Walton County, Georgia
Monroe, GA vacation rental requirements
Monroe requires a separate city business license for each short-term rental, filed by the owner with the planning department, plus a city hotel-motel tax registration. Owners must install security cameras covering the driveway and entry points.
Checked against official sources November 6, 2026Download checklist (PDF)Free. A printable version of this guide to tick off, with the official sources.
Rentals for more than 10 overnight guests must meet the access and life safety codes for hotels.
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.
Walton County, Georgia
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 Monroe
Apply to the planning department
Include owner and contact information, bedrooms and square footage, a code compliance verification form, a diagram or photo of the paved parking spaces, and your city hotel-motel tax registration. The fee follows the city occupation tax schedule.Source
Meet the unit rules
Rent the whole unit, accessory apartment, or accessory dwelling, one rental per address, at least 300 square feet with a bedroom, bathroom, sink, microwave, and refrigerator. Install a hard-wired interconnected smoke system and fire extinguishers as the code officer requires.Source
Post the notice
Post the license, conditions, 24-hour contact, maximum guests, vehicles and a parking sketch, daytime visitor limit, trash day, and noise rules by the front door. Changing the contact costs $25.Source
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. Register with the city and file Monroe’s 5% hotel-motel tax for direct bookings.Source
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 · City of Monroe (Municode)
- Hotel/motel excise tax rates and revenue report · Georgia Department of Community Affairs
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.