Is Airbnb Legal in Atlanta? 2026 Rules, Permits & Taxes

License required

Yes

Taxes on a stay

16.9% + $5

Fine for hosting without a permit

Up to $1,000

Listings showing a permit number

9%

Next rule change

Jan 1, 2027

Listing figures: AirROI, 12 months to September 2026. A number on a listing doesn't prove the permit or license is valid, and a missing one doesn't prove there is none.

The rules in brief

Who needs it

Anyone who rents all or any part of a dwelling in the city of Atlanta for 30 consecutive days or less: owners, long-term tenants and their authorized agents.^1,6,7,8,9,18

Issued by

City of Atlanta Department of City Planning (Short-Term Rental Division)

Valid for

12 months from the date of issuance, renewed each year for $150, with an email reminder 30 days before expiry.

Processing

Up to 10 business days after a complete application, including payment.

On listings

The number must appear on every listing

Platform checks

Hosts must list the STRL number on each online listing, and Airbnb's Atlanta page tells hosts to add their registration details to the listing. Platforms must give the city information to help remove illegal listings.

Fees

Who qualifies

• The license covers the host's primary residence in Atlanta and one additional dwelling unit, and the primary residence is registered first; this wording is removed from the code effective January 1, 2027
• Applicants are the property owner, a long-term tenant or an authorized agent; an LLC owner qualifies if the person living in the unit proves it is their primary residence and holds an ownership interest in the entity
• A primary residence is the home where the owner or long-term tenant lives more than six months a year
• Not available in the Home Park district, where short-term rentals are prohibited
• Condo, HOA and lease rules still apply; units in multifamily buildings need an evacuation plan and a signed owner or manager affidavit

How to apply

1. 1 Confirm the address is inside the City of Atlanta limits with the city's property lookup, and that it is not in the Home Park district.
2. 2 Send notice by certified U.S. mail to the property on each side of the unit with the unit address and the agent's contact details, and keep the stamped receipt and the letters.
3. 3 Gather the notarized affidavits (primary residence, agent authorization, and the tenant or additional-unit versions if they apply), government ID, proof of ownership and residence, the written house rules and, for a multifamily unit, an evacuation plan.
4. 4 Apply and pay the $150 fee in the city's online permitting portal, which the Department of City Planning short-term rental page links to; applications are online only.
5. 5 After approval, post the license number on every online listing and post the license and rules inside the unit; open a city excise tax account (ATLBIZ) only for bookings that Airbnb or another platform does not collect tax on.

Permit rules

A license is required before renting

No one may rent all or any part of a dwelling as a short-term rental without first holding a city Short-Term Rental License (STRL), and a license works only at the address it was issued for.^1,7 In force since March 1, 2022

$150 a year, nonrefundable

The license costs $150, paid when the application is submitted and again at each annual renewal.^1,6,8 In force since March 1, 2022

Valid 12 months, renewed each year

A license lasts 12 months from the date it is issued and is renewed annually; the city emails a reminder 30 days before expiry.⁶ In force since March 1, 2022

Licenses cannot be transferred

A licensee cannot hand the right to operate to another person or company by lease or any other agreement.⁹ In force since March 1, 2022

No separate business license for the STRL

The city's FAQ says a business license is not required to obtain the short-term rental license; only the STRL is needed.⁹ In force since March 1, 2022

License number on every online listing

The STRL number must appear on each online listing, and the license and house rules must be posted inside the unit.^6,8 In force since March 1, 2022

Platforms must help the city remove illegal listings

Hosting platforms are required to give the city information that supports enforcement and the removal of illegal listings, and Airbnb tells Atlanta hosts to obtain the city license and add their registration details to the listing.^6,18 In force since March 1, 2022

A primary residence plus one more home

One Atlanta license covers the host's primary residence and one additional dwelling unit in the city. The primary residence is registered first, and the host may then rent either home or both. This limit stays in force until January 1, 2027.^6,7,8 In force since March 1, 2022

Owners, long-term tenants and agents can apply

The property owner, a long-term tenant or an authorized short-term rental agent can apply. An LLC or corporation that owns the home can apply if the person living there proves it is their primary residence and holds an ownership interest in the entity.^6,9 In force since March 1, 2022

Primary residence means more than six months a year

The city defines a primary residence as the home where the owner or long-term tenant lives for more than six months of the year, and a person can have only one.^6,9 In force since March 1, 2022

The host does not have to be home

The owner or tenant does not need to be at the home while guests stay, but a 24-hour local agent must be reachable.⁹ In force since March 1, 2022

