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Georgia · DeKalb County

DeKalb County

county Allowed with registration Verified · last verified 2026-07-15

Short-term rentals are ALLOWED in unincorporated DeKalb County but require an annual Short-Term Rental (STR) License from the DeKalb County Business License Division before advertising or listing on platforms such as Airbnb, Booking.com, or VRBO. The regulations are NEW: "Short-term rental regulations in unincorporated DeKalb County went into effect on May 20, 2026," and the county's FAQ confirms "The STR becomes effective on May 20, 2026." Existing operators have 30 days from launch to register. An STR is "the rental of any room, lodging, or overnight accommodation for a period not exceeding thirty consecutive days." The annual application fee is "$175 plus a small processing fee," renewable annually on the anniversary date of initial approval ($175 renewal); licenses are non-transferable, fees are non-refundable once processed, and no separate business license is required. Applicants must submit a government-issued ID, proof of ownership, a parking site plan, and owner/24-hour STR agent contact information; applications are processed in 3-5 business days. All STRs are "subject to an 8% excise tax pursuant to Chapter 24 of the DeKalb County Code of Ordinances," remitted "on the 20th of every month" via the Rentalscape customer portal. Zoning limits apply: STRs are "only permitted in residential districts," and "STR permits will not be approved for dwelling units located within locally designated historic districts." Owners and agents are prohibited from advertising, marketing, or promoting STRs for parties, receptions, banquets, weddings, concerts, reunions, or similar events. STRs must comply with nuisance and noise rules under Chapter 16 of the County Code. Enforcement is supported by Rentalscape (Deckard) with a 24/7 complaint hotline (770-727-1052) and a public license-lookup portal at https://str-public-portal.deckard.com/ga-dekalb. IMPORTANT UNKNOWNS: the county's published materials do NOT address a primary-residence requirement, a cap on the number of licenses, or an annual night limit — these are recorded as null (unknown) rather than "none," because the adopted ordinance text could not be machine-read to confirm their absence. NOTE: this record covers UNINCORPORATED DeKalb County only — incorporated cities within the county (Atlanta [partially], Decatur, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Dunwoody, Tucker, Stonecrest, Doraville, Clarkston, Avondale Estates, Lithonia, Pine Lake, Stone Mountain) regulate STRs under their own city ordinances.

Not legal advice. Last verified 2026-07-15 · sources linked below.

Requirements checklist

  • county DeKalb County Short-Term Rental (STR) License Required
    Fee: $175 / annual · Renewal: Annual, on the anniversary date of the initial application approval; reminders are sent prior to the expiration date. Licenses are non-transferable between owners or properties. · Applies to: All property owners operating a short-term rental in unincorporated DeKalb County, before advertising or listing on any platform · official page ↗
  • county 30-day registration window for existing operators Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: — · Applies to: Existing/current STR operators in unincorporated DeKalb County following the May 20, 2026 program launch · official page ↗
  • county Designated 24-hour STR agent / local contact Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: Owner must notify the County within five business days of any change to designated agent information · Applies to: All licensed STRs; owner may act as own contact or designate an agent · official page ↗
  • county Application supporting documents (ID, proof of ownership, parking site plan) Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: — · Applies to: All STR license applicants · official page ↗
  • county Hotel/Motel Excise Tax registration and monthly remittance (8%) Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: Monthly filing/remittance, due on the 20th of every month, via the Rentalscape customer portal · Applies to: All short-term rentals in unincorporated DeKalb County · official page ↗
  • county No parties, receptions, or events (party-house prohibition) Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: — · Applies to: All STR owners and agents in unincorporated DeKalb County · official page ↗
  • county Compliance with noise and nuisance regulations (Chapter 16) Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: — · Applies to: All STRs in unincorporated DeKalb County · official page ↗
  • county Occupancy and life-safety compliance Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: — · Applies to: All STRs in unincorporated DeKalb County · official page ↗
  • county General business license Not required
    Fee: — · Renewal: — · Applies to: STR operators — explicitly NOT required in addition to the STR license · official page ↗
  • city HOA / condominium / covenant compliance Conditional
    Fee: — · Renewal: — · Applies to: Apartments, townhomes, condominiums, and any property subject to private covenants or lease restrictions · official page ↗

