Rabun County, Georgia
Unincorporated Rabun County, GA vacation rental requirements
Rabun County requires a yearly license for every short-term rental, charges $50 per advertised guest, and caps guests at 12. New rentals are allowed in the vacation cottage (V-C) and business zones, or in a homesteaded home the owner lives in at least 180 days a year; residential and agricultural zones keep only rentals licensed before 2023, until they sell.
Checked against official sources November 6, 2026Download checklist (PDF)Free. A printable version of this guide to tick off, with the official sources.
The representative must inspect the home at the end of every stay.
Three violations in 12 months means you can renew only with a $10,000 bond. Fines are $500 for a first offense and $1,000 after that.
Licenses end when the property is sold.
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.
Rabun 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.
Rabun County (unincorporated areas)
Check your zoning
Confirm your parcel is zoned V-C, H-B, or C-B. A home you live in with a homestead exemption at least 180 days a year can be rented in any zone.Source
Register the public accommodation
File the public accommodation registration and sales tax form with its affidavit at the Rabun County Marshal’s Office. In an HOA, sign an affidavit that rentals don’t violate the covenants.Source
Apply for the license with a floor sketch
Include your Georgia DOR sales tax registration, a scaled sketch of each floor showing bedrooms, exits, stairs, smoke and CO detectors, extinguishers, pools, and exit signs, your maximum occupancy, a sample rental agreement, and a notarized statement from your representative.Source
Post the information and hand out the evacuation map
By the main entrance, post the representative’s contact, maximum occupancy, maximum parking, trash location, nearest hospital, and “dial 911.” Give guests an evacuation map (at least 8½ × 11) at check-in.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. File the county’s 8% excise tax with Rabun County by the 20th of each month.Source
Fees
| Short-term rental license | $50 per advertised occupant, per year, per unit |
|---|---|
| Public accommodations registration | $30 per facility (max $200) |
| Administrative fee | $25 a year |
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
- Code section · Rabun County (Municode)
- Code section · Rabun County (Municode)
- Code section · Rabun County (Municode)
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.