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

Macon-Bibb County created the short-term vacation rental program in 2018 to bring oversight to an industry that had grown outside the county's hotel and motel licensing framework, per the stated intent of Sec. 7-370. Under Sec. 7-372, anyone who rents out all or part of a dwelling unit for stays under 30 days, whether a spare bedroom or a whole house, must first obtain a business tax certificate for the rental from the Department of Business Development Services. The permit is tied to both the person and the address: Sec.

7-372 bars transferring, assigning, or using the permit at a location other than the one for which it issued. Owners apply annually to the Tax Commissioner under oath (Sec. 7-373(a)), listing the owner's contact information, the rental address, and a sworn acknowledgment that the owner has read and understood the division's requirements. Review follows due process principles under Sec. 7-375: the county must grant the permit unless the applicant fails the division's conditions or cannot show the ability to comply with local, state, or federal law, and false statements are grounds for denial, revocation, or suspension.

Once issued, Sec. 7-376(a) requires a legible copy of the permit be posted inside the rental unit, and Sec. 7-376(b) requires the unit be properly maintained and available for inspection by the owner and any necessary government agency to confirm continued compliance.