Paulding County, GA Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in Paulding County, GA, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Key Facts
- STR ordinance
- None in county code
- Registration
- Not required
- Business license
- Occupation tax certificate needed
- Zoning
- B&B must be owner-occupied
- State preemption
- None; full local control
Summary
Paulding County has no dedicated short-term rental ordinance, registration, or STR permit: a search of the county code returns no vacation-rental rules. Operators instead need a county occupation tax certificate (business license) and must follow residential zoning.
Each person engaged in any business, trade, profession, or occupation in the county, whether with a location in the county or in the case of an out-of-state business with no location in the state exerting substantial efforts within the state pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 48-13-7, shall pay an annual occupation tax for such business, trade, profession, or occupation. Upon payment of the tax and compliance with this article, an occupation tax certificate, also known as a business license, shall be issued. The taxpayer shall display it; in a conspicuous place in the place of business, if the taxpayer has a permanent business location in the county. If the taxpayer has no permanent business location in the county, such business license shall be shown to the community development director, other designee of the county, or to any law enforcement officer of the county upon request.
(Res. No. 18-32, § 1(Exh. A), 7-10-2018)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 35).
Full Breakdown
As of 2026, unincorporated Paulding County does not regulate short-term rentals through a specific ordinance: there is no STR license, registration, or inspection program in the county code. Anyone operating a rental business still needs a Paulding County occupation tax certificate (business license) under § 30-93, and the use must comply with the county's Unified Development Ordinance zoning. The zoning code defines a 'bed and breakfast facility' as an owner-occupied dwelling where the proprietor resides on-site, so whole-house transient rentals can raise zoning-use questions. Dallas and Hiram set their own rules inside city limits. Georgia does not preempt local STR regulation.
Violations & Fines
Operating without the required occupation tax certificate is an enforcement matter under Chapter 30; zoning-use violations are handled by community development. Georgia lets Paulding add STR rules later, so requirements can change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Paulding County require a short-term rental permit?
Can Paulding County ban or restrict STRs later?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Paulding County
How Paulding County compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·Compare Paulding County to another location·View the Georgia short-term rentals overview
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