Accessory dwelling units can be rented

An accessory dwelling unit (a backyard cottage or similar) can be a short-term rental as long as the primary property owner lives on the site.^9,14

Allowed in residential zoning districts, with a license

Since December 2021 the zoning code lets short-term rentals operate in residential districts, subject to the licensing rules in Part 20 of the city code. Rules differ by neighborhood, and Home Park prohibits them.¹⁴

Home Park: short-term rentals prohibited

In the Home Park district near Georgia Tech, the zoning code prohibits operating a short-term rental. The City Council adopted the rule on August 18, 2025 by a vote of 12 to 2.^2,13 Applies to: Home Park neighborhood · In force since August 18, 2025

HOA, condo and lease rules still apply

Atlanta's license does not override private agreements, leases or covenants, so a homeowners or condo association can still ban short-term rentals.⁹ In force since March 1, 2022

Short-term means 30 consecutive days or less

The rules cover any rental of a dwelling for up to 30 consecutive days; longer stays fall outside the short-term rental license.^6,9 In force since March 1, 2022

Two adults per bedroom

The written house rules posted in the unit must state a maximum occupancy of two adults per bedroom, along with the number and location of on-site parking spaces.^1,8 In force since March 1, 2022

City noise limits apply to guests

The house rules must acknowledge that it is unlawful to make noise that exceeds the limits in the city's noise ordinance (Section 74-131).^1,8 In force since March 1, 2022

Certified-mail notice to both adjacent neighbors

Before applying, the host must send a certified U.S. mail notice to the property on each side of the unit with the unit address and the agent's contact details, and attach the receipt and letters to the application.^8,9 In force since March 1, 2022

A reachable local agent is required

Every license names a short-term rental agent who is on call at all times, posts an emergency phone number in the unit, accepts notices of violation and monitors the unit. The host can serve as the agent, and a change of agent must be reported within 10 business days.^6,8 In force since March 1, 2022

Apartments and condos: evacuation plan and owner permission

A unit in a multifamily building (apartment, townhouse or condo) needs an evacuation plan map showing the exit path from the unit, and an affidavit from the building owner or manager giving permission.^8,9 Applies to: Units in multifamily buildings · In force since March 1, 2022

No annual cap on rental nights

The license rules set no limit on the number of nights a licensed home can be rented in a year; the only duration limit is that a single stay not exceed 30 consecutive days.^1,9 In force since March 1, 2022

Three violations in 12 months: license revoked

When a property collects three violations within 12 months, the city revokes its pending licenses and rejects all applications for that property for 12 consecutive months. A second home on the same license can keep operating.^1,9 In force since March 1, 2022

Third-party managers must complete human-trafficking training

Under a Georgia law effective July 1, 2026, a third-party property manager of a short-term rental must complete human-trafficking awareness training within 60 days of employment and each year after. Rentals the owner manages directly and exclusively are exempt.⁴ Applies to: Rentals run by a third-party property manager · In force since July 1, 2026

Median nightly rate, booked nights

$185

Taxes on that night (16.9% + $5)

$36

Guest pays, before Airbnb and cleaning fees

$221

What the host still handles

• A City of Atlanta excise tax account (ATLBIZ) for the 8% tax on bookings that do not go through a platform that collects it, with payments due by the 20th of each month
• A Georgia Tax Center account with the Department of Revenue for sales tax (and the $5 state fee where the host is an innkeeper) on bookings made directly with guests^{1,5,8,15,16,17,19}

• City code: a person convicted of violating the city code, which includes the short-term rental chapter, faces a fine of up to $1,000 and up to six months in jail, and each day of a continuing violation is a separate offense.^1,3
• Short-term rental chapter: fully adjudicated violations are assessed $500 each.¹
• Operating without a license is unlawful and brings citations plus a mandatory one-year wait before the city accepts a license application for the unit.⁶
• Three violations at the same property within 12 months: the city revokes pending licenses and rejects all applications for that property for 12 consecutive months.^1,9
• State human-trafficking training law: an administrative penalty of $500 for a first willful violation, $1,000 for a second and $2,000 for a third or later, for rentals run by a third-party property manager.⁴

1. January 1, 2027 Upcoming
   Amended license rule takes effect

   Ordinance 26-O-1510 becomes effective on January 1, 2027, after which Section 20-1004(d) no longer limits a license to a primary residence plus one additional unit. Licenses, the $150 fee and the other Part 20 rules remain.¹⁰

