Fannin County, GA

Where short-term rentals are allowed in Blue Ridge, GA

Only properties zoned Central Business District can be offered as short-term rentals in Blue Ridge. A rental elsewhere that was already paying the monthly hotel/motel tax may continue until the property changes hands. In the C-1 and C-2 zones, that right survives a sale.[5]

Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified October 1, 2026.

Can you rent short term in Blue Ridge?

Your zoning decides

What you apply for: Short-term vacation rental certificate

Seasonal homes
53
Housing units
787
Residents
1,323

U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates

  • City ruleAllowed by zone
  • City fee$25
  • Tax on each stay15%
  • Seasonal homes67 per 1,000

Blue Ridge GA short-term rental rules

Blue Ridge requires a short-term vacation rental certificate before a home is offered to guests, along with an occupation tax certificate. The owner applies under oath and names a rental agent reachable by phone within 24 hours of a city notice. The application gives a maximum occupancy, which must match the number advertised. It also includes the rental agreement that binds guests to city rules. Proof of a visible sign showing the 911 address is required too. The certificate does not transfer, so a new owner files a new application.[5]

What Blue Ridge asks of you

  • The zoning table of permitted uses marks short-term vacation rentals in one column only, the Central Business District.[7]

  • A building permit applied for in C-1 or C-2 before January 1, 2023 also lets that property obtain a certificate.[5]

  • The fee schedule sets a nonrefundable application fee of $25 for the certificate.[6]

  • Each year, the owner also remits a $100 permit fee to the planning and zoning department.[5]

  • Rented under 14 days in a given year, a home is not a short-term vacation rental under the ordinance.[5]

  • Overnight occupancy may never exceed the capacity stated in the application.[5]

  • Once the certificate is issued, every monthly hotel/motel tax return lists the unit's identification number on each booking platform.[5]

  • Renting without a valid certificate brings a minimum fine of $250. Every occurrence is a separate offense.[5]

  • After a conviction, the city may revoke the certificate. It may then reject applications for that address for 12 consecutive months.[5]

  • A denial or revocation can be appealed to the city council, in writing, within 30 calendar days.[5]

What Georgia asks wherever you host

These rules apply at this address whatever the city decides.

  • On stays booked through a platform acting as marketplace innkeeper, the platform collects Georgia's $5 State Hotel-Motel Fee for you. The charge applies to each night up to the 30th of a continuous stay.[1]

  • Your city or county picks the rate of its hotel-motel tax. An ordinance alone can set 1 to 3% or 5%, while 6 to 8% takes a local act of the General Assembly.[2]

  • Since July 1, 2026, a paid property manager who runs your rental through a hosting platform must complete yearly anti-trafficking training. Self-managed rentals are exempt, as are those offered under 15 days a year.[3]

Georgia short-term rental rules

What a guest pays on top of your nightly rate in Blue Ridge

Each layer is set by a different authority, and not all of them are collected by the platform.

Short-term rental tax layers in Blue Ridge
LayerRateRemitted to
Georgia state sales tax[4]4%The state revenue department
Fannin County local sales taxes[4]3%The state revenue department
Blue Ridge hotel-motel excise tax[8]8%The city
Total on a taxable stay15%

Blue Ridge raised its hotel-motel tax to 8% on November 1, 2020. The return goes to the city clerk by the 20th of the next month. An operator who pays on time keeps 3% of the tax due.[8]

Airbnb taxes for hosts

What the census counts

How much of Blue Ridge is already a second home

The Census Bureau counts 53 of Blue Ridge's 787 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. That is 67 out of every 1,000. It ranks Blue Ridge 5th of the 7 Georgia cities on this site for the share of its housing stock kept for part-year use.

Rank in the state
5th of 7
Share of housing
67 per 1,000
Median home value
$348,200

U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, tables B25004, B25001, B01003 and B25077.

Nearby and comparable

Where Blue Ridge sits among its neighbors

Atlanta, GA

Permit required

In your primary residence and one additional unit, with a city license you apply for every year.

Atlanta short-term rental rules

Pine Mountain, GA

Allowed by zone

74 seasonal homes, 105 per 1,000 housing units.

Pine Mountain short-term rental rules

Dahlonega, GA

License required

124 seasonal homes, 62 per 1,000 housing units.

Dahlonega short-term rental rules

Tybee Island, GA

Capped

1,390 seasonal homes, 431 per 1,000 housing units.

Tybee Island short-term rental rules
StatewideEvery Georgia city on this site, in one tableState law, the tax stack and every city we cover in Georgia, with what each one asks of a host.Georgia short-term rental rules

Keep exploring

FAQ

Blue Ridge short-term rental questions

Where can I run a short-term rental in Blue Ridge?

In the Central Business District. A rental elsewhere that was operating and paying the hotel/motel tax when the 2023 ordinance passed is grandfathered. Outside C-1 and C-2, that status ends with a change of ownership.[5]

What does Blue Ridge charge each year for a short-term rental?

A $100 permit fee, remitted every year to the city's planning and zoning department.[5]

Do Blue Ridge hotel-motel taxes cover a vacation cabin?

Yes. The 8% tax reaches the occupant of a cabin or short-term rental inside the city, calculated on the gross rent.[8]
Read nextHow to start an AirbnbThe six steps in order, starting with the permit check.Read the guide

Sources

  1. State Hotel-Motel Fee FAQ, Georgia Department of Revenue, read on October 1, 2026
  2. Hotel/Motel Tax, Community Development Division (updated December 2025), Georgia Department of Community Affairs, read on October 1, 2026
  3. Senate Bill 570 (2026), Act 519, Georgia Human Trafficking Prevention Training Act (O.C.G.A. section 43-21-16), Office of the Governor of Georgia, read on October 1, 2026
  4. Georgia sales and use tax rate chart, effective October 1, 2026, Georgia Department of Revenue, read on October 1, 2026
  5. Code of Ordinances, Chapter 10, Article V, Short-Term Vacation Rentals, City of Blue Ridge, read on October 1, 2026
  6. Code of Ordinances, Appendix A, City of Blue Ridge Fee Schedule, City of Blue Ridge, read on October 1, 2026
  7. Code of Ordinances, Section 140-341, Permissible and Conditional Uses, City of Blue Ridge, read on October 1, 2026
  8. Code of Ordinances, Sections 2-621 to 2-634, Hotel-Motel Excise Tax, City of Blue Ridge, read on October 1, 2026

This page is not legal advice. It summarizes the official sources listed on this page as they read on October 1, 2026. Rules can change after that date, so check with the issuing office before you apply or publish a listing.

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