Short-term rental rules · Lumpkin County, Georgia

Short-term rentals in Lumpkin County, explained properly.

Short-term rentals in unincorporated Lumpkin County need a County short-term rental host license and a valid occupational tax certificate for each rental; the license expires every December 31, is renewed annually and is not transferable. Hosts name a responsible party reachable 24 hours a day who must respond to complaints within 2 hours, post safety and contact information in the rental, put the license number in every advertisement, and keep occupancy to 2 persons per bedroom plus 2. Hotel/motel tax is remitted through the County's third-party system by hosts who do not use a platform that remits it. A second violation of the same nature brings a 30-day suspension and a third brings revocation and a 12-month bar on reapplying. The license fee is set in Chapter 18 of the County code and the zoning chapters were not read, so confirm both with the County. Dahlonega, the county seat, is covered separately.

14 rule fields4 cited sources

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At a glance

What you need to know before you buy or list

Question	Answer
Are short-term rentals allowed?	Yes with a host license and occupational tax certificate; the zoning chapters that decide where the use is allowed were not read, so the answer for a given parcel depends on its zoning[1]Clause Clause Clause ClauseConfirming
Is a County short-term rental host license required?	Yes: a short-term rental host license and a valid occupational tax certificate are both required for each short-term rental in unincorporated Lumpkin County; the license expires every December 31 and is not transferable[1]Clause Clause Clause Clause Clause
Must the host have a local responsible party available around the clock?	Yes: a responsible party must be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and must respond to complaints within 2 hours and take remedial action[1]Clause Clause
How is hotel/motel tax remitted on a short-term rental?	The host opens a short-term rental account with the County's third-party system; a host who does not use a booking platform that remits hotel/motel tax must remit all applicable hotel/motel tax through that system[1]Clause Clause

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Detailed rules

The full picture, section by section

Operating rules

Is guest occupancy capped?	Yes: 2 persons per bedroom plus 2 additional persons[1]Clause Clause Clause Sec. 12-106(d) sets the occupancy limit at two persons per bedroom plus 2 additional persons. A bedroom is a room intended primarily for sleeping as reflected on the building permit, tax assessor records or a site inspection (Sec. 12-101). The maximum occupancy load must be posted in the rental (Sec. 12-106(a)(4)e).
What must be posted in the rental and shown in advertisements?	Responsible party contact, street address, floor plan with fire exits and escape routes, how to contact the planning department, maximum occupancy load and "In Case of Emergency", Dial 911; the license number must be on every advertisement[1]Clause Clause Clause Clause Sec. 12-106(a)(4) lists the items to post in a conspicuous place within the rental. Sec. 12-106(a)(7) requires proof that the host license number is included on any short-term rental advertisement. The host also gives the planning department a copy of the house rules (Sec. 12-106(a)(8)) and signs a declaration of compliance (Sec. 12-106(a)(1)).
What parking and trash rules apply?	All vehicles park only in the driveway or garage, not in the public right-of-way or easements (including grassy or unimproved areas); trash stays in proper containers, out of public view, until collection[1]Clause Clause Sec. 12-106(b) and (c) set the parking and trash standards for short-term rentals.

Enforcement

What happens if the license is paid late or the rental operates unlicensed?	A penalty of 10 percent per month applies to payments made after December 31; operating more than 30 days without the license brings a warning and a penalty of 3 times the license fee, and a citation follows if the license and penalty are not paid within 10 calendar days[1]Clause Clause Sec. 12-103(e) sets the 10 percent per month penalty on license payments for existing businesses made after December 31. Sec. 12-103(f) applies to a short-term rental business operating for more than 30 days without paying the required license: it gets a warning and must pay a penalty of three times the required license fee; if the license and penalty are not paid within ten calendar days of the warning, a citation is issued.
What are the consequences of violating Article IV?	First violation: citation warning; second violation of the same nature: 30-day suspension; third violation of the same nature: revocation with no reapplication for the same property for 12 months; violations are also misdemeanors[1]Clause Clause Clause Sec. 12-107(a) lets the planning director issue a warning, suspend or revoke a license if it was issued in error, on incorrect information, or the property violates an ordinance or this article, including the International Property Maintenance Code. Sec. 12-107(b) sets the steps for uncorrected violations: a citation warning for a first violation, a 30-day suspension for a second violation of the same nature, and revocation for a third, after which the owner may not reapply for the same property for 12 months. Under Sec. 12-107(c), a person who does anything the article prohibits or fails to do anything it requires is guilty of a misdemeanor in county magistrate court, punished as provided in O.C.G.A. § 17-10-3.

