DeKalb County, GA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in DeKalb 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 issuer
- Business license division, Department of Planning and Sustainability
- Renewal
- New application submitted every year; fees set by the department
- Transferability
- None; tied to one permit holder and one location
- Historic districts
- No permit approved in locally designated historic districts
- Contact agent
- Twenty-four-hour contact; changes reported within five business days
- Appeal
- Hearing officer under section 15-46 of the Code
- Taxes and noise
- Excise tax under chapter 24; nuisance and noise rules in chapter 16
Summary
DeKalb County requires an annual short term rental permit from the business license division of the Department of Planning and Sustainability before any owner rents all or part of a dwelling unit for compensation. The permit cannot be transferred, is never approved in locally designated historic districts, and can be suspended or revoked by the director under section 15-45.
No person shall rent, lease or otherwise exchange for compensation all or any portion of a dwelling unit as a short term rental, as defined by this Code, without first obtaining a permit from the county's business license division of the department of planning and sustainability and complying with the regulations contained in this section. ... The director of the department of planning and sustainability is hereby authorized to deny an application, or a renewal thereof, for a short term rental permit under this subsection pursuant to section 15-45 of this Code. Furthermore, the director shall suspend or revoke a short term rental permit based on the determination that one (1) or more of the conditions outlined in section 15-45 has occurred. ... Any owner who is adversely affected or aggrieved by a final decision of the director shall have the right to appeal such denial, suspension, or revocation to the hearing officer pursuant to the procedures outlined in section 15-46 of this Code. ... For purposes of historic preservation, a short term rental permit will not be approved for any dwelling unit located in the locally designated historic districts of the county.
Full Breakdown
Section 4.2.15(C) of the DeKalb County zoning chapter makes the permit the gate to operating. No person can rent, lease or otherwise exchange for compensation all or any portion of a dwelling unit as a short term rental, as defined by the Code, without first obtaining a permit from the county's business license division and complying with the section's regulations. Renting a single room counts, because the rule reaches any portion of a dwelling unit.
The permit belongs to one person and one place. It cannot be transferred, assigned or used by anyone other than the person it was issued to, and it cannot be used at any location other than the one named on it. Selling the house or handing the rental to a new operator means a new application.
Applications go to the business license division every year, and the department sets the application fees. The application lists the name, address, telephone number and email address of each owner of record, the address of the dwelling unit, and the number and location of parking spaces allotted to the premises. It also names a short term rental agent whose details serve as twenty-four-hour contact information. An owner can serve as the agent, and any change to the agent or contact details must reach the department within five business days. The owner signs a sworn acknowledgement of having received and reviewed the section, and agrees to use best efforts so that occupants neither disrupt the neighborhood nor interfere with neighbors' quiet enjoyment. The division can demand any other information it considers necessary.
Two rules sit outside the application. No permit is approved for a dwelling unit in any locally designated historic district of the county. And owners and rental agents are prohibited from advertising, marketing or promoting the rental for a special event, meaning a party, concert, reunion, banquet, wedding, reception or similar activity.
Every short term rental also carries an excise tax under chapter 24 and is subject to the nuisance and noise regulations in chapter 16.
Violations & Fines
Operating without a permit violates section 4.2.15(C)(1). The director of planning and sustainability can deny an application or renewal under section 15-45, and must suspend or revoke a permit once one or more of the conditions in that section has occurred. Advertising a rental for a special event is its own ground for suspension or revocation. An owner aggrieved by the director's final decision can appeal to the hearing officer under section 15-46, arguing an erroneous finding of material fact or an incorrect application of the Code or other law.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a DeKalb County permit to rent out just one room?
Can I transfer my short term rental permit when I sell the house?
Can I get a short term rental permit in a historic district?
Can I advertise my DeKalb rental for weddings or parties?
What can I do if my permit is denied, suspended or revoked?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in DeKalb County
How DeKalb County compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·Compare DeKalb County to another location·View the Georgia short-term rentals overview
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