Houston County, Georgia
Perry, GA vacation rental requirements
Perry requires a yearly short-term rental permit and inspection, and in residential zones a special exception approved by City Council. A new rental in a residential zone must be at least 1,000 feet from any other permitted one, and guests are capped at 10.
Checked against official sources November 6, 2026Download checklist (PDF)Free. A printable version of this guide to tick off, with the official sources.
You can’t convert a garage or add bedrooms to a home in a residential zone to use it as a short-term rental.
More than two citations in 12 months can cost you the permit, and you then wait a year to reapply.
Every listing must show your permit number, and guests must get the city’s host rules and sign a rental 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.
Houston County, Georgia
Then your city or area
Permits and the hotel-motel tax are set by each city, and by the county outside city limits. Pick your area.
City of Perry
Check the spacing map
Make sure your property isn’t within 1,000 feet of an existing permitted short-term rental on the city’s STR map.Source
Apply for the special exception and permit
In a residential zone, file the special exception application and the STR supplement through the Citizens Self-Service portal. After the inspection, the Planning Commission holds a hearing and City Council decides. In a commercial district, staff issue the permit.Source
Pass the inspection
The city inspects before the first permit and each renewal: egress windows in every bedroom, smoke detectors in and outside each bedroom and on every floor, CO detectors with gas appliances or an attached garage, handrails, pool barriers, and a visible address.Source
Line up insurance, a license, and a local contact
Keep $1 million per occurrence liability insurance that shows the short-term rental use, a City of Perry occupational tax certificate, and a local contact who can be at the property within one hour.Source
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. Perry’s 8% hotel-motel tax is filed with the City of Perry; the city can ask for a list of your guests and the taxes paid.Source
Fees
| Special exception application and initial permit | $325 |
|---|---|
| Annual renewal | $212 |
| First inspection | Free |
| Re-inspectionPlus $78 more for each later visit | $145 |
Inspection checklist
What the inspector looks for, from City of Perry’s published checklist.
- Egress window in each sleeping room
- Smoke detectors on every story, outside and inside each sleeping room
- CO detectors outside sleeping rooms if there’s an attached garage or fuel-burning appliance
- Handrails on stairs with 4+ risers; guardrails above 30 inches
- Pool enclosures and alarms, if there’s a pool
- Address visible from the street; garbage receptacles
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 Rentals (STR) fact sheet · City of Perry, Department of Community Development
- Short Term Rental Inspection Checklist · City of Perry
- Code section · City of Perry (Municode)
- Hotel/motel excise tax rates and revenue report · Georgia Department of Community Affairs
- Short-Term Rentals · City of Perry
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.