpharetta’s hotel-motel tax is 8%. For direct bookings, file it with the city.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.