Atlanta Short-Term Rental Permit Guide

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