Alpharetta, GA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in Alpharetta, GA, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Key Facts
- License requirement
- Required before any short-term rental is rented or advertised
- Issuing office
- Community development department, decision within 30 days
- Eligible properties
- Single-family housing units only; no apartments, tents, or trailers
- License term
- Annual; expires December 31 and is non-transferable
- First violation penalty
- Municipal court fine plus written warning
- Third violation penalty
- Fine and license revocation for 12 months
Summary
Renting out a house or condo in the City of Alpharetta for stays under 30 days is illegal without a short-term rental license from the community development department. Sec. 10-431 makes advertising or operating an unlicensed rental unlawful in any residential district, and Sec. 10-434 requires an annual license application, occupation tax compliance, and single-family eligibility before the city issues one within 30 days.
(a)It shall be unlawful for any owner of any property within the city to rent, operate, or advertise a short-term rental of property in a residential zoning district, or property with a residential use thereon, contrary to the procedures and regulations established in this article, other provisions of this Code, or any applicable state law. A license shall be required to lawfully rent, operate, or advertise any property for short-term rental. ... (4)No owner or local contact person of a short-term rental shall rent, lease, or otherwise exchange for compensation all or any portion of such short-term rental without first obtaining a short-term rental license from the city; ... (9)Upon the filing of a completed license application, the community development director, or his or her designee, shall review the application for compliance with the requirements of this article. Within 30 days of the filing of the completed application, the community development director, or his or her designee, shall either issue a short-term rental license to the applicant or issue a written notice of denial.
Full Breakdown
Section 10-431 of the Alpharetta Code of Ordinances declares it unlawful for any property owner to rent, operate, or advertise a short-term rental in a residential zoning district, or on property with a residential use, without first obtaining a short-term rental license; listing the property on Airbnb, VRBO or a similar site is treated as prima facie proof it is operating as a short-term rental. Section 10-434 sets the licensing mechanics: the owner (or a designated representative) must file an annual application with the community development department that names two local contact persons, discloses ownership, bedroom count and maximum occupancy, and includes a sworn statement that all bedrooms meet safety-code egress requirements.
Licenses are limited to single-family housing units; apartments, tents, yurts, truck campers, trailers and similar portable shelters cannot be licensed. The community development director must act on a completed application within 30 days, either issuing a license or a written denial, and denial follows automatically if the applicant lost a license to revocation in the prior 12 months, owes delinquent property taxes, the health department flags a septic problem, or the rental would not conform to zoning or the Unified Development Code. A denied applicant can appeal to the city council within 30 days of the decision.
Licenses expire December 31 each year and are not transferable; a change of ownership requires a brand-new application before the property can be rented again.
Violations & Fines
Operating, advertising, or renting a short-term rental without a valid license violates Sec. 10-431 and Sec. 10-434, and each day the property is marketed or rented unlicensed counts as a separate offense under Sec. 10-437. A first violation in a 12-month period draws a municipal court fine and a written warning; a second draws a fine plus a 30-to-90-day license suspension; a third draws a fine and revocation, barring reapplication for 12 months. False statements in the application are independent grounds for denial or revocation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a license to list my Alpharetta house on Airbnb?
Can I get a short-term rental license for an apartment or a camper?
How long does the city take to approve an application?
What happens if I operate without a license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Alpharetta
How Alpharetta compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·Compare Alpharetta to another location·View the Georgia short-term rentals overview
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Short-Term Rental Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Fulton County handle short-term rental permits.