Bartow County, GA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in Bartow County, GA, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Key Facts
- Permit
- no separate STR permit; compliance-based standards only
- Smoke detectors
- UL 217 standard, every bedroom and hallway
- CO detectors
- required every bedroom and habitable floor
- Fire extinguisher
- 5-lb ABC, one per floor, NFPA standard
- Egress window
- min. 5.7 sq ft, 20 in wide, 24 in high
- Enforcement
- citation to Magistrate Court, daily fines
Summary
Unincorporated Bartow County does not require a separate permit to operate a short-term rental. Instead, Bartow County Code § 18-133 sets mandatory safety standards, smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, egress windows and fire extinguishers, and lets the community development director investigate complaints, inspect the property and issue magistrate court citations against owners who fail to comply.
(b)Safety requirements.(1)Every bedroom, adjoining hallway, and common area shall be equipped with an operational smoke detector that meets Underwriters Laboratory (UL) 217 standards and shall be maintained in good working order at all times. ... (4)Each floor of the short-term rental shall be equipped with a portable minimum five-pound ABC fire extinguisher that is fully charged, not past expiration date, and that meets all National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards as adopted by the state. ... (c)Administration and enforcement.(1)The community development director or his or her designee is hereby authorized and directed to establish such procedures as may from time to time be required to carry out the purpose and intent of this article.(2)The director or designee shall conduct an investigation whenever there is reason to believe that an owner and/or local contact person has failed to comply with the provisions of this article. ... (6)Administrative enforcement. Should the investigation support a finding that a violation of this article occurred, code enforcement officers may issue a citation to the magistrate court. Each day of noncompliance shall constitute a separate offense punishable by a separate citation and fine.
Full Breakdown
Bartow County Code § 18-133 is the county's only short-term rental ordinance; it replaced the former licensing article at chapter 44, article XII in 2023 and does not create a separate STR permit or registration form. Subsection (b) instead lists safety requirements every short-term rental must meet before it can be rented. Every bedroom, adjoining hallway and common area needs an operational smoke detector meeting Underwriters Laboratory 217 standards, and every bedroom and habitable floor needs a working carbon monoxide detector. Each floor must have a charged, unexpired five-pound ABC fire extinguisher meeting National Fire Protection Association standards.
7 square feet, at least 20 inches wide and 24 inches high. Rather than issuing permits up front, subsection (c) puts the community development director in charge of establishing procedures to carry out the article and authorizes an investigation whenever there is reason to believe an owner or local contact has failed to comply. Investigations can draw on property inspections, law enforcement reports, online listings, citations, and neighbor-supplied photos, audio or video. County sheriff's office, fire department, community development and board of health personnel can all enforce the article and inspect the property.
If an investigation finds a violation, code enforcement officers may issue a citation to Bartow County Magistrate Court, and each day of noncompliance counts as a separate offense with its own citation and fine.
Violations & Fines
Failing to meet the § 18-133(b) safety standards, such as missing smoke or carbon monoxide detectors, an inadequate fire extinguisher or a blocked emergency window, exposes an owner to a magistrate court citation under § 18-133(c)(6). Each day the short-term rental remains out of compliance is a separate offense with its own citation and fine, and the violation may also be abated as a nuisance in magistrate or superior court.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Bartow County require a permit to operate a short-term rental?
What safety equipment must a Bartow County short-term rental have?
Who enforces Bartow County's short-term rental rules?
What happens if a Bartow County short-term rental fails an inspection?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bartow County
How Bartow County compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·Compare Bartow County to another location·View the Georgia short-term rentals overview
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