Short-Term Rentals in Rockdale County, GA (2026)
6 rules for unincorporated Rockdale County, Georgia.
Verified from official government sources
Short-Term Rental Permits
Operating a short-term rental in unincorporated Rockdale County requires a license from the Department of Planning and Development, capped occupancy of two guests per bedroom, a 24-hour local agent able to arrive within an hour, and a guest registry kept for at least three years, under the zoning code's short-term rental standards.
Short-Term Rental Permit Rules, Rockdale County
Significant RestrictionsRockdale County Code § 218-13(mmm2)
(mmm2)Supplemental standards of use and development, short-term rentals.(1)All structures used for short-term rentals shall satisfy the National Fire Protection Association and International Fire codes, as adopted and amended by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, and the Rockdale County Code of Ordinances. ... (6)The maximum overnight occupancy for any license issued pursuant to this ...
Noise Rules
Short-term rentals in unincorporated Rockdale County cannot generate excessive or unusually loud noise that disturbs the neighborhood, and Sec. 218-13(mmm2)(13)d.8 requires every speaker device, television, radio, and stereo to stay inside the residence between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Frequent or continuous animal noise that disturbs neighbors is also barred.
STR Noise Rules in Rockdale County
Some RestrictionsRockdale County Code § 218-13(mmm2)(13)d.8
8.It shall be unlawful for any occupant of a short-term rental to make, continue or cause to be made or continue any excessive, unnecessary, or unusually loud noise which disturbs the peace or quiet of anyone in the neighborhood or which causes discomfort or annoyance to any reasonable person of normal sensitivity. All electronic devices with speakers, including televisions, radios, and stereo ...
Taxes & Fees
Rockdale County Code Sec. 86-91 defines 'hotel' broadly enough to cover any structure with guestrooms rented to transient guests, which reaches short-term rentals in unincorporated Rockdale County. Sec. 86-97 then requires anyone operating such a rental to register immediately with the finance director before renting rooms, and the county's hotel/motel occupancy tax applies once that registration is in place.
Rockdale County Short-Term Rental Hotel Tax
Significant RestrictionsRockdale County Code §§ 86-91, 86-97
Hotel means any structure or any portion of a structure, including any lodginghouse, roominghouse, dormitory, turkish bath, bachelor hotel, studio hotel, motel, auto court, inn, public club or private club, containing guestrooms and which is occupied, or is intended or designed for occupancy, by guests, whether rent is paid in money, goods, labor or otherwise. ... Every person engaging or about...
Short-Term Rental Parking Rules
Short-term rental guests in unincorporated Rockdale County cannot park on any public or private right-of-way, and Sec. 218-13(mmm2)(13)d.10 requires all parking to follow the parking plan submitted with the license application. Blocking a driveway, parking on another owner's property, or exceeding the licensed vehicle count is a separate violation under d.11.
STR Parking Rules in Rockdale County
Some RestrictionsRockdale County Code § 218-13(mmm2)(13)a.10, d.10-11
10.No vehicles shall be parked on any public or private right-of-way, and all parking shall be consistent with the parking plan submitted with the license application. The parking plan, which should be approved as part of the licensure, should be sufficient to allow adequate parking for the maximum occupancy of the rental unit. No person occupying a short-term rental shall park any vehicle ille...
Host Presence Rule
Every short-term rental license in unincorporated Rockdale County must designate an agent who is at least 25 years old and can be present onsite within one hour of contact. Sec. 218-13(mmm2)(13) requires that agent to respond to the rental within one hour of notice of a violation or disturbance, any hour of the day.
STR Agent Must Respond in Rockdale County
Some RestrictionsRockdale County Code § 218-13(mmm2)(13)a.9, d.4
9.The name, address, telephone number, and email address of the short-term rental agent, which shall constitute his or her 24-hour contact information, and who shall be at least 25 years old and shall be able to be present onsite within one hour of contact. ... 4.Each licensee shall designate a short-term rental agent who has access and authority to assume management of the short-term rental un...
Repeat Violator Strikes
Short-term rental violations in unincorporated Rockdale County escalate under Sec. 218-13(mmm2)(18): a $500 fine for a first offense in 12 months, $750 for a second, and a $1,000 fine plus a 24-month license revocation for a third, during which the owner cannot reapply for a rental license on that property.
STR Three-Strikes Rule in Rockdale County
Heavy RestrictionsRockdale County Code § 218-13(mmm2)(18)
(18)Any violation of the provisions of this section by occupants and/or guests of the short-term rental shall be enforced pursuant to this section and any other applicable code sections. ... The penalties for violations shall be as follows:a.For the first violation within any 12-month period, the penalty shall be a citation and a fine not to exceed $500.00.b.For a second violation within any 12...
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