2. September 21, 2026
   Council removes the primary-residence-plus-one wording from the license rule

   The City Council adopted Ordinance 26-O-1510 by a vote of 9 to 5 on September 21, 2026, amending Section 20-1004(d) to drop the words limiting a license to a primary residence and one additional dwelling unit. A floor amendment to keep a two-unit cap failed 7 to 6. Council members said the 2021 rules have not been enforced and that the change clears the way for enforcement in 2027.^10,20,21

3. July 1, 2026
   Georgia human-trafficking training law takes effect

   Third-party property managers of short-term rentals in Georgia must complete annual training, with penalties of $500 to $2,000.⁴

4. January 20, 2026 Not in force
   Office of Short-Term Rentals proposal held in committee

   Ordinance 26-O-1084 would create an Office of Short-Term Rentals and a registry, limit rentals to a primary residence lived in 275 days a year with unhosted stays capped at 90 nights, and require platforms to hold permits and verify listings. It was referred on January 20, 2026 and was returned as held at the September 21, 2026 Council meeting.¹¹

5. December 1, 2025 Lapsed
   Citywide rewrite proposal terminated

   Ordinance 24-O-1687, introduced in December 2024 with a $250 fee, a liability insurance requirement, 1,000-foot spacing between licensed rentals and a 10% cap on rentals in multifamily complexes, was terminated and filed by the clerk after a year in committee without a vote.¹²

6. August 18, 2025
   Home Park prohibits short-term rentals

   The City Council adopted Ordinance 25-O-1249 by a vote of 12 to 2, adding Section 16-18H.004 to the Home Park district rules.^2,13

7. March 5, 2023
   Enforcement date

   ATL311 states that enforcement of the ordinance is effective as of March 5, 2023.⁷

8. March 1, 2022
   License rules take effect

   The city's regulations became effective on March 1, 2022, and applications are open daily with no deadline.⁶

9. December 6, 2021
   Zoning code allows short-term rentals in residential districts

   Ordinance 21-O-0682 (Z-21-85) passed 14 to 1 and added short-term rentals, subject to Part 20, as a use in residential and other districts.¹⁴

10. March 15, 2021
    City Council adopts the Short Term Rental Ordinance

    Ordinance 20-O-1656 created the short-term rental license, the $150 fee, the agent duties and the 8% hotel-motel tax on short-term rentals; it was approved on March 24, 2021.^6,14

Estimate what an Atlanta home could earn

1. 1. Part 20 - Short Term Rentals, Atlanta Code of Ordinances (Land Development Code) · Municode Library
2. 2. Chapter 18H - SPI-8 Home Park District Regulations, Atlanta Code of Ordinances (Zoning) · Municode Library
3. 3. Sec. 1-8 General penalty; continuing violations, Atlanta Code of Ordinances · Municode Library
4. 4. Senate Bill 570, Georgia Human Trafficking Prevention Training Act (as passed, 2026 signed legislation) · Office of the Governor of Georgia
5. 5. Rule 560-13-2-.01 State Hotel-Motel Fee · Georgia Department of Revenue (Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia)
6. 6. Short-Term Rental · City of Atlanta Department of City Planning
7. 7. City of Atlanta Short Term Rental Program · ATL311
8. 8. Short-Term Rental License Process · City of Atlanta Office of Buildings
9. 9. Short-Term Rental License Additional Frequently Asked Questions · City of Atlanta Office of Buildings
10. 10. Ordinance 26-O-1510: amend Section 20-1004 (short-term rental license), adopted September 21, 2026 · Atlanta City Council
11. 11. Ordinance 26-O-1084: Office of Short-Term Rentals, registry and platform verification · Atlanta City Council
12. 12. Ordinance 24-O-1687: short-term rental license amendments, terminated December 1, 2025 · Atlanta City Council
13. 13. Ordinance 25-O-1249 (Z-25-43): short-term rentals in the Home Park neighborhood · Atlanta City Council
14. 14. Ordinance 21-O-0682 (Z-21-85): short-term rental as a use in certain zoning districts · Atlanta City Council
15. 15. State Hotel-Motel - FAQ · Georgia Department of Revenue
16. 16. Georgia Sales and Use Tax Rate Chart, effective October 1, 2026 · Georgia Department of Revenue
17. 17. Payment for Excise Tax · ATL311
18. 18. Atlanta, GA (hosting rules and responsible hosting) · Airbnb Help Center
19. 19. Occupancy tax collection and remittance by Airbnb in Georgia · Airbnb Help Center
20. 20. Atlanta City Council clears way for short-term rental enforcement · WABE
21. 21. Primary-residence limit on short-term rental licenses removed · Center for Civic Innovation