Gilmer County, Georgia
Unincorporated Gilmer County, GA vacation rental requirements
Every short-term rental in unincorporated Gilmer County needs a yearly county host license, a safety inspection by a qualified professional, and letters to neighbors within 250 feet. Guests are capped at 2 per bedroom plus 2, and you report the county’s 8% hotel-motel tax every month.
Checked against official sources November 6, 2026Download checklist (PDF)Free. A printable version of this guide to tick off, with the official sources.
Gilmer County says a short-term rental is not a commercial business: you need the host license, not a business license. Property management companies need an occupational tax certificate.
Operating more than 30 days without a license brings a penalty of three times the license fee.
If the road to your rental crosses private property, you must attest to a road maintenance agreement.
Your licensing checklist
In order: the state, the county, then the town.
State of Georgia
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
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
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.
Gilmer County, Georgia
Then your city or area
Permits, zoning, and the hotel-motel tax depend on whether you’re inside a city. Pick your area.
Gilmer County (unincorporated areas)
Request the application
Email strlicense@gilmercounty-ga.gov with the subject “NEW STR HOST LICENSE,” the property address, and the owner’s name, email, and phone. You’ll get an access code for the online application (allow about a week, and up to 3 weeks for approval).Source
Get the safety inspection
A qualified professional inspects; fix any issues. You need smoke detectors in and outside sleeping areas and on every level, CO detectors with gas, a tagged 2A:10BC extinguisher on every level, GFCI outlets, covered receptacles, and keyless exit doors.Source
Notify your neighbors
Send a good neighbor letter with your responsible party’s contact to adjoining owners and everyone within 250 feet, and list the addresses and dates on your application.Source
Post the house information
By the main door or fridge (or in a binder in the living room): the responsible party, the 911 address, a floor plan (at least 8½ × 11) with fire exits and escape routes, the nearest hospital, parking rules, quiet hours, maximum occupancy, and burn-ban notices.Source
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. File the county’s 8% hotel-motel tax return online by the 20th with supporting documents. If Airbnb paid, you still report the revenue and enter $0 due.Source
House rules for guests
Sources
- Occupancy tax collection and remittance by Airbnb in Georgia · Airbnb
- Rule 560-13-2-.01 amendment notice (2025) · Georgia Department of Revenue
- License for short term rental · Gilmer County Short Term Rental Department
- Code section · Gilmer County (Municode)
- Taxes – short term rental (hotel/motel taxes and reporting) · Gilmer County Short Term Rental Department
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.