LicensedRental

Fulton County, Georgia

Atlanta, GA vacation rental requirements

Every short-term rental in Atlanta needs a city license ($150 a year), and the license number must appear in every listing. Through December 31, 2026, a host can license only their primary residence plus one other unit; a September 2026 ordinance removes that limit on January 1, 2027. Stays pay 8.9% sales tax plus Atlanta’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, $150 a year
Nonrefundable; renewed every year. Owners or long-term tenants can apply.Source
One-plus-one rule
Ends January 1, 2027
Until then a license covers your primary residence and one additional unit. Ordinance 26-O-1510 removes the limit from January 1, 2027.Source
Zoning
Allowed in most residential zones
Single-family, two-family, and multifamily districts list short-term rentals as permitted, subject to Part 20. Banned in the Home Park district (SPI-8).Source
Maximum guests
2 adults per bedroom
Taxes
8.9% sales + 8% hotel-motel + $5/night
8.9% sales tax in both the Fulton and DeKalb parts of the city (DOR chart); 8% hotel-motel tax under city code §20-1010.Source

The one-plus-one rule: until January 1, 2027, the code limits a license to your primary residence and one additional unit. Ordinance 26-O-1510 deletes that language from January 1, 2027. A sponsor said the 2021 limit was never enforced.

A separate council bill to create an Office of Short-Term Rentals and regulate platforms was still held in committee in September 2026.

Part of Atlanta is in DeKalb County. The city license and taxes are the same there.

HOA, condo, and lease rules still apply on top of the city license.

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 Atlanta

  1. Notify your neighbors

    Before you apply, send a notice by certified mail to each property next to yours. It must give the rental’s address and your agent’s name, address, phone, and email. Keep the receipts for your application.Source

  2. Apply online for the license

    Apply through the city’s online permitting portal and pay the $150 fee. Include your 24-hour agent (you can be your own), the parking spaces, your signed acknowledgment, and the house rules you will post (noise limits, 2 adults per bedroom, parking).Source

    Atlanta short-term rental page →

  3. List the license number and post the license

    Put the license number in every online listing. Inside the unit, post the license with your agent’s contact details, the maximum occupancy, and the maximum number of cars. No outdoor signs.Source

  4. Taxes on each stay

    Stays here owe 8.9% 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. Atlanta’s hotel-motel tax is 8%. For direct bookings, file it with the City of Atlanta.Source

House rules for guests

Agent
Reachable 24 hours
Tell the city within 10 business days if your agent changes.Source
Violations
$500 each; 3 strikes = 12-month bar
Three violations at one property revoke pending licenses and block new applications there for 12 months.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.