Chatham County, GA Short-Term Rentals: Repeat Violator Strikes (2026)

Section 16-1307(1) lists the grounds on which Chatham County can suspend a short-term rental license, and subsection (c), 'Upon Repeated Public Complaints,' targets chronic problem properties: upon three or more complaints to BSRS or the County Manager for violations of the Chatham County Code, state law, or the short-term rental article that amount to a danger to the peace or welfare of the community, an investigation into license compliance shall occur, and while it is conducted, the County Manager may, in his sole discretion, suspend the license.

That suspension is capped at 30 days unless the license holder requests a hearing. The same 30-day, hearing-on-request structure applies to the other two discretionary suspension grounds in the section: public-safety suspensions ordered by the Chief of Police, the Sheriff, or the Counter Narcotics Team, and public-health-or-welfare suspensions ordered by the County Manager. A pattern of complaints can escalate past suspension into outright revocation or denial under §16-1308(1), and once a license is revoked, §16-1308(2) bars the county from issuing a new license for that same location for 12 months, though revocation of one location's license does not automatically affect a different property held by the same owner unless the county can factually connect the two. Every suspension, denial or revocation can be appealed, but only in writing to the County Manager, whose decision under §16-1309 is final.