LicensedRental

Union County, Georgia

Unincorporated Union County, GA vacation rental requirements

Union County licenses every short-term rental outside Blairsville, with a cap of 5% of the county’s housing units and no more than two licenses per owner. Guests are limited to 2 per bedroom plus 2 (never more than 15), and you file a monthly tax return even when Airbnb pays.

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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STR license
$150 a year (2023 fee)
Expires July 31; $75 late after August 31. Fee set by the county’s fee schedule.Source
Cap
5% of housing units; 2 per owner
New licenses wait in a queue and are approved at commission meetings.Source
Maximum guests
2 per bedroom + 2, up to 15
Bedrooms as permitted on the septic permit. Daytime limit is twice that.Source
Registered agent
Responds within 2 hours, 24/7
Taxes
7% sales tax + 5% county excise tax + $5/night

Two or more rentals on one parcel owned by the same person are a “tourist accommodation” permitted by the Department of Public Health instead, but still register for the county tax.

A new owner has 15 days after closing to apply and gets first right to the existing license.

Renting without a license can bring a fine up to $1,000 and up to 60 days in jail.

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.

Union County, Georgia

  1. Then your city or area

    Permits, zoning, and the hotel-motel tax depend on whether you’re inside a city. Pick your area.

Union County (unincorporated areas)

  1. Gather your documents

    You need a photo ID, a notarized SAVE affidavit, and your septic permit (or a septic evaluation from the health department). New owners email page 1 of the closing statement; others call the STR office for a registration letter and code.Source

    Union County STR resources →

  2. Apply online and wait for approval

    Applying puts the property in the queue; you may rent only after the county approves the license at a commission meeting. An inspection may be scheduled (free; $75 for a second follow-up).Source

  3. Notify neighbors and post the house information

    Give a good neighbor letter to properties within 100 feet. Inside, post the agent’s contact, the 911 address, a floor plan with exits and extinguishers, occupancy and parking limits, trash instructions, and the county’s amplified-sound rules.Source

  4. Meet the safety rules

    A 5-lb extinguisher on every floor, a smoke alarm in each sleeping room, hallway, basement, and enclosed garage, CO detectors on each floor if heated by gas, and posted escape routes in multi-story homes.Source

  5. 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. Union County’s 5% excise tax return is due by the 20th for each property every month, even with $0 due. Airbnb remits in a lump sum, so you must still report.Source

House rules for guests

Parking
Inside the property lines
No parking in road rights of way or easements.Source
Pets
Leashed when outside unfenced property
Source
Ads
Show your license number and permitted occupancy
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.