Cherokee County, GA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)

Sec. 18-383(a) makes it unlawful to rent, lease or otherwise exchange a residential dwelling unit for compensation as a short-term rental without first obtaining a certificate, and a certificate cannot be transferred, assigned or used at a different location than the one for which it issued. Owners apply annually to the Cherokee County Development Services Center, paying a non-refundable certificate fee, and must supply owner contact information, the local contact person's details, bedroom count and proposed occupancy, on-site parking layout, a sworn acknowledgement of the county's short-term rental rules, an HOA statement confirming rentals are not prohibited where applicable, proof of insurance and current ownership, an exemplar rental agreement, and a septic performance evaluation from the county Health Department if the property is not sewered.

The Development Services Center must issue or deny the certificate within seven business days, and every approved certificate carries a unique identification number that must appear in any online listing. Sec. 18-383(b)(3)(b) lists denial grounds: a certificate revoked or suspended elsewhere in the county within the prior 12 months, delinquent property taxes, a history of complaints, an inadequate septic system flagged by the Health Department, code violations reported by the marshal's office, sheriff's office, fire marshal or building official, or HOA covenants barring short-term rentals.

A denial can be appealed in writing to the Board of Commissioners within 30 days. Every certificate expires December 31 regardless of issuance date and is not transferable if the property changes hands, so a new owner must reapply before continuing to rent. No certificate can issue for a unit inside a multi-family development, and a property cannot function as a special event facility, lodge or campground under its short-term rental certificate.