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Georgia · Tybee Island

Tybee Island

city Restricted Verified · last verified 2026-07-15

Tybee Island regulates STRs under the Code of Tybee Island, Appendix A (Land Development Code), Art. 4, Secs. 4-051.1 through 4-052 (STR provisions formerly Ch. 34, Art. VIII, Secs. 34-260—34-271; redesignated into Appendix A by Ord. No. 2023-01, § 1, adopted 1-12-2023). An STR is "an accommodation for guests where, in exchange for compensation, a residential dwelling unit is provided for lodging for a period of time less than 30 consecutive days" (Sec. 4-051.1(B)); it covers all housing types and excludes bed and breakfast accommodations. Every STR requires (a) an annual STR permit/certificate identifying the location with the city, valid Jan 1–Dec 31, and (b) an occupation tax certificate (OTC) unless exempt (Secs. 4-051.2(A), (E)). The regulatory fee is a $200.00 base fee plus a per-person occupancy fee ($10/$15/$20 per person by tier) (Sec. 4-051.3(F)). The city's renewal window is Jan 1–Mar 31; for 2026 the city states "The March 31 deadline has been extended to May 31, 2026" (that extended date has already passed as of 2026-07-16). Status is RESTRICTED rather than merely registration-based because of the residential-zone regime: since the effective date of Ord. No. 2023-11 (April 27, 2023), STRs in the R-1, R-1-B and R-2 residential districts are a nonconforming use rather than a use as of right, and Sec. 4-052(F) provides "No new permits are allowable in the R-1, R-1-B, and R-2 zones except as otherwise provided." Grandfathered residential-zone STRs must actually rent "at least 60 days of rental at full market value within the preceding 12-month period" or the use is presumed abandoned and no new permit or renewal may be granted (Sec. 4-052(C)), subject to a long-term-lease exemption and a petition process for calamity/hardship relief. Under Ord. No. 08-2024 (§§ 1—3, adopted 6-13-2024), codified at Sec. 4-051.11, any "transfer" of an STR property in R-1/R-1-B/R-2 terminates the STR permit, which "shall not be assigned, transferred or renewed, and no permit shall be issued in its place" — effectively phasing out residential-zone STRs on sale. Outside R-1/R-1-B/R-2, "a short-term rental use is allowable in any zoning districts" subject to full compliance (Sec. 4-052(D)). A cap framework is defined (Sec. 4-052(E)) but no numeric cap is codified as of Supp. No. 32. Occupancy is limited to two adults per bedroom plus two additional adults, with any person over age 15 counted as an adult (Sec. 4-051.2(C)(3)). Taxes: 7% city room excise tax (Sec. 58-108), Georgia $5.00/night state hotel-motel fee (O.C.G.A. § 48-13-50.3; Rule 560-13-2-.01), and 7% combined Georgia/Chatham sales tax on accommodations. Enforcement is active: a $500.00/month fine for operating without compliance (Sec. 4-051.3(C)), a codified verification/audit program (Sec. 4-051.10), and city-operated STR complaint lines. NOTE: Municode is codified only through S.B. 340, enacted May 1, 2025 (Supp. No. 32), and the city itself cautions that not-yet-codified ordinances may supersede. A 2026 council proposal to replace the residential phase-out with percentage caps by zone is NOT enacted, and the ordinance is under active litigation (Tybee Alliance) with a ruling pending — see verification_notes.

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

Requirements checklist

  • city Short-Term Rental (STR) permit / certificate (annual location identification) Required
    Fee: $200 / annual · Renewal: Annual. Fee due January 1 each year; city renewal application window is Jan 1 - Mar 31, during which the prior year certificate remains valid. For 2026 the city extended the deadline to May 31, 2026 (a date that has already passed as of 2026-07-16). If not paid within 90 days of Jan 1, subject to the delinquency and penalty provisions of Sec. 58-163 as applicable to occupation tax/business license provisions, plus revocation of any right to use the unit for short-term rental purposes until payment of the penalties and fee. The annual identification of a unit and the regulatory fee are not transferrable. · Applies to: Any residential dwelling unit provided for lodging for less than 30 consecutive days in exchange for compensation, all housing types, in any zoning district (excludes bed and breakfast accommodations as defined in the Land Development Code). Sublet rentals (long-term lessee re-renting short-term) are also treated as STRs and both lessor and lessee are subject to the STR ordinances (Sec. 4-052(B)). · official page ↗
  • city STR regulatory fee (occupancy-tiered) Required
    Fee: $200 / annual · Renewal: Annual, due January 1 · Applies to: Every STR permit applicant, initial and renewal · official page ↗
  • city Occupational Tax Certificate (OTC) Conditional
    Fee: $135 / annual · Renewal: Annual; submitted with the STR application. City FAQ states applications can be submitted January 1 through March 31 and that all STR applications must be submitted by March 31 (2026 STR deadline extended to May 31, 2026). · Applies to: STR owners/rental agents conducting business at the STR property; exemptions available under state law and city ordinance — a property is not considered a business if the only business conducted on the property is merely maintaining the property for a rental, in which case an OTC Exemption Form is filed with the STR application instead · official page ↗
  • city Liability insurance with STR disclosure to insurer Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: Declaration page submitted with application; must list the unit as the rental property · Applies to: All STR properties · official page ↗
  • city Designated short-term rental agent / local emergency contact Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: Contact details supplied with each application; city must be notified in writing within seven days of any change · Applies to: All STR units; the owner may serve as the agent · official page ↗
  • city Posted emergency-contact sign Required
    Fee: — · Renewal: Ongoing · Applies to: All STR units; different size specs for one/two-family vs multi-family · official page ↗
  • city Proof of at least 60 days of rental income (R-1 / R-1-B / R-2 only) Conditional
    Fee: — · Renewal: Each renewal; documentation must list dates and gross amount of rental income received · Applies to: Properties holding an STR permit in the R-1, R-1-B or R-2 residential zoning districts. Not required for STRs in other zoning districts — the city's application marks these sections with a star and states they need not be completed for non-R-1/R-1-B/R-2 properties. · official page ↗
  • city Affidavit of no sale/transfer since June 13, 2024 (R-1 / R-1-B / R-2 only) Conditional
    Fee: — · Renewal: Each renewal; the 2025 application required disclosure of each transfer occurring after the ordinance's effective date, and after 2025 each transfer in the immediately preceding calendar year · Applies to: STR permit renewals for properties in the R-1, R-1-B and R-2 residential districts · official page ↗

