Hall County, GA Short-Term Rentals: Repeat Violator Strikes (2026)
Key Facts
- First violation
- Written notice, fine up to $500
- Second violation
- Written notice, fine up to $1,000
- Third violation
- $2,000 fine, 24-month revocation
- Look-back period
- Any rolling 12 months
- Reapply ban
- 24 months after revocation
- Unlicensed operation fine
- $500, each day a new violation
Summary
Hall County's short-term rental ordinance escalates penalties with each violation inside a rolling 12-month window: a written notice and up to $500 for a first offense, up to $1,000 for a second, and on a third violation a $2,000 fine plus a mandatory 24-month license revocation. Owners cannot reapply on that property for 24 months after revocation.
D.Penalties.1.The penalties for violations specified in section 5.100.080 of this Code shall be as follows:(a)For the first violation within any 12-month period, the penalty shall be a written notice of violation and a fine not to exceed $500.00;(b)For a second violation within any 12-month period, the penalty shall be a written notice of violation and a fine not to exceed $1,000.00;(c)For a third violation within any 12-month period, the penalty shall be a written notice of violation, a fine not to exceed $2,000.00, the business license shall be revoked for a period of 24 months, and the owner or local contact person shall not be eligible to reapply for a business license on the property in violation for a period of 24 months from the date of revocation.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 80).
Full Breakdown
100 of the Hall County Code of Ordinances regulates short-term (vacation home) rentals in the unincorporated county and requires a business license for every rental unit. 40. 080(D)(1) then sets the three-strike penalty schedule: a first violation within any 12-month period draws a written notice and a fine up to $500; a second draws a written notice and up to $1,000; a third draws a written notice, a fine up to $2,000, revocation of the business license for 24 months, and a 24-month bar on reapplying for a new license at that address.
080(D)(2). Enforcement runs through the county business license department, which investigates complaints (inspections, law-enforcement reports, online listings, neighbor photos or video) and must give 15 calendar days' written notice before a penalty or revocation takes effect. An owner or local contact person can stop the clock by filing a request for an appeal hearing before the Hall County Board of Commissioners, which decides whether the department erred in applying the chapter. 020.
Violations & Fines
A third strike inside 12 months triggers automatic revocation of the STR business license for 24 months and blocks the owner from reapplying at that property for the same period, on top of the $2,000 fine. Operating without a license draws a flat $500 penalty, with every additional day of marketing or renting counted as its own separate violation, and repeat unlicensed operators can be prosecuted under the county's general penalty section, § 1.50.020.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many short-term rental violations before Hall County revokes my license?
What is the fine for a first short-term rental violation in Hall County?
Can I get a new license after Hall County revokes my STR license?
Does renting without a Hall County STR license carry its own penalty?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hall County
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