What happens if the license is paid late or the rental operates unlicensed?

A penalty of 10 percent per month applies to payments made after December 31; operating more than 30 days without the license brings a warning and a penalty of 3 times the license fee, and a citation follows if the license and penalty are not paid within 10 calendar days[1]Clause Clause

Sec. 12-103(e) sets the 10 percent per month penalty on license payments for existing businesses made after December 31. Sec. 12-103(f) applies to a short-term rental business operating for more than 30 days without paying the required license: it gets a warning and must pay a penalty of three times the required license fee; if the license and penalty are not paid within ten calendar days of the warning, a citation is issued.

What are the consequences of violating Article IV?

First violation: citation warning; second violation of the same nature: 30-day suspension; third violation of the same nature: revocation with no reapplication for the same property for 12 months; violations are also misdemeanors[1]Clause Clause Clause

Sec. 12-107(a) lets the planning director issue a warning, suspend or revoke a license if it was issued in error, on incorrect information, or the property violates an ordinance or this article, including the International Property Maintenance Code. Sec. 12-107(b) sets the steps for uncorrected violations: a citation warning for a first violation, a 30-day suspension for a second violation of the same nature, and revocation for a third, after which the owner may not reapply for the same property for 12 months. Under Sec. 12-107(c), a person who does anything the article prohibits or fails to do anything it requires is guilty of a misdemeanor in county magistrate court, punished as provided in O.C.G.A. § 17-10-3.

State law that also applies

State and local sales tax on short stays	4% state sales tax plus the local sales taxes of the county where the rental is[2][3]Clause Clause Georgia charges sales tax on accommodations. The state rate is 4%, and each county adds its own local sales taxes; the Georgia Department of Revenue publishes the combined rate for every county in a quarterly rate chart.
State hotel-motel fee	$5 per night[4]Clause Clause Georgia charges a $5.00 State Hotel-Motel Fee for each night an accommodation is rented, including short-term rentals. It is a flat amount per night, not a percentage of the rent, and is collected from the guest.
Which stays pay the state fee?	Stays up to 30 consecutive nights; the fee stops on the 31st day[4]Clause Clause The $5 state fee does not apply once a stay becomes an extended stay: from the 31st day of uninterrupted occupancy by the same guest, the fee is no longer collected. If the guest checks out and checks back in, the count starts again.
Do booking platforms collect the state fee?	Yes: a booking platform collects the $5 state fee on stays booked through it[4]Clause Clause If you list your home with an online booking platform that handles payment (a "marketplace innkeeper"), the platform must collect and remit the state hotel-motel fee for each night of those stays. For stays you book yourself, you collect and remit the fee.
State fee returns	Filed electronically every month, by the 20th, even in months with no stays[4]Clause Clause Owners who collect the state hotel-motel fee must register on the Georgia Tax Center for a sales tax number and a state hotel-motel fee number, and file the fee return electronically by the 20th of the following month. A return is due every month, even when no rooms were rented and even if sales tax is filed quarterly or yearly.

Changes

Recent and pending changes

We read Article IV, Short-Term Rental Host License (Secs. 12-100 to 12-107), of the Lumpkin County Code of Ordinances on Municode, fetched on October 15, 2026. We did not read the County Fee Schedule in Chapter 18, the zoning and use provisions, the occupational tax certificate ordinance, the County's license application or Board of Commissioners agendas or minutes, so we will watch the Code and the County's website for changes.

Dec 18, 2018

Resolution 2018-66: short-term rental host license adoptedEnacted[1]Clause

Lumpkin County adopted Article IV on December 18, 2018, creating the short-term rental host license and its operating rules.

Jul 20, 2021

Resolution 2021-45: license fee, term and host provisions amendedEnacted[1]Clause Clause

Resolution 2021-45, adopted July 20, 2021, amended Secs. 12-103 and 12-106 of Article IV.

Sources

Every rule above links to one of these

Lumpkin County Code of Ordinances, Chapter 12, Article IV Short-Term Rental Host License (Secs. 12-100 to 12-107)
Lumpkin County, Georgia (via Municode)
What is Subject to Sales and Use Tax?
Georgia Department of Revenue
Sales and Use Tax Rate Chart, effective October 1, 2026
Georgia Department of Revenue · page updated October 1, 2026
State Hotel-Motel Fee FAQ
Georgia Department of Revenue

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This page is general information compiled from public sources, not legal or tax advice. HOA rules, deed restrictions and zoning for a specific property can be stricter. Confirm with the local permitting office and a qualified professional before buying or listing a property.