Athens, Georgia Short-Term Rental Market
Athens, GA STRs averaged $267/night at 48.6% occupancy in April 2026, with revenue up 10.1% year-over-year.
Quick Answer: Athens, Georgia is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 49%. average monthly revenue is $3,089. average daily rate is $217. the top operator is MPM Vacation Rentals with 50 listings. market score is 94/100 (grade A).
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Athens, Georgia is a college city anchored by the University of Georgia (approximately 40,000 students) in Clarke County. The STR market is driven by two primary demand sources: UGA football weekends (Sanford Stadium seats approximately 93,000) and a year-round music and cultural tourism scene that the city has built around its live music heritage. As of April 2026, the average daily rate was $267 and occupancy was 48.6%, producing average monthly revenue of $3,185. RevPAR came in at $129.95.
The market carries approximately 1,650 active listings. Entire-place properties account for 1,462 units (88.6% of total), with 188 private-room listings. By bedroom count, 1-bedroom (528) and 2-bedroom (523) properties are the most common, followed by 3-bedroom (323), 4-bedroom (195), and 5-bedroom (78).
Channel distribution is strongly Airbnb-dominated: 1,067 listings are Airbnb-only, 488 appear on both platforms, and only 95 are VRBO-only. This concentration is consistent with an event-driven college-town market where guests are primarily booking individual trips rather than multi-week leisure stays.
Year-over-year results are notably strong: occupancy was essentially flat (+0.09%) while ADR rose 17.53%, producing revenue growth of 10.1% from April 2025. The annual data shows average revenue climbing from $2,761 in 2024 to $3,099 in 2025 to $2,929 so far in 2026 (partial year). The market total score of 94.41 out of 100 and revenue growth score of 98.13 are the highest of the five markets in this batch.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47% | $152 | $2,008 |
| Feb | 55% | $169 | $2,236 |
| Mar | 52% | $170 | $2,483 |
| Apr | 53% | $179 | $2,486 |
| May | 47% | $208 | $2,446 |
| Jun | 56% | $171 | $2,586 |
| Jul | 57% | $148 | $2,309 |
| Aug | 56% | $169 | $2,485 |
| Sep | 50% | $235 | $2,666 |
| Oct | 45% | $270 | $3,293 |
| Nov | 44% | $260 | $2,941 |
| Dec | 43% | $184 | $2,436 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Athens
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MPM Vacation Rentals | 50 | 1,345 | ★ 4.47 |
| 2 | Georgia Gameday Center | 23 | 650 | ★ 4.74 |
| 3 | Evolve | 23 | 806 | ★ 4.38 |
| 4 | Coboda Rentals | 15 | 199 | ★ 4.43 |
| 5 | Athens Vacation Rentals | 14 | 959 | ★ 4.96 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Athens?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 528 |
| 2 bed | 523 |
| 3 bed | 323 |
| 4 bed | 195 |
| 5 bed | 78 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $234 |
| Luxury | $693 |
| Professionally Managed | $231 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $2,332 |
| Entire Place | $3,277 |
| House | $3,551 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 64.7% |
| vrbo | 5.8% |
| both | 29.6% |
Investment Analysis
At a typical home value of $341,821 (Zillow estimate, April 2026) and average monthly STR revenue of $3,185, Athens properties produce a gross annualized revenue of approximately $38,215, representing a gross yield of roughly 11.2% before expenses, management fees, and vacancies.
The housing market shows a buyer-favorable dynamic: the sale-to-list ratio is 0.865, meaning properties are selling at a discount to list price on average. Median days to pending is 31 and for-sale inventory is 509 units, both indicating adequate supply and reduced urgency. Median sale price of $329,967 is below the typical home value estimate of $341,821, which is slightly unusual and may reflect mix effects in the active sold inventory.
