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Cobb County, GA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Parking Rules (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Overnight vehicle cap
1 vehicle per 390 sq ft of living space
Outside-garage limit, PRD/OSC/RA-5/R-15/R-20/R-30
Max 4 vehicles outside garage or carport
Outside-garage limit, R-40/R-80/RR
Max 5 vehicles outside garage or carport
Off-street parking baseline
2 spaces per dwelling unit under section 134-272
"Regularly" defined
Majority of days in any 7-day period
First and second violation fines
$500 first offense, $750 second offense
Third violation
Certificate revoked, 12-month reapplication bar

Summary

Cobb County caps overnight vehicle parking for every short-term rental in the unincorporated area at one vehicle per 390 square feet of the dwelling's living space, the same standard that applies to any single-family home. Depending on zoning, no more than four or five of those vehicles can sit outside a garage or carport, and off-street parking must otherwise meet two spaces per dwelling unit under section 134-272.

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

(3)Occupancy and parking for single-family dwelling units shall be in accordance with section 134-1.(4)Parked vehicles. Off-street automobile parking shall be provided in accordance with section 134-272. ... No more than one vehicle per 390 square feet of living building square footage may be parked regularly overnight on the property upon which the single-family dwelling unit exists. Of the total number of vehicles allowed per 390 square feet of living building square footage, there shall be a maximum of four or less (of the total) parked outside of a garage, carport or the like for properties zoned PRD, OSC, RA-5, R-15, R-20, and R-30. Of the total number of vehicles allowed per 390 square feet of living building square footage, there shall be a maximum of five or less (of the total) parked outside of a garage, carport or the like for properties zoned R-40, R-80, and RR. Other zoning districts used for single family dwelling units shall have no more than four vehicles parked outside. This includes vehicles parked within the right-of-way adjacent to a dwelling unit. "Regularly" means a majority of days in any seven-day period.

Source: Cobb County Municipal CodeView official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 53).

Full Breakdown

Cobb County treats short-term rental parking as an extension of its standard single-family occupancy rule, not a separate STR-only cap. Code section 78-407(h)(3)-(4) directs owners to section 134-1's definition of 'single-family dwelling unit' for occupancy and parking, and to section 134-272 for off-street parking. Section 134-1 sets the numeric cap: no more than one vehicle per 390 square feet of the home's living building square footage, as recorded by the Cobb County Tax Assessor, may be parked regularly overnight on the property, counting vehicles left in the adjacent right-of-way.

'Regularly' is defined as a majority of days in any seven-day period, so the rule targets a standing overnight pattern rather than a single busy weekend. Of that total, zoning determines how many vehicles can sit outside a garage or carport: a maximum of four in the PRD, OSC, RA-5, R-15, R-20 and R-30 districts, a maximum of five in R-40, R-80 and RR, and four in any other single-family zoning district. Separately, section 134-272's off-street parking table requires two spaces per dwelling unit for both attached and detached single-family units, a baseline every STR must still provide regardless of guest count.

An owner seeking relief from the vehicle-count cap can request an exception through a land use permit processed under section 134-36. 00 certificate from the business license division, and the application must list the number and location of parking spaces allotted to the property. Because these standards come from the general zoning code rather than a rental-specific ordinance, they apply the same way to any single-family home in unincorporated Cobb, rented short-term or not; the certificate program is what ties enforcement specifically to STR operators.

Violations & Fines

Cobb County's code enforcement division investigates parking complaints against a short-term rental property, and violations feed into the same three-strike penalty schedule that governs the STR certificate generally. A first violation carries a $500.00 fine within any 12-month period, a second draws $750.00, and a third within that same 12 months triggers revocation of the certificate along with a 12-month bar on any new application for that property. Citations are heard in Magistrate Court and can be issued by the code enforcement division or the Cobb County Police Department.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many cars can guests park at a Cobb County short-term rental?
The county caps it at one vehicle per 390 square feet of the home's living space, counted per Cobb County Tax Assessor records, and that count includes any vehicle parked in the adjoining right-of-way. Of that total, a maximum of four (or five in the R-40, R-80 and RR districts) can sit outside a garage or carport; any beyond the cap must go inside. This is the same standard applied to every single-family home in unincorporated Cobb, not an STR-specific number.
Is the parking cap based on how many nights the rental is booked?
No. Section 134-1 defines 'regularly' as a majority of days in any seven-day period, so the cap applies to whatever overnight parking pattern becomes the norm at the property, not just STR guest stays. A single weekend with extra cars does not by itself trigger a violation, but a pattern of exceeding the count on most nights does.
What happens if a short-term rental keeps violating the parking rule?
Cobb County code enforcement issues a written notice and can cite the owner or short-term rental agent to Magistrate Court. A first violation in a 12-month period costs $500.00, a second costs $750.00, and a third revokes the short-term rental certificate outright and bars any new application for that property for 12 months.
Does this parking rule apply inside Marietta or Smyrna?
No. This is a Cobb County ordinance and it only governs the unincorporated area. Marietta, Smyrna, Kennesaw, Acworth, Powder Springs and Austell each maintain their own municipal code, so a short-term rental inside any of those cities follows that city's own parking standard instead.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Cobb County

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