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Georgia · Short-Term Rental Compliance

Atlanta Short-Term Rental Permit Guide

Atlanta requires every short-term rental to hold a Short-Term Rental License (STRL) under Ordinance 20-O-1656 (sections 30-1401 through 30-1413 of the Atlanta City Code, in force since March 2022, enforced since March 5, 2023). Operators are capped at two properties: a primary residence plus one additional non-owner-occupied unit. Fee is $150/year; renewal is annual. Applications are filed through atl311.com (ATLBIZ Occupational Tax and Permitting Portal, launched September 15, 2025). Proof of liability insurance is required but the ordinance does not specify a dollar amount — industry practice is $1M. Combined tax burden is roughly 15% plus a $5/night state hotel-motel fee.

Permit
Short-Term Rental License (STRL) — Type 1 (owner present) / Type 2 (whole-home with on-site owner)
Annual fee
$150
Occupancy tax
15%
Fine range
$500–$1,000 per day
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What the city requires

Requirements checklist

  • 1
    Annual STR License
    $150/yr for Type 1 or Type 2; renewed annually. Applications are online-only via ATLBIZ / atl311.com (no paper or in-person). Processing typically 10 business days.
  • 2
    Hotel + sales tax
    7% Atlanta hotel-motel tax + ~1% convention tax + 7% combined GA state/Fulton sales tax = ~15% total, plus a $5/room/night Georgia state hotel-motel fee. Atlanta STRs are exempt from the separate 5% Fulton County occupancy tax.
  • 3
    Two-unit cap
    Each operator may license at most 2 STRs total: 1 primary residence + 1 additional dwelling unit (ADU) or non-owner-occupied unit. Both can be covered by the single $150 license. 2025 proposed amendments may remove this cap — pending council vote.
  • 4
    Liability insurance
    Proof of liability coverage required at application and renewal. The ordinance does NOT specify a dollar minimum; industry-standard and broker recommendations are $1,000,000. Standard homeowners insurance excludes STR use — STR-specific endorsement or policy required.
  • 5
    Safety, occupancy + parking
    Max occupancy is (2 × bedrooms) + 2. Smoke and CO detectors, posted emergency contact, posted max occupancy, and a parking diagram (with max vehicle count) required. Comply with Atlanta noise ordinance (quiet hours 11 PM – 7 AM).
  • 6
    License display
    STRL number must appear on every advertisement (Airbnb, VRBO, social media). City uses third-party monitoring to scan platforms and flag unlicensed listings.

Verified April 2026 against atlantaga.gov/government/departments/city-planning/ordinances-regulations/short-term-rental, Atlanta City Code §§ 30-1401–30-1413, and ATL311 knowledge base. Fines are $500–$1,000 per day per violation (each day of unlicensed operation is a separate violation). Proposed 2025 amendments (Community Development Committee, March 30, 2025) would add a 1,000-ft distance requirement between single-family STRs and cap STRs at 10% of units per multi-family building — still pending a full council vote as of April 2026. Insurance dollar amount is NOT in the ordinance text; confirm with STR@atlantaga.gov before promising a specific minimum.

Official filing portal: https://www.atl311.com

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