9 rules for unincorporated Clayton County, Georgia.
Verified from official government sources
Unincorporated Clayton County requires every short-term rental unit to hold a county permit. Before a permit issues, the property is inspected for compliance with all building and fire codes, and the permit is valid for one year.
Clayton County Code § 22-901(c)
Each individual short-term rental unit shall be permitted with the county. Prior to issuance of a permit for a short-term rental unit, each property containing a short-term rental unit shall be inspected for compliance with all building and fire codes. A short-term rental unit permit is valid for one year from the date of issuance.
Every Clayton County short-term rental must post the county's noise ordinance inside the unit before it is ever rented, per Code Sec. 22-901(e), and the county's separate vacation-rental zoning standards set quiet hours of 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. with no outdoor amplified sound allowed at any time.
Clayton County Code Sec. 22-901(a), (b), (e)
(a)Short-term rental units may only be operated in the county pursuant to this article.(b)The owner, platform or manager operating a short-term rental unit shall hold a valid county business license. The business license number shall be included in any advertisement of the short-term rental unit. ... (e)Prior to rental of the unit, all owners or hosts shall post the county's noise ordinance in ...
Clayton County levies an 8% hotel-motel excise tax on the charge for short-term lodging. Operators collect it and remit monthly by the 20th, on top of Georgia's 4% state sales tax and $5-per-night state hotel-motel fee.
Clayton County Code § 90-61(a)
There is hereby assessed and levied an excise tax upon the furnishing for value to the public of any room or rooms, lodging or accommodations ... The tax shall be eight percent of the charge to the public for such rooms, lodgings or accommodations.
Clayton County requires every short-term rental to keep guest vehicles on the same lot as the rental unit under Code Sec. 22-901(d), and the county's vacation-rental zoning standards set the actual space counts: one space for up to two guestrooms, rising to a minimum of three for the largest rentals.
Clayton County Code Sec. 22-901(c), (d)
(c)Each individual short-term rental unit shall be permitted with the county. Prior to issuance of a permit for a short-term rental unit, each property containing a short-term rental unit shall be inspected for compliance with all building and fire codes. A short-term rental unit permit is valid for one year from the date of issuance.(d)All parking for short-term rental units shall be accommoda...
Article XII sets no fixed guest headcount. Instead, short-term rental occupancy in unincorporated Clayton County is controlled by the county zoning ordinance and by building and fire code capacity verified at the required inspection.
Clayton County Code § 22-900
The definitions and regulations in this chapter shall be cumulative to those found in section 1.5 of the county's zoning ordinance.
In unincorporated Clayton County, a short-term rental unit, defined as any house, apartment, condo, room or lodging rented to the same tenant for less than 30 days, must sit inside or adjacent to the owner's own occupied dwelling on that same property. The rule forces the host to actually live on-site; a stand-alone rental with no resident owner does not qualify under County Code § 22-900.
Clayton County Code § 22-900
For the purposes of this chapter, a short-term rental unit is defined as any nonsubsidized house, apartment, condominium, room or lodging accommodation on any property within the county that is rented to the same tenant/or a period of less than 30 days. A short-term rental unit shall be located inside or adjacent to its owner's occupied dwelling located on the same property. The definitions and...
Clayton County allows short-term rentals only inside or adjacent to the owner's occupied dwelling on the same property. Non-owner-occupied, investor-run whole-house rentals are not permitted in the unincorporated county.
Clayton County Code § 22-900
A short-term rental unit shall be located inside or adjacent to its owner's occupied dwelling located on the same property.
A Clayton County short-term rental permit can be pulled for good after just one uncorrected complaint cycle: the property manager gets 60 minutes to fix a reported problem, a second occurrence goes to the Zoning Administrator for investigation, and a revoked permit cannot be reapplied for a full year.
Clayton County Zoning Ordinance Sec. 6.45, Sec. 6 (Enforcement Process)
Initial complaints on vacation rentals shall be directed to the property manager identified in the zoning permit or use permit, as applicable. ... Should a problem arise and reported to the property manager, the property manager shall be responsible for contacting the tenant to correct the problem within 60 minutes, including visiting the site if necessary to ensure that the issue has been corr...
Clayton County's short-term rental enforcement reaches beyond the property owner: County Code § 22-903 lets the county attorney send a certified cease-and-desist notice, and later seek a court injunction, against the 'owner, platform or manager' operating a unit in violation of Chapter 22, Article XII, so a booking platform can be named directly.
Clayton County Code § 22-903
(a)In addition to the other remedies under this article, upon request by the chief of police or the director of the community development department, the county attorney may send notice to the owner, platform or manager operating a short-term rental unit in violation of this article to cease and desist activity that is in violation of this article. The notice shall be sent to the owner, platfor...
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