Stonecrest, GA Short-Term Rentals: Insurance Requirements (2026)

Stonecrest has no STR-specific insurance ordinance. Chapter 15 Article XVIII regulates Short-Term Vacation Rentals as a licensed business activity but does not list a minimum general-liability or commercial-coverage figure as a license condition; the city's Occupational Tax Certificate application, processed through the CitizenServe portal, does not require a certificate of insurance. Chapter 27 Section 4.2.58 places the use itself under a Special Permit in residential districts and ties approval to zoning and operational standards rather than to a coverage floor. Georgia state law follows the same pattern: O.C.G.A. 48-13-50 et seq. (the Hotel-Motel Tax statute) and the State Hotel-Motel Fee statute O.C.G.A. 48-13-50.3 impose tax-collection duties only, and the 2025 Georgians First Residential Property Protection Act (House Bill 555) did not enact a statewide STR insurance floor. DeKalb County's 2025 Short-Term Rental Ordinance (TA-24-1246762, adopted July 24, 2025; implementation extended through May 20, 2026) does instruct unincorporated-area operators to provide proof of insurance such as a declaration page, but that ordinance applies to unincorporated DeKalb County only and does not reach properties inside the Stonecrest city limits. Standard Georgia homeowner policies (ISO HO-3 and similar) generally exclude business or commercial use of the dwelling, including transient rental for fewer than 30 consecutive days, so operators relying solely on a homeowner policy may have a denied liability claim if a guest is injured. Airbnb's AirCover for Hosts and Vrbo's Liability Insurance offer up to $1 million per occurrence, but apply only to bookings made through the platform and exclude common scenarios such as intentional acts, mold, and pollution. Lodging-industry guidance and the Georgia Department of Insurance recommend that hosts obtain a dedicated short-term rental policy or a commercial general liability policy of at least $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate, plus building and contents coverage on a commercial form. Operators with a federally backed mortgage may be contractually required by the lender to maintain hazard coverage that recognizes rental use; the lender, not the City of Stonecrest, enforces that requirement.