Tier comparisons show exceptional luxury premiums driven by UGA game weekends. Luxury-tier properties averaged $737/night versus the market-wide $267, a 176% premium. This is the largest luxury premium of the five markets analyzed. Professionally managed properties averaged $280/night, a more modest 5% above the all-listings average. Entire-place listings averaged $3,422 per month versus $2,257 for apartments.
Houses outperform significantly: $3,625 per month versus $3,422 for all entire-place listings. The 2025 annual average revenue of $3,099 represents a strong year for this market, and the April 2026 read of $3,185 is tracking above that pace.
Critical caveat: Athens-Clarke County’s 2024 STR ordinance prohibits non-owner-occupied properties from operating in single-family residential zones. Investors buying a property as a pure rental (not primary residence) cannot legally operate in most residential areas. This is not a buy-and-rent investment market in the traditional sense; it is primarily an owner-occupant rental market.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Athens STR bookings arrive an average of 74 days in advance as of April 2026, the longest lead time of the five markets in this batch. Average stay length is 3.09 nights, the shortest of the group. Both figures reflect the event-driven nature of this market.
The 74-day lead time is directly tied to UGA football: fans purchasing or booking tickets in advance lock in their accommodation early. Operators who price game weekends correctly early in the booking window will capture this demand; those who wait often find demand has already committed elsewhere.
The 3.09-night average stay is the clearest signal of the weekend-trip pattern. Most guests are arriving Friday and leaving Sunday or Monday. Very few multi-week stays. This creates a high-frequency turnover model with frequent cleanings, which adds operational cost per stay compared to leisure markets with 5-7 night averages.
For gap-fill strategy between game weekends, 2-night minimum stays allow mid-week bookings from campus visit travelers, conference attendees, and music tourists. Operators who enforce strict 3+ night minimums during non-football periods will see significant calendar gaps.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Athens-Clarke County enacted a comprehensive STR ordinance effective February 6, 2024. The ordinance creates two categories with very different rules.
Home Occupation STRs allow owner-occupants or long-term tenants (with written owner permission) to rent their primary residence for stays under 31 consecutive days. Applicants must submit two government-issued IDs proving primary residency plus a notarized affidavit. Only one structure per parcel qualifies. The permit fee is $20 annually. All operators must also obtain a Business Occupation Tax Certificate from the ACC Finance Department.
Commercial STRs (non-owner-occupied) are prohibited outright from single-family residential zones. In zones where commercial STRs are permitted, a Special-Use Permit and full construction plans review are required. Investors purchasing a property as a non-primary-residence rental property cannot legally operate in most residential areas of Athens-Clarke County.
STRs that were operating between September 19, 2022 and September 19, 2023 were eligible for a legal non-conforming designation. A final list was published March 1, 2025, giving those properties until March 1, 2027 to come into compliance. Any change in ownership immediately voids a non-conforming status.
The tax burden is 7% local hotel-motel excise tax plus a Georgia state flat fee of $5 per night. Airbnb and VRBO collect and remit the 7% local tax per Georgia HB 317 (effective July 1, 2021). Enforcement is rated moderate; the county has a dedicated STR coordinator and contracts with Rentalscape to monitor active listings.
Market Comparison
Athens’ April 2026 occupancy of 48.6% is below the US STR median of approximately 55%, consistent with the event-driven pattern where non-game-weekend periods drag the average down. Its ADR of $267 is well above the US median of roughly $220, reflecting event pricing pulling the average upward. RevPAR of $130 is above average for a Southeast university city.
The market total score of 94.41 out of 100 is the highest of the five markets in this batch and one of the highest in the Southeast dataset. Revenue growth scores at 98.13 out of 100, consistent with the 17.53% ADR year-over-year increase and 10.1% revenue growth. The regulatory score of 70.83 is the highest of the five markets, reflecting the structured but non-prohibitive nature of the 2024 ordinance for owner-occupant operators.
Operator concentration is thin, consistent with the owner-occupant regulatory model. MPM Vacation Rentals leads with 50 listings and 1,345 reviews (average rating 4.47). Georgia Gameday