Cobb County, GA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Parking Rules (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.
(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.
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?
Is the parking cap based on how many nights the rental is booked?
What happens if a short-term rental keeps violating the parking rule?
Does this parking rule apply inside Marietta or Smyrna?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cobb County
Compare Cobb County to another location·View the Georgia short-term rentals overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.