Marietta, GA Rental Property Rules: Rental Registration (2026)
Key Facts
- Scope
- Separate license required per rental property
- Timing
- License required before any tenant occupies unit
- Exemption
- Owner-occupied units with 2 or fewer roomers
- Out-of-county owners
- Local Cobb County agent required
- Term
- License valid two years, renewable
- Transfer fee
- $10.00 on change of ownership
- Civil penalty
- $300.00 to $1,000.00, escalating per violation
Summary
Marietta requires a separate rental license for every rented dwelling, dwelling unit or rooming unit in the city before an operator may let a tenant occupy it. Owner-occupied units housing two or fewer unrelated roomers, a temporarily rented primary residence, and hotels or motels renting under 30 days are exempted from the license.
A.No operator shall allow any person to occupy any rental property as a tenant or lessee or otherwise for a valuable consideration unless each room or group of rooms, dwelling unit, rooming unit, or group thereof constituting the rental property has been issued a valid rental license by the city.B.Buildings, or building areas, described in one or more of the following paragraphs are exempted from the requirement to obtain a rental license from the city.1.Any dwelling unit occupied by the owner, or members of the owner's family by marriage, adoption, or whole or half blood up to the second degree of consanguinity, and housing no more than two roomers who are unrelated to the owner or the owner's family.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 56).
Full Breakdown
Article 8-12-28 of the Marietta Code, adopted by Ordinance No. 6581 in 2003, requires every nonowner-occupied rental property in the city to carry its own license. Section 8-12-28-040 requires a separate license for each and every rental property, and Section 8-12-28-050(A) bars an operator from letting any person occupy a room, dwelling unit or rooming unit as a tenant for consideration unless the city has issued a valid rental license for it. Three categories are exempt under subsection B: a dwelling occupied by the owner or close family with no more than two unrelated roomers, an owner's principal residence temporarily rented for up to 12 months in any 24-month span while the owner lives elsewhere and intends to return, and commercial hotels and motels renting rooms for under 30 days.
Owners who do not live in Cobb County must appoint a local agent for service of notices under Section 8-12-28-060, reported to the business license manager within five days. Licenses were phased in by ward between April and December 2004 under Section 8-12-28-070 and run for two years once issued, renewable on forms from the business license manager under Section 8-12-28-130. 00 transfer fee under Section 8-12-28-120. Posting the license conspicuously on the premises is mandatory under Section 8-12-28-150.
Violations & Fines
Letting a tenant occupy an unlicensed rental unit violates Section 8-12-28-050(A). The business license manager can pursue an administrative remedy under Section 8-12-28-190, with escalating civil penalties of $300.00 for a first violation, $600.00 for a second and $1,000.00 for a third violation of the same provision, plus license revocation. Section 8-12-28-210 sets the criminal penalty for any Article 8-12-28 violation at a fine of up to $12,000.00 per violation, up to 30 days in jail, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every rental property in Marietta need its own license?
Are any Marietta rentals exempt from the rental license requirement?
What happens if an owner outside Cobb County rents property in Marietta?
How long does a Marietta rental license last?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Marietta
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