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DeKalb County, GA Rental Property Rules: Rental Registration (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

Applies to
4+ unit rental owners, unincorporated area
Requirement
Annual code compliance certificate
Inspection cycle
20% of units yearly, all every 5 yrs
Filed with
Business occupation tax return
New buildings
5-yr exemption after certificate of occupancy

Summary

Owners of four or more multifamily rental units in unincorporated DeKalb County must file an annual code compliance certificate with their business occupation tax return, backed by required inspections.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of DeKalb County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

Commencing on January 1, 2012, all owners of multifamily rental dwellings and/or multifamily rental units within the unincorporated parts of the county that receive income from four (4) or more such units and meet the requirements of O.C.G.A. § 48-13-5 ... shall file, simultaneously with their business occupation tax return, code compliance certificate(s) covering one hundred (100) percent of the owner's multifamily rental units located within the unincorporated parts of the county.

Source: Municode LibraryView official code

Full Breakdown

Owners of multifamily rental dwellings or units in unincorporated DeKalb County who earn income from four or more such units must file code compliance certificates covering 100 percent of their units, simultaneously with their business occupation tax return. Each subsequent year, a certified inspector must inspect at least 20 percent of the units, with every unit inspected at least once every five years. New buildings get a five-year exemption after their certificate of occupancy issues.

Violations & Fines

The county won't issue a business occupation tax certificate without a valid code compliance certificate; knowingly filing a false certificate is a separate violation punishable under Code § 1-10, per § 15-503.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do DeKalb County landlords have to register rental properties?
Owners of multifamily rental dwellings with four or more units in unincorporated DeKalb County must file an annual code compliance certificate with their business occupation tax return, per § 15-502(a)(1).
What happens if a landlord skips the compliance certificate?
The county won't issue a business occupation tax certificate until the owner provides a code compliance certificate, per § 15-503.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in DeKalb County

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All DeKalb County rules

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