For homeowners & investors

Short-term rentals in Athens

Airbnb and Vrbo can be a great fit in a college town with football Saturdays and graduation weekends. But since 2024, Athens-Clarke County has strict rules on where short-term rentals are allowed and who can run them. Here's what to know before you buy or list.

The basics

What counts as a short-term rental?

In Athens-Clarke County, a short-term rental (STR) is any home, or part of a home, rented to guests for less than 31 days in a row, whether it's listed on Airbnb, Vrbo or anywhere else. The county adopted its STR rules in February 2024 and amended them in June and December 2025.

The rules create two kinds of short-term rentals:

Rules change

STR rules have changed several times since 2024. Always confirm with Athens-Clarke Planning before you buy or start renting.

ACC: Short-term rentals ↗

Planning Department: (706) 613-3515

Home occupation STR

You rent out the home you live in, or part of it, like a room, basement apartment or guest house. You must be the owner who lives there, or a long-term resident with the owner's written permission.

Commercial STR

A home used only as a short-term rental, with no owner living there. This is the typical investor Airbnb, and it's only allowed in certain zones.

Grandfathered STRs

Rentals operating in 2022–23 that made the county's list can keep going for now, but only until about March 1, 2027, and that status ends when the property sells.

Zoning decides

Where they're allowed

Whether a property can be a short-term rental depends on its zoning. Most neighborhoods in Athens are zoned single-family, where only a home occupation STR is allowed.

ZoningHome occupation (you live there)Commercial (investor)
Single-family residential (RS)Allowed, one structure per lotNot allowed
Multifamily (RM-1, RM-2, RM-3)Allowed in the unit you live inNot allowed (since December 2025)
Agricultural (AR)Allowed, one structure per lotAllowed, except in AR areas surrounded by homes
Commercial, downtown & office zonesAllowed in the unit you live inAllowed
IndustrialNot allowedNot allowed

Apartments and condos aren't always zoned multifamily. Many buildings, especially downtown and along commercial corridors, are zoned commercial (like C-D or C-G), where commercial STRs are allowed, so check the building's actual zoning. Commercial STRs approved with a special use permit before December 2, 2025 can keep operating while that permit remains valid.

Look up a property's zoning on the Athens-Clarke property map ↗. Even where the county allows STRs, an HOA's covenants or a condo association's rules may ban them, so check those too. HOA guide → · Condo guide →

Getting legal

Permits & operating rules

Home occupation STR

  • Apply for a home occupation permit with the Planning Department.
  • Prove it's your primary residence with two forms of ID (like a driver's license, voter registration or homestead exemption) and a notarized affidavit. A lease alone isn't enough.
  • No signs, and guests can't park on the street.
  • In single-family and agricultural zones, only one structure on the lot can be rented.
  • The permit can lapse if you go 12 months without renting.
Forms & instructions ↗

Commercial STR

  • Goes through the county's construction plans review, coordinated with the Fire Marshal and other departments.
  • Give your local contact information in writing to the neighbors next door and across the street (in a condo or townhome, the units sharing a wall, floor or ceiling, and the HOA), and update them within 10 days of any change.
  • Post emergency contacts and show guests where the fire extinguishers are.
  • Tell guests in writing the maximum number of guests (set by the Fire Marshal or Building Official), parking limits, and noise rules.
  • No extra guests in RVs, tents or sheds, and parking must meet county code.

Operating without the right permit can bring fines of up to $1,000 per violation, and each day can count as a separate violation.

Buying an Airbnb?

Don't assume it comes with the house

  • Grandfathered status doesn't transfer. If the home is on the county's grandfathered list, that status ends when it sells, and the new owner must meet the current rules from day one. (Selling 30% or more of an LLC that owns it counts as a sale, too.)
  • The clock is running anyway. Even without a sale, grandfathered STRs must comply by about March 1, 2027.
  • Check the zoning first. If it's single-family or multifamily, you can only short-term rent it if you live there.
  • Read the covenants. Many HOAs and condo associations limit or ban short-term rentals.
  • Ask about taxes. If the seller took direct bookings, make sure their hotel-motel taxes are paid up; the county can look to a buyer of the business for unpaid tax.
  • Run the numbers both ways. If it can't be an STR, will it still work as a long-term rental? Renting out your home →

Two unrelated tenants

If you switch to long-term renting in a single-family zone, remember Athens-Clarke's limit of no more than two unrelated people living in the home.

The two-unrelated-person rule →

Taxes & licenses

Hotel-motel tax & business license

7% hotel-motel taxAthens-Clarke treats STRs like hotels. Airbnb and Vrbo collect and pay it for bookings made through them.
Direct bookingsIf a guest pays you directly, you collect the 7% and pay it to the county by the 20th of the next month.
Business tax certificateEvery STR operator needs an Athens-Clarke business occupation tax certificate.
Income taxesRental income is taxable. Talk to your CPA about deductions and recordkeeping.

ACC Finance: STR taxes ↗ · Business occupation tax certificate ↗

We run them too

Questions? Ask someone who hosts.

Stephen has run a short-term rental in Athens since 2020, and Hannah runs one too. We've been through the permits, the taxes, the guest messages and the game-day weekends, and we're happy to answer your questions, whether you're thinking about renting out a room or buying a property for it.

We don't do property management. We focus on helping people buy and sell homes. There are plenty of short-term rental managers and cleaning companies in the area, and you're welcome to run any of them by us. We'll give you pointers on what to look for.

Before you buy for Airbnb

Talk to us first. We'll help you check zoning, covenants and grandfathered status before you're under contract, so you don't buy a rental you can't rent.

Thinking about hosting?

Let's talk short-term rentals.

Whether you're renting out a room in your home or looking for an investment property, we'll help you understand what's allowed before you commit.

Talk to an agent
More agents
Long-term renting

Good to know: this is a general overview of Athens-Clarke County's rules as of 2026, not legal advice. Rules change, and other counties have their own. Confirm with Athens-Clarke Planning and consult an attorney or CPA about your situation.

We're real estate agents, not attorneys. Nothing on this page is legal advice. Laws change and every situation is different, so always consult an attorney about your specific situation. Attorneys you can contact: Weissman PC · Blasingame, Burch, Garrard & Ashley, P.C.