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

Section 7.6(15)(b) of the Unified Development Ordinance flatly prohibits operating a short-term rental in any zoning district without a valid permit, and it is a separate violation to assist, permit or promote an unpermitted STR. Only the property owner may apply, the permit must be issued in that owner's name, and it is non-transferable and does not run with the land, so a sale of the property ends the permit. Each individual may hold only one STR special-use permit at a time, even through an LLC or partnership.

The Board of Commissioners caps the county at 12 STR permits issued per calendar year under Section 7.6(15)(d)(2), and once that cap is hit, the Community Development Department keeps a waiting list in order of application, giving priority to Troup County residents over outside applicants; the waitlist resets every December 31 and a new application is required for the following year. Applicants generally must show three years of property ownership, though an heir who inherits property from a family member who owned it for at least three years can apply without meeting the ownership-duration rule themselves.

Advertising a rental before a permit issues is itself a violation, and no application is accepted from anyone renting in violation of the county code or with three final convictions for STR-related code violations. The Director processes applications under Section 3.1 of Article III of the Zoning Ordinance and Article XVI's special-use permit procedure, and may request additional information to assess impact and mitigation before deciding.