LicensedRental

Walton County, Georgia

Unincorporated Walton County, GA vacation rental requirements

Walton County prohibits short-term rentals except as a conditional use in its A and R3 zones, and even then stays are limited to 7 days, up to 52 rentals a year. You need a conditional use permit, a yearly license, and an annual inspection.

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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Zoning
Conditional use in A and R3 only
Get the conditional use permit before you apply for the license.Source
Stay limit
7 days max, 52 rentals a year
No overlapping or second rental within the same 7-day period.Source
License
Yearly occupation tax certificate
Not prorated; reapply every year; ends on sale.Source
Sales tax
7%

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.

Walton 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.

Walton County (unincorporated areas)

  1. Get a conditional use permit

    Ask Walton County Planning and Development about a conditional use permit for your A or R3 parcel. Elsewhere short-term rentals are prohibited.Source

  2. Pass the yearly inspection

    The Building Inspection Department inspects every year before the license; ADA guidelines are required.Source

  3. Name a local property manager

    The manager must be available 24 hours. Give their contact to Planning and Development, the Sheriff, the Fire Department, and owners within 300 feet, and post it in the rental.Source

  4. 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. The DCA report lists no county hotel-motel tax for Walton County; ask the county whether one applies outside city limits.Source

Inspection checklist

What the inspector looks for, from Walton County (unincorporated areas)’s published checklist.

  • One 10-lb ABC fire extinguisher per level, certified yearly
  • Interconnected smoke detectors in each bedroom and on each level
  • One paved 9-by-20-foot parking space per bedroom
  • Property boundaries marked with fencing or another approved method

House rules for guests

Traffic
No more than 10 trips a day
Source
Trash
County dumpsters, or up to 3 rolling cans
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.