Cobb County commissioners next week could vote to regulate short-term home rentals for the first time, requiring homeowners to register with the county and pay an annual license fee to stay in business.
Moreover, the proposed regulations would enable the county to stop a homeowner from renting out their property after three code violations in a 12-month period.
Short-term rental sites such as Airbnb and Vrbo that allow homeowners to rent out rooms like a hotel have exploded in popularity over the last several years, and state and local governments across the country have been slow to adjust.
Last year, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed into law a measure requiring short-term rentals to collect and pay hotel taxes to the state and local governments.
But while the tax requirements have helped level the playing field with traditional hotels, residents in Cobb County and across the Atlanta metro area have complained that taxes alone don’t do enough to protect neighbors from loud parties and other nuisances.
The proposed code changes in Cobb would impose a $500 fine for a short-term rental owner’s first violation of noise, zoning or building codes. A second violation would lead to a $750 fine, while a third within 12 months would allow the county to revoke the owner’s certificate to operate a short-term rental property.
The fee to obtain a certificate would cost $55 a year. That’s less than half the $150 the city of Atlanta will charge starting March 1.
The proposed rules would limit occupancy to one adult per 390 square feet, which would put some existing listings out of compliance.
The board of commissioners will consider whether to adopt the regulations at its Tuesday, Feb. 8 meeting.
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