Short-term rentals in Athens, Georgia

Athens is a college town with a calendar set by the University of Georgia. Home football Saturdays fill every bed within miles and create some of the most lucrative weekends in the state; graduation, move-in, parents' weekends, alumni reunions and concerts in a city famous for its music scene add further peaks. Between them, visiting faculty, medical staff and families on campus visits provide steadier, quieter demand. Houses in Five Points, Normaltown and the neighborhoods walking distance from downtown and the stadium are the most sought after.

Two permits, two very different outcomes

Athens-Clarke County, a consolidated city-county government, separates rentals by who lives there:

• Owner-occupied or tenant-occupied rentals operate under a home occupation permit with a modest fee, available in essentially any zoning district where the host lives, including single-family neighborhoods.
• Non-owner-occupied rentals require a commercial short-term rental approval, which includes a special use permit, and are allowed only in multifamily residential (RM-1 to RM-3), commercial and employment districts. Single-family zones are not on the list.

Rentals that operated without a permit before September 19, 2023, were given a grandfathering period of 60 months, finalized in March 2025. That protection is transitional and should not be counted on by a buyer, since it ends on a fixed calendar date rather than renewing with a change of ownership.

Taxes and certificates

All rentals need a business occupation tax certificate from the county, and the local hotel-motel excise tax of 7% applies to every stay, due monthly by the 20th. When guests book through a platform, it collects the tax; direct bookings are yours to report. Georgia's 4% sales tax, local sales tax and the $5 per night state fee come on top.

Our advice

For an investor, the zoning map decides the strategy. A whole house in a single-family neighborhood is not a realistic nightly rental; a condo or townhouse in an RM district, or a property in a commercial or mixed zone near downtown, can be. If you live in Athens, a garage apartment or a spare suite under the home-occupation route is the simplest path. Plan game-day pricing and minimum stays well ahead, and set firm rules on parties and parking. We study every request and tell you honestly whether and how we can help.