LicensedRental

Walker County, Georgia

Chickamauga, GA vacation rental requirements

Chickamauga allows short-term vacation rentals only inside its short-term rental overlay district, with a city certificate and business license. Homes in R-1 and R-2 are limited to 5 bedrooms, and non-owner-occupied applications go to neighbors within 300 feet for comment.

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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Where
Short-term rental district only
R-1 (main house), R-2 (secondary unit), or C-1 with a conditional use permit. The map is at city offices.Source
Size limit
5 bedrooms in R-1/R-2; 9 in C-1
Maximum guests
2 per bedroom up to 140 sq ft
Larger bedrooms: area ÷ 70 sq ft.Source
Taxes
8% sales tax + 5% hotel-motel tax + $5/night

Your agent must be customarily present in Walker or Catoosa County. One person can hold no more than three non-owner-occupied certificates in multifamily buildings.

Application fees are set by the mayor and council.

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.

Walker 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.

City of Chickamauga

  1. Confirm you’re in the district

    Ask the planning and zoning office whether your parcel is in the short-term vacation rental district. The property can’t have had a code violation in the 3 months before you apply.Source

  2. Apply with a site plan

    Submit a scaled site plan showing the buildings, parking, and guest access, a narrative (area rented, bedrooms, maximum guests, days of operation, trash plan), a code verification form, proof of insurance, and your business license number.Source

  3. Notify neighbors (non-owner-occupied)

    The city mails letters to owners within 300 feet, who get 30 days to object; the fire marshal and a building inspector may inspect; you post a city sign on the property for at least 15 days.Source

  4. 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. Chickamauga charges a 5% hotel-motel tax; file it with the City of Chickamauga.Source

House rules for guests

Minimum stay
24 hours
Source
Signs
No on-site rental signs (except 5+ acre sites)
Source
Parking
On site, not on vegetated areas
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.