Taxes

TaxRateAdministered byAirbnb remitsVrbo remits
DeKalb County Hotel/Motel Excise Tax — — — —

Operating rules

Primary residence
—
Min stay (nights)
—
Max nights / year
—
Max occupancy
—
Zoning-restricted
Yes
Cap on licenses
—

Zoning: STRs are permitted only in residential zoning districts and are not eligible for approval in locally designated historic districts. Quote-anchored to the county FAQ: "Are Short Term Rentals allowed in all areas of unincorporated DeKalb County? No. STRs must comply with all applicable zoning and ordinance requirements and only permitted in residential districts. Certain properties, including those located within locally designated historic districts, are not eligible for STR approval." and "Are STRs permitted in historic districts? No. STR permits will not be approved for dwelling units located within locally designated historic districts of DeKalb County." CORRECTION: the draft's citation to DeKalb County Code Ch. 27 (Zoning), Art. 4, Div. 2, Sec. 4.2.15 ('Bed and Breakfast Inn') has been REMOVED — it is unverified and appears to be a conflation with a different use category. Municode serves DeKalb's code as JS-rendered content only (the HTML returns no code text and the API returns an empty set), so no specific zoning section number for STRs could be confirmed against a primary source. The zoning restriction itself is verified; the section number is not.

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Frequently asked questions

Is Airbnb legal in DeKalb County?
Short-term rentals are ALLOWED in unincorporated DeKalb County but require an annual Short-Term Rental (STR) License from the DeKalb County Business License Division before advertising or listing on platforms such as Airbnb, Booking.com, or VRBO. The regulations are NEW: "Short-term rental regulations in unincorporated DeKalb County went into effect on May 20, 2026," and the county's FAQ confirms "The STR becomes effective on May 20, 2026." Existing operators have 30 days from launch to register. An STR is "the rental of any room, lodging, or overnight accommodation for a period not exceeding thirty consecutive days." The annual application fee is "$175 plus a small processing fee," renewable annually on the anniversary date of initial approval ($175 renewal); licenses are non-transferable, fees are non-refundable once processed, and no separate business license is required. Applicants must submit a government-issued ID, proof of ownership, a parking site plan, and owner/24-hour STR agent contact information; applications are processed in 3-5 business days. All STRs are "subject to an 8% excise tax pursuant to Chapter 24 of the DeKalb County Code of Ordinances," remitted "on the 20th of every month" via the Rentalscape customer portal. Zoning limits apply: STRs are "only permitted in residential districts," and "STR permits will not be approved for dwelling units located within locally designated historic districts." Owners and agents are prohibited from advertising, marketing, or promoting STRs for parties, receptions, banquets, weddings, concerts, reunions, or similar events. STRs must comply with nuisance and noise rules under Chapter 16 of the County Code. Enforcement is supported by Rentalscape (Deckard) with a 24/7 complaint hotline (770-727-1052) and a public license-lookup portal at https://str-public-portal.deckard.com/ga-dekalb. IMPORTANT UNKNOWNS: the county's published materials do NOT address a primary-residence requirement, a cap on the number of licenses, or an annual night limit — these are recorded as null (unknown) rather than "none," because the adopted ordinance text could not be machine-read to confirm their absence. NOTE: this record covers UNINCORPORATED DeKalb County only — incorporated cities within the county (Atlanta [partially], Decatur, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Dunwoody, Tucker, Stonecrest, Doraville, Clarkston, Avondale Estates, Lithonia, Pine Lake, Stone Mountain) regulate STRs under their own city ordinances.
Do I need a license or registration for a short-term rental in DeKalb County?
Yes — DeKalb County requires: DeKalb County Short-Term Rental (STR) License; 30-day registration window for existing operators; Designated 24-hour STR agent / local contact. See the requirements checklist for fees, renewal, and official links.
What taxes apply to short-term rentals in DeKalb County?
DeKalb County Hotel/Motel Excise Tax. Use the lodging-tax estimator on this page for a specific stay.

Official sources

Related coverage

In Georgia

Cities in this county Decatur

Informational summary of publicly available sources; not legal advice. Verify against the linked official sources.