Short-Term Rentals in Barrow County, GA (2026)
6 rules for unincorporated Barrow County, Georgia.
Verified from official government sources
Short-Term Rental Permits
Renting, operating, or advertising a short-term rental in unincorporated Barrow County requires an annual permit from Planning and Community Development. Owners apply with property, ownership, and local-contact details, pay a $250 fee, and get a decision within 30 days; permits expire every December 31 regardless of when issued.
Barrow County Short-Term Rental Permit
Significant RestrictionsBarrow County Code §§ 26-151(a), 26-154(a), (b)
It shall be unlawful for any owner of any property within the unincorporated areas of Barrow County to rent, operate or advertise a short-term rental of property in a residential zoning district, or property with a residential use thereon, contrary to the procedures and regulations established in this article, other provisions of the Barrow County Code of Ordinances, or any applicable state law...
Noise Rules
In unincorporated Barrow County, every short-term rental permit requires a posted notice stating the exact quiet hours under the county's noise ordinance, and the owner or local contact person must use reasonably prudent business practices to stop guests from violating that noise code. A guest's noise violation is a strike against the rental permit itself.
Barrow County STR Noise and Quiet Hours
Some RestrictionsBarrow County Code §§ 26-153(a)(1), 26-155(b)(1)g
(1)The owner and/or local contact person shall use reasonably prudent business practices to ensure the short-term rental is used in a manner that complies with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations pertaining to the use and occupancy of the subject short-term rental, and shall further use reasonably prudent business practices to ensure the occupants and/or guests of the short-term rental ...
Taxes & Fees
Beyond the $250 permit fee, a Barrow County short-term rental owner must keep paying occupation tax under the business license article, stay current on property taxes for the rental, and collect and remit lodging excise tax under the county's hotel-motel tax chapter, on top of any Georgia state excise tax obligations.
Barrow County STR Occupation and Excise Tax
Some RestrictionsBarrow County Code § 26-155(a)(7)-(9)
The owner shall pay the required occupation tax and shall comply with all applicable provisions of article II of chapter 22 of this Code for business licenses and regulations;(8)The owner shall timely pay all property taxes owed for the real property on which the short-term rental is located; and(9)The owner shall collect and remit lodging excise taxes as required by article III of chapter 82 o...
Short-Term Rental Parking Rules
In unincorporated Barrow County, a short-term rental permit caps parked vehicles at one per bedroom, bans parking on the county right-of-way, and confines every vehicle to a hard-surfaced pad. Trailers and watercraft towed behind a car each count as a separate vehicle against that cap.
Barrow County STR Parking Limits
Some RestrictionsBarrow County Code § 26-155(a)(5)
(5)Parked vehicles:a.Shall be limited to the number designated in the short-term rental permit application with the maximum allowable vehicles not to exceed one vehicle per bedroom. A watercraft, travel trailer, or any other recreational trailer which is pulled by a motorized vehicle shall be counted as a separate vehicle when referenced in this article of the Code;b.Vehicles shall not be parke...
Occupancy Limits
Barrow County caps overnight occupancy in a short-term rental at two guests per bedroom (plus two more if on sewer), never exceeding 12 people overnight, applied between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. Daytime guests can add up to four more, but total daytime occupancy can never top 16.
Barrow County STR Occupancy Caps
Some RestrictionsBarrow County Code § 26-155(a)(3)-(4)
Overnight occupancy limitation: The owner or local contact person shall, by written agreement with the responsible person, limit overnight occupancy of the short-term rental to the specific number of overnight occupants designated in the short-term rental permit application. Overnight occupancy limitations shall apply between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.;a.Occupancy for short-term rent...
Repeat Violator Strikes
Unincorporated Barrow County runs its short-term rental permits on a three-strike system: magistrate-court fines and permit consequences escalate from a $250 warning on the first violation in 12 months to a $1,000 fine and outright revocation on the third.
Barrow County STR Repeat Violation Strikes
Significant RestrictionsBarrow County Code § 26-157(a)(1)-(3)
(1)The first violation within a consecutive 12-month period shall result in a fine in magistrate court not to exceed $250.00 and a written warning notice of violation upon a finding of guilt or plea of guilty or nolo contendere in magistrate court.(2)The second violation within a consecutive 12-month period shall result in a fine in magistrate court not to exceed $500.00 and a permit suspension...
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