Columbus, GA Short-Term Rentals: Insurance Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Insurance standard
- Set by Columbus Consolidated Government administrative guidelines
- Application fee
- $40, non-refundable
- Background check
- Owner and rental agent both screened
- Disqualifiers
- Felony within 10 yrs, moral-turpitude misdemeanor within 5
- Reviewing office
- Director of Inspections and Code Enforcement
- Permit number
- Must appear in every rental advertisement
Summary
Every Columbus, Georgia short-term rental application must include proof of insurance meeting the Columbus Consolidated Government's administrative guidelines before the Director of Inspections and Code Enforcement will process it, under UDO § 4.9.4(B)(4). The $40 non-refundable application also requires a code-compliance form, ownership proof, and a criminal background check on both owner and rental agent.
A.Owners desiring to obtain a short-term rental permit shall submit, on an annual basis, an application for a short-term rental permit to the Director of Inspections and Code Enforcement. The application shall be furnished under oath on a form specified by the city manager, accompanied by a non-refundable application fee in the amount of $40.00 or as may be revised in the city's annual budget ordinance... Both the short-term rental unit owner and short-term rental agent will consent to a criminal background check which will be reviewed by the department before the application is accepted for processing. If any required background check reveals felonies within the last ten years or a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude within the last five years, the application will not be accepted for processing. ... B.Attached to and concurrent with submission of the application described in this section, the owner shall provide:...4.Proof of insurance satisfactory in accordance with administrative guidelines published by the Columbus Consolidated Government; and5.A written certification from the short-term agent that he or she agrees to perform the duties specified in Subsection 4.9.5.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 75).
Full Breakdown
4 sets out the full document package behind a Columbus short-term rental permit, and insurance is one required piece of it. 00 non-refundable fee "or as may be revised in the city's annual budget ordinance," and requires both the owner and the designated short-term rental agent to consent to a criminal background check; a felony within the last ten years or a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude within the last five bars the application from being accepted at all. 5. The ordinance itself sets no dollar-figure minimum for coverage, deferring instead to the Consolidated Government's separately published administrative guidelines. Once permitted, the owner must publish the permit number in every print, digital, or listing advertisement for the unit.
Violations & Fines
Submit an application missing the required insurance proof, or any other § 4.9.4(B) attachment, and the Director of Inspections and Code Enforcement can decline to process it outright. A felony conviction within ten years or a moral-turpitude misdemeanor within five bars processing entirely under § 4.9.4(A). False statements anywhere in the application, including the insurance filing, are grounds under § 4.9.6 for permit revocation, suspension, or denial of future applications.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Columbus, Georgia require STR insurance?
What else must I submit with a Columbus STR application besides insurance proof?
Can a background check keep me from getting a Columbus STR permit?
What happens if I lie on my insurance or application paperwork?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Columbus
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