Fayette County, GA Accessory Structures: ADU Rules (2026)

Section 110-79(f) of the Fayette County Code addresses guesthouses directly: only one guesthouse is allowed per individual lot, any living area included in a residential accessory structure is considered a guesthouse, a guesthouse cannot be used as tenant space, and it cannot exceed 700 square feet of heated and finished floor area. This ties into the broader accessory-structure limits at § 110-79(c), which cap most lots to either two accessory structures totaling 1,800 square feet, or three structures totaling 3,600 square feet on a lot of at least five acres, with one of those structures allowed to include up to 700 square feet of guesthouse living space.

Guesthouses must be built in A-R and residential zoning districts, and construction of the accessory structure housing the guesthouse must occur concurrently with or after the principal home is built, per § 110-79(b). Because a guesthouse cannot be rented as tenant space, it functions as an on-site accessory dwelling for family, guests, or caretakers rather than an income-producing rental unit, and it still has to meet the setback and location standards that apply to residential accessory structures generally.