Chatham County, GA Short-Term Rentals: Insurance Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum coverage
- Structure value or $300,000, higher figure
- Coverage type
- Homeowner's or structural policy
- Declarations requirement
- Must list unit as rental property
- When required
- Before initial license issues
- Ongoing duty
- Continuously maintained per §16-1303(8)
Summary
Chatham County requires every licensed short-term rental to carry homeowner's or structural insurance equal to the home's value or $300,000, whichever is greater, under Code §16-1304(1)(l), with the policy declarations naming the unit as a rental property. Coverage must exist before BSRS issues the initial license and stay in force for its full duration.
1. Each property or rental unit subject to this ordinance shall qualify for a license when the following conditions have been met: ... l. The property being used as a rental regulated under this Ordinance shall carry homeowner's or other structural coverage in an amount at least equal to the value of the structure or $300,000, and the insurance declarations shall list the unit as a rental property. ... 8. All requirements outlined to obtain a license must be continuously maintained throughout the duration of the license.
Full Breakdown
Among the qualification items an owner must satisfy before BSRS will issue a short-term rental license, §16-1304(1)(l) sets the insurance floor: the property must carry homeowner's or other structural coverage in an amount at least equal to the value of the structure or $300,000, and the insurance declarations must list the unit as a rental property. That means the minimum is not a flat $300,000, it is whichever figure is higher between $300,000 and the structure's actual value, and the declarations page has to show the property is used as a rental rather than an owner-occupied residence.
The insurance requirement sits alongside the rest of the qualification list in §16-1304(1): payment of the $350 license fee, current ad valorem taxes, an ownership interest, a police background review, a local point of contact, disclosed parking rules, Tax Commissioner verification, hotel/motel tax compliance, animal-control compliance, and on-site fire subscription, a fire extinguisher and weekly trash service. Section 16-1303(8) requires all requirements outlined to obtain a license, including the insurance coverage, to be continuously maintained throughout the duration of the license, with any changes reported in writing to BSRS.
The renewal checklist in §16-1305 does not separately re-list the insurance item, so an owner's ongoing obligation to keep the required coverage in force flows from the continuous-maintenance clause in §16-1303(8) rather than from a fresh annual insurance affidavit.
Violations & Fines
There is no standalone insurance fine listed in Article XIII. Instead, letting the required coverage lapse is a failure to continuously maintain a licensing requirement under §16-1303(8), which BSRS and the County Manager can treat as grounds to suspend or revoke the license under §16-1308(1)(c) and §16-1307(1)(b), the same discretionary authority used for public-health and public-welfare violations.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much insurance does a Chatham County short-term rental need?
Does the $300,000 minimum apply even if my home is worth less?
What if my insurance lapses after I get the license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chatham County
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