Chatham County, GA Short-Term Rentals: Permit Requirements (2026)

Chatham County's Short-Term Vacation Rental Ordinance is codified as Article XIII, beginning at § 16-1301, of Chapter 16 of the Chatham County Code (the Occupational and Regulatory Tax Ordinance). It took effect July 1, 2020 and applies only to property in unincorporated Chatham County (it does not apply inside the City of Savannah, Tybee Island, Pooler, Garden City, Port Wentworth, or Bloomingdale, each of which has its own STR rules). All applicants must hold an ownership interest in the property; tenants cannot apply. Each STVR operator must obtain a Short-Term Vacation Rental Certificate and complete an Occupation Tax Registration through the Department of Building Safety & Regulatory Services at 1117 Eisenhower Drive, Suite D, Savannah, GA 31406, (912) 201-4300. The annual fee is $350, renewable May 1 through June 30. Occupancy is limited to no more than two (2) adults per bedroom, plus two (2) additional adults. The maximum advertised occupancy must match the application. Operators must collect and remit the 6% Chatham County hotel-motel excise tax (authorized under O.C.G.A. § 48-13-50 et seq. and reported in the Georgia Department of Community Affairs Hotel/Motel Excise Tax Report) plus the $5 per night state hotel-motel fee under O.C.G.A. § 48-13-50.3, unless the booking platform (Airbnb, VRBO) collects and remits those taxes. The County retains audit rights over operators' financial records. The City of Savannah, by separate ordinance, increased its hotel-motel tax from 6% to 8% effective September 1, 2023, but that increase does not apply to the unincorporated county.