LicensedRental

Greene County, Georgia

Unincorporated Greene County, GA vacation rental requirements

Outside its cities, Greene County allows short-term rentals (1 to 30 nights) only inside a county-approved overlay district or in homes grandfathered from 2016–2017, plus anywhere during April 1–15. Licensed rentals need a county business license, a hotel-motel tax registration, and a local contact within 60 miles.

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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Where allowed
Overlay (STRO) districts only
Three exist, all in Reynolds Lake Oconee. A neighborhood needs owners of 60% of its parcels to apply.Source
Masters window
April 1–15, no license needed
Occupancy, parking, noise, and contact rules still apply.Source
Grandfathered homes
If rented and taxed 9/1/2016–8/31/2017
Status ends if sold to an unrelated party.Source
Maximum guests
2 per bedroom + 2
Plus up to 6 daytime visitors.Source
Taxes
8% sales + 5% county hotel-motel + $5/night

The county reported penalties up to $1,000 for each day a home is marketed or rented without complying.

The license fee follows the county occupation tax schedule; we didn’t find the amount.

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.

Greene County, Georgia

  1. Then your city or area

    Permits, zoning, and the hotel-motel tax are set by each city, and by the county outside city limits. Pick your area.

Greene County (unincorporated areas)

  1. Confirm you are in an overlay district or grandfathered

    Ask the Zoning Administrator whether your lot is in a Short-Term Rental Overlay District. Districts last five years and are renewed after a public hearing.Source

  2. Apply for the business license with the County Clerk

    Include your local contact, bedroom count and square footage, a code compliance form, a diagram or photo of the on-site parking, your county hotel-motel tax registration, and your state sales tax number. The license expires December 31.Source

  3. Post the notice and name a local contact

    Post a notice by the front door with the 24-hour contact, maximum guests and vehicles (with a parking sketch), trash day, and noise rules. The contact must live in the county or within 60 miles and respond within an hour. Changing contacts costs $25.Source

  4. Taxes on each stay

    Stays here owe 8% 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 5% hotel-motel tax with Greene County for direct bookings.Source

House rules for guests

Parking
All on the property
No guest parking on roads or the county right-of-way.Source
Smoke alarms
Hard-wired, interconnected system
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.