Short-term rental rules · South Fulton, Georgia
Short-term rentals in South Fulton, explained properly.
The City of South Fulton (Georgia) requires a City short-term rental permit for any residential dwelling rented for lodging for 30 consecutive days or less, under Title 12, Chapter 3 of its Code of Ordinances (Ordinance 2025-011, adopted April 22, 2025). The permit costs $200 to apply and $200 to renew, expires each December 30, is issued to one person for one address and cannot be transferred. The owner must name one agent who is available at all times and can reach the rental within 45 minutes, carry at least $500,000 in liability insurance, post a sign and notify neighbors within 300 feet, and put the permit number in every ad. Fines run $500, $750 and $1,000 for a first, second and third violation within 12 months, and three code violations in 12 months cost the permit. We haven't reviewed the City's Zoning Resolution, fee schedule or tax chapters yet, so this page does not show those.
At a glance
What you need to know before you buy or list
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Are short-term rentals allowed? | Conditional: allowed only with a City short-term rental permit; zoning hasn't been reviewed yet [1] ClauseConfirming |
| Is a City short-term rental permit required? | Yes: every short-term rental needs a permit from the City's Community Development and Regulatory Affairs Department [1] Clause |
| Can a permit be transferred to a new owner? | No: a permit may not be transferred or assigned, or used by anyone other than the person it was issued to, or at any other location [1] Clause |
| Must the owner live on the property? | No: the owner may name a short-term rental agent, who may be the owner or another natural person over age 18 customarily present in the city [1] Clause |
| Must the owner designate a short-term rental agent? | Yes: one agent, available at all times, who must be on the premises within 45 minutes of the City's notice [1] Clause |
| Must the applicant notify neighbors before a permit is issued? | Yes: post a sign on the property at least 15 days before issuance and mail notice to owners within 300 feet [1] Clause |
| Can a history of nuisance behavior bar a permit? | Yes: a location with a history of any past nuisance behavior violation is ineligible for a permit [1] Clause |
| Must a short-term rental owner follow HOA and POA rules? | Yes: owners and agents must comply with applicable HOA or POA regulations and sign an affidavit when applying [1] Clause |
| Is an occupation tax certificate also required? | Yes: the chapter keeps in place the City's requirement to get and annually maintain an occupation tax certificate [1] ClauseConfirming |
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Detailed rules
The full picture, section by section
Permit, fee and application
| Permit and renewal fee | $200 application fee and $200 renewal fee, nonrefundable, as set in the Code and amendable by the mayor and council [1] ClauseConfirming The application carries a non-refundable fee of $200.00, as may be amended by the mayor and city council from time to time (Sec. 12-3005(a)), and renewal carries a $200.00 nonrefundable fee (Sec. 12-3005(d)). The amounts are those in Ordinance 2025-011 adopted April 22, 2025. We haven't reviewed the City's current fee schedule, so confirm the amount with the City before you apply. |
|---|---|
| Permit term and renewal | Permits expire on December 30 of the year approved; renew with a form and the renewal fee [1] Clause Original and renewed permits expire on December 30 of the year approved. A request to renew is filed on renewal forms supplied by the City with the $200.00 nonrefundable renewal fee (Sec. 12-3005(d)). |
| What the application asks for | Owner and agent details, parking spaces, proof of ownership, $500,000 liability insurance, a sworn code compliance form and an occupant agreement [1] Clause The sworn application lists the owner of record (and for an entity, its partners, officers and directors), the unit address, the agent's 24-hour contact details, the owner's sworn acknowledgement of the chapter, the number and location of parking spaces, and the owner's agreement to use best efforts to avoid disrupting the neighborhood (Sec. 12-3005(a)). With it the owner provides a sworn code compliance verification form, a written occupant agreement (compliance with the chapter and the noise ordinance, and possible eviction and fines for violations), proof of current ownership, proof of liability insurance of at least $500,000.00, and the agent's written certification (Sec. 12-3005(b)). The City manager or designee can request more information. |
| How long does the City take to decide an application? | Within 45 days after the applicant completes the public notice and comment steps [1] Clause All complete applications are reviewed within 45 days of the applicant's compliance with the public notice and comment requirements. The city manager or designee approves or denies. False statements in the application are grounds for revocation, suspension or penalties, including denial of future applications (Sec. 12-3007). |
Operating rules
