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

The board of commissioners enforces short-term rental compliance through a graduated penalty schedule set out in Section 22-270 of the Code of Ordinances. Any violation of the short-term rental article, including a guest's breach of the county's noise regulations in article IV of chapter 34, counts toward the three strikes, which reset only after a rolling 12-month period with no violation. A first violation brings a magistrate-court fine capped at $250 plus a written notice of violation. A second violation within the same 12-month window raises the fine ceiling to $500 and adds a mandatory license suspension of not less than 30 and not more than 90 days.

A third violation raises the fine cap to $1,000 and triggers automatic revocation of the short-term rental license, and neither the property owner nor the local contact person may reapply for 12 months from the date of revocation. The board can extend a suspension or revoke a license outright, beyond these ranges, whenever it finds that step necessary for public health, safety or welfare, and it may mitigate a mandatory suspension if the licensee shows it had adopted practices to prevent the violation. Separately, Section 22-269 lets the board suspend or revoke a license immediately, without waiting for a strike, if an owner lied on the application, failed to pay fees or taxes, or no longer meets licensing qualifications.

Enforcement runs through the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office and Forsyth County Code Compliance under Section 22-271, and every day an unlicensed property is marketed or rented counts as a separate violation. An owner denied, suspended or revoked can appeal to the board of commissioners for a $250 fee and, if unsuccessful, to the Superior Court of Forsyth County within 30 days of the board's written decision.