LicensedRental

Fulton County, Georgia

Sandy Springs, GA vacation rental requirements

Sandy Springs allows short-term rentals only at a home the owner lives in, shown by a Fulton County homestead exemption. You need a city business license, a yearly unit permit after a building and fire inspection, and no more than 4 unrelated adult guests. Stays pay 7.75% sales tax plus the city’s 7% 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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Owner-occupancy
Required
Houses, townhouses, and condos must have the owner’s Fulton County homestead exemption.Source
Permit and license
Yearly unit permit + business license
Each unit is inspected for building and fire codes before the permit is issued.Source
Maximum guests
4 unrelated adults
One rental at a time, or two if you are home during both stays.Source
Taxes
7.75% sales + 7% hotel-motel + $5/night

One guest or group can rent for at most 180 days a year, and no extra services (such as meals) may be offered.

We didn’t find the permit fee in the code. 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 Sandy Springs

  1. Confirm you qualify

    The rental must be in or next to the home you live in, and you need a current homestead exemption. Parking must fit on your lot.Source

  2. Get a business license and a unit permit

    Get a city business license and put its number in every ad. Then permit each unit; the city inspects it for building and fire codes first. Permits last one year.Source

  3. Notify your neighbors and post the noise rules

    Give notice to every residential parcel and HOA next to the rental, and post the city noise ordinance inside.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. Sandy Springs’ hotel-motel tax is 7%. 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.