Dougherty County, GA Short-Term Rentals: Occupancy Limits (2026)

Section 2-19-3 requires owners to ensure occupants do not disrupt neighbors and lists, among the specific requirements, that owners shall not allow overnight occupancy to exceed the maximum capacity specified in the rental certificate. That capacity figure originates in the annual application: § 2-19-4(5) requires the owner to state the maximum occupancy for the residence, and that number must be the same one advertised and marketed to potential renters. Section 2-19-4(8)b then ties the occupancy figure to parking, requiring the posted rules to acknowledge that maximum occupancy is limited to the amount of on-site parking available for personal vehicles, and § 2-19-7(d) additionally limits occupancy based on the International Residential Code's requirements for habitable space.

The certificate itself, posted inside the unit under § 2-19-7(b), must display the maximum occupancy alongside the STVRA's contact information, the certificate number, and the maximum vehicle count, and § 2-19-5 requires the same occupancy figure to be disclosed to adjacent property owners before the county issues an initial certificate. Because a certificate is not transferable, a new owner must file a fresh application under § 2-19-4(12) and cannot simply carry over the previous occupancy limit.