Duluth requires a Short-Term Rental permit before operating any residential dwelling rented for 28 days or fewer. Applications go through the city's online permitting portal, carry a $200 fee, and must include site plan, floor plan, septic approval, and proof of fire/life safety devices. The Planning and Development Division has 14 days to review for completeness.
Duluth adopted its Short-Term Rental ordinance in late 2022, defining an STR as a residential unit rented on a nightly basis for no more than 28 days as transient lodging. Operators must obtain an STR permit through the City of Duluth online permitting portal before listing on Airbnb, Vrbo, or any platform. The non-refundable permit fee is $200. Required submittals include a site plan drawn to scale showing structures, setbacks, parking, utilities, and septic systems; a floor plan drawn to scale; Gwinnett County Environmental Health Department approval if the property uses septic; and proof of installed fire and life safety devices including smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and fire extinguishers. Maximum occupancy is two persons per bedroom plus four additional persons. In multi-family buildings, only one STR is allowed per duplex pair, one per triplex, and one per four units in larger developments; in single-family districts STRs may not abut another STR. Hotel-motel excise tax (Chapter 7, Article XIX) also applies. Contact Planning and Development at 770-476-1790.
Operating without a valid STR permit, exceeding the 28-day per-booking definition, abutting another STR in single-family districts, or misrepresenting application data violates the city ordinance and can result in permit denial, revocation, code-enforcement citations, and stop-rental orders.
See how other cities in Gwinnett County handle registration rules.
See how Duluth's registration rules rules stack up against other locations.
Quick Compare
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.