Barrow County, GA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Parking Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Vehicle cap
- One vehicle per bedroom, per STR permit
- Trailers/watercraft
- Each counted as a separate vehicle
- Right-of-way parking
- Prohibited at all times
- Surface requirement
- Gravel, concrete or asphalt only
- Parking spot count
- Fixed by the annual permit application
- Enforcement
- Sheriff's Office and Code Enforcement
Summary
In unincorporated Barrow County, a short-term rental permit caps parked vehicles at one per bedroom, bans parking on the county right-of-way, and confines every vehicle to a hard-surfaced pad. Trailers and watercraft towed behind a car each count as a separate vehicle against that cap.
(5)Parked vehicles:a.Shall be limited to the number designated in the short-term rental permit application with the maximum allowable vehicles not to exceed one vehicle per bedroom. A watercraft, travel trailer, or any other recreational trailer which is pulled by a motorized vehicle shall be counted as a separate vehicle when referenced in this article of the Code;b.Vehicles shall not be parked on the county right-of-way or along any roadways at any time; andc.Parking shall only be on designated hard surfaced areas with gravel, concrete or asphalt surfacing and shall not be permitted outside such hard-surfaced areas (i.e., no parking on grass or in yards) or on neighboring property.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 26-155(a)(5) sets the STR parking standard as a condition of every annual permit. The maximum allowable vehicles cannot exceed one vehicle per bedroom in the residential dwelling unit, and the owner's permit application must state the exact number and location of parking spaces allotted to the property under Sec. 26-154(a)(5)f. A watercraft, travel trailer, or any other recreational trailer pulled by a motorized vehicle is counted as a separate vehicle against that per-bedroom cap. Vehicles can never be parked on the county right-of-way or along any roadway, and parking is confined to designated hard-surfaced areas of gravel, concrete, or asphalt; parking on grass, in yards, or on a neighboring property is never permitted.
The posted in-unit notice required by Sec. 26-155(b)(1)d must also tell occupants the maximum number of vehicles allowed and that they belong in the designated parking area, not off the property. Because the permit application locks in both the bedroom count and the parking-space count, a rental operated with more vehicles than the permit allows is itself a permit violation enforceable by the Sheriff's Office and Barrow County Code Enforcement under Sec. 26-158.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the vehicle cap, parking on the right-of-way, or parking off the hard-surfaced pad is an Article V violation, prosecuted in magistrate court under Sec. 26-157: a first offense in 12 months draws up to a $250 fine and a written warning, a second draws up to $500 and a 30-to-90-day permit suspension, and a third draws up to $1,000 and permit revocation with a 12-month bar on reapplying. Each rental day operated out of compliance is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many cars can guests park at a Barrow County short-term rental?
Can short-term rental guests park on the street or in the yard?
What happens if a Barrow County rental keeps violating the parking rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Barrow County
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