Hall County, Georgia
Unincorporated Hall County, GA vacation rental requirements
Hall County allows short-term rentals (2 to 30 nights) in every residential zone with a county short-term rental business license and a $125 building inspection. Guests are capped at 2 per bedroom plus 3, and a local contact must respond within an hour.
Checked against official sources November 6, 2026Download checklist (PDF)Free. A printable version of this guide to tick off, with the official sources.
We didn’t find the business license (occupation tax) amount itself; ask the Business License office.
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.
Hall County, Georgia
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.
Hall County (unincorporated areas)
Apply for the short-term rental business license
Submit the county application with your local contact, bedroom count, square footage, maximum guests, and copies of any covenants with a sworn statement. Review takes 1 to 3 business days, then the application goes to Building Inspections.Source
Pass the building inspection
Building Inspections schedules the $125 inspection and checks the bedrooms; the bedroom count must match the tax card for a whole-house rental. Then pay for the license and pick it up in person.Source
Name a local contact
The contact must be 21 or older, reachable 24/7, and on site within one hour of a county call. Each rental party needs a responsible person 25 or older. Changing the contact costs $25 and the county re-notifies neighbors within 500 feet.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. The county’s 5% hotel-motel tax applies outside city limits; file it with Hall County for direct bookings.Source
Fees
| Building inspectionFrom the county’s STR page. | $125 |
|---|---|
| Change of local contact | $25 |
| Operating without a license | $500 a day |
| Violations in 12 monthsThe third revokes the license for 24 months. | Up to $500, $1,000, then $2,000 |
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
- Short Term Rental Properties · Hall County
- Short Term Rental Code (Ch. 5.100) · Hall County
- Hotel/motel excise tax rates and revenue report · Georgia Department of Community Affairs
- Short Term Rental Business License Application · Hall County Business License
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.