| Nuisance parties | Prohibited: a gathering of five or more people at a short-term rental that leads to listed disturbances is unlawful [1] Clause A nuisance party is a social gathering of five or more people on residential property used or advertised as a short-term rental that results in listed conduct, such as unlawful alcohol use, noise violations, property damage, littering, fireworks violations or blocked streets (Sec. 12-3002). It is unlawful for the agent, the occupants or anyone with the right of possession to cause, allow or permit one (Sec. 12-3010(a)). The agent is responsible only where on the premises, told by an official and failing to act, or where the agent knew or should have known (Sec. 12-3010(b)). Any nuisance party violation is grounds for immediate revocation of the permit (Sec. 12-3010(d)). |
|---|---|
| Permit number in advertising | The current permit number must appear in every advertisement and listing [1] Clause Permittees must publish the permit number in every print, digital or internet advertisement and any property listing (Sec. 12-3005(c)). It is unlawful to advertise a short-term rental that is not permitted, or without the current permit number assigned by the department (Sec. 12-3004(c), (d)). |
| Permit display in the unit | A copy of the permit posted in the unit with the agent's contact details, permit number, maximum occupancy and maximum vehicles [1] Clause A legible copy of the permit must be posted within the unit showing the agent's name, address, telephone number and email address, the permit number, the maximum occupancy of the unit and the maximum number of vehicles that may be parked at the unit. Units must be properly maintained and regularly inspected by the owner for compliance with zoning, building, health and life safety provisions (Sec. 12-3008). |
| Sales tax and hotel/motel tax | Owners are subject to state sales tax and City taxes, including hotel/motel tax reporting; the City rate hasn't been reviewed yet [1] Clause Short-term and vacation rental owners are subject to state sales tax and City taxes, including all hotel/motel tax requirements and reporting, and are liable for payment as established by state law and the City Code. The City may seek to enforce payment, including by injunction (Sec. 12-3011). We haven't reviewed the City's tax chapters, so the City's rate and filing steps aren't shown here. |
Penalties & enforcement
| Fines for violations | $500 first violation, $750 second within 12 months, $1,000 third or later within 12 months; fines cannot be waived or reduced [1] Clause Violations of the chapter carry fines of $500.00 for a first violation, $750.00 for a second violation within the preceding 12 months and $1,000.00 for a third or subsequent violation within the preceding 12 months. The fines may not be waived or reduced and may be combined with other legal remedies. Each date of rental is a separate violation (Sec. 12-3009(c), (d)). |
|---|---|
| Can the City revoke or suspend a permit? | Yes: three code violations in 12 months, a nuisance party violation or false application statements can end a permit [1] Clause The City must revoke the permit and reject applications for the address for 12 consecutive months once the owner has three code violations for the property within 12 consecutive months (Sec. 12-3009(b)). Any nuisance party violation is grounds for immediate revocation, and a failure to appear for a nuisance party citation counts as a sustained violation (Sec. 12-3010(d)). False statements in the application are grounds for revocation, suspension or penalties (Sec. 12-3007). An owner cited for a zoning, building, health or life safety violation must show compliance before getting a permit (Sec. 12-3009(c)). |
| Can a denial, suspension or revocation be appealed? | Yes: in writing to the city manager within 30 calendar days, which stays the action; then to Fulton County Superior Court [1] Clause A person aggrieved by a revocation, suspension or denial may appeal in writing to the city manager or designated hearing officer within 30 calendar days; a timely appeal stays the action until decided. The appeal is considered within 30 days of receipt, the manager's written determination is due within five days of the hearing, and a further appeal goes by petition for writ of certiorari to the Fulton County Superior Court (Sec. 12-3009(e), (f)). Sec. 12-3010(d) refers to Sec. 12-3008(e) for appeals, while the appeal text sits in Sec. 12-3009(e). |
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 1 Clause 2 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 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 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 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 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 Title 12, Chapter 3 (Secs. 12-3001 to 12-3011) of the City of South Fulton Code of Ordinances on Municode (version August 26, 2026), whose landing page says the Code is codified through Ordinance No. 2026-022, enacted July 14, 2026. We haven't reviewed the City's Zoning Resolution, fee schedule, tax chapters, permit page and application form, or City Council agendas and minutes. We will watch the Code and the City's pages for changes.
Ordinance 2025-011, adopted April 22, 2025, repealed the former Chapter 3 (from Ordinance 2018-044 of December 11, 2018) and enacted the current short-term rental chapter. The Code shows the adoption date; the effective date wasn't shown in the text we reviewed.
Sources
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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.