LicensedRental

Morgan County, Georgia

Madison, GA vacation rental requirements

Madison has no separate short-term rental permit; its code applies its bed and breakfast rules to any home offered for stays under 30 days. A B&B must be owner-occupied and licensed, and temporary stays need council approval.

Checked against official sources November 6, 2026

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Short stays
Covered by the B&B article
“Any residence offered as lodging for less than 30 days” is subject to the temporary-establishment section.Source
Bed and breakfast
Owner-occupied, up to 4 guest rooms
The 50%+ owner must live there (183+ nights a year).Source
Taxes
8% sales + 5% city hotel-motel + $5/night

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.

Morgan 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.

City of Madison

  1. Talk to the city before listing a whole home

    Temporary lodging needs written council approval, for no more than 4 consecutive days and 8 days a year, and the code ties it to charitable or nonprofit purposes. Ask the City of Madison how it applies this to Airbnb-style rentals.Source

  2. For a B&B, get a license and inspections

    Submit a floor plan, a survey plat showing the distance to the nearest licensed B&B, and the fees in the city schedule. Building, fire, and health officials inspect before the license is issued; licenses run to December 31.Source

  3. 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. Madison’s 5% hotel-motel tax applies inside city limits; file it with the city for direct bookings.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.