Taxes

TaxRateAdministered byAirbnb remitsVrbo remits
City room excise tax (hotel-motel / Occupational Room tax) — — — —
Georgia state hotel-motel fee — — — —
Georgia state + Chatham County sales and use tax on accommodations — — — —

Operating rules

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

Grandfathering: {"building_permit_holders":"Sec. 4-052(G)(1): persons holding a valid building permit as of the August 26, 2021 moratorium resolution for construction/renovation of an R-1/R-1-B/R-2 property intended for STR use may apply, subject to showing the permit predated August 26, 2021, that no certificate of occupancy was possible due to renovations, and intent to use as an STR by a preponderance of the evidence; application due within six months of the certificate of occupancy or of the adoption of the subsection. Sec. 4-052(G)(2): 'extensive renovations' means improvements costing in excess of 50 percent of the pre-renovation value of the structure, aligned with 'substantial improvement' under the flood damage prevention ordinance."}

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Frequently asked questions

Is Airbnb legal in Tybee Island?
Tybee Island regulates STRs under the Code of Tybee Island, Appendix A (Land Development Code), Art. 4, Secs. 4-051.1 through 4-052 (STR provisions formerly Ch. 34, Art. VIII, Secs. 34-260—34-271; redesignated into Appendix A by Ord. No. 2023-01, § 1, adopted 1-12-2023). An STR is "an accommodation for guests where, in exchange for compensation, a residential dwelling unit is provided for lodging for a period of time less than 30 consecutive days" (Sec. 4-051.1(B)); it covers all housing types and excludes bed and breakfast accommodations. Every STR requires (a) an annual STR permit/certificate identifying the location with the city, valid Jan 1–Dec 31, and (b) an occupation tax certificate (OTC) unless exempt (Secs. 4-051.2(A), (E)). The regulatory fee is a $200.00 base fee plus a per-person occupancy fee ($10/$15/$20 per person by tier) (Sec. 4-051.3(F)). The city's renewal window is Jan 1–Mar 31; for 2026 the city states "The March 31 deadline has been extended to May 31, 2026" (that extended date has already passed as of 2026-07-16). Status is RESTRICTED rather than merely registration-based because of the residential-zone regime: since the effective date of Ord. No. 2023-11 (April 27, 2023), STRs in the R-1, R-1-B and R-2 residential districts are a nonconforming use rather than a use as of right, and Sec. 4-052(F) provides "No new permits are allowable in the R-1, R-1-B, and R-2 zones except as otherwise provided." Grandfathered residential-zone STRs must actually rent "at least 60 days of rental at full market value within the preceding 12-month period" or the use is presumed abandoned and no new permit or renewal may be granted (Sec. 4-052(C)), subject to a long-term-lease exemption and a petition process for calamity/hardship relief. Under Ord. No. 08-2024 (§§ 1—3, adopted 6-13-2024), codified at Sec. 4-051.11, any "transfer" of an STR property in R-1/R-1-B/R-2 terminates the STR permit, which "shall not be assigned, transferred or renewed, and no permit shall be issued in its place" — effectively phasing out residential-zone STRs on sale. Outside R-1/R-1-B/R-2, "a short-term rental use is allowable in any zoning districts" subject to full compliance (Sec. 4-052(D)). A cap framework is defined (Sec. 4-052(E)) but no numeric cap is codified as of Supp. No. 32. Occupancy is limited to two adults per bedroom plus two additional adults, with any person over age 15 counted as an adult (Sec. 4-051.2(C)(3)). Taxes: 7% city room excise tax (Sec. 58-108), Georgia $5.00/night state hotel-motel fee (O.C.G.A. § 48-13-50.3; Rule 560-13-2-.01), and 7% combined Georgia/Chatham sales tax on accommodations. Enforcement is active: a $500.00/month fine for operating without compliance (Sec. 4-051.3(C)), a codified verification/audit program (Sec. 4-051.10), and city-operated STR complaint lines. NOTE: Municode is codified only through S.B. 340, enacted May 1, 2025 (Supp. No. 32), and the city itself cautions that not-yet-codified ordinances may supersede. A 2026 council proposal to replace the residential phase-out with percentage caps by zone is NOT enacted, and the ordinance is under active litigation (Tybee Alliance) with a ruling pending — see verification_notes.
Do I need a license or registration for a short-term rental in Tybee Island?
Yes — Tybee Island requires: Short-Term Rental (STR) permit / certificate (annual location identification); STR regulatory fee (occupancy-tiered); Occupational Tax Certificate (OTC). See the requirements checklist for fees, renewal, and official links.
What taxes apply to short-term rentals in Tybee Island?
City room excise tax (hotel-motel / Occupational Room tax), Georgia state hotel-motel fee, Georgia state + Chatham County sales and use tax on accommodations. Use the lodging-tax estimator on this page for a specific stay.

Official sources

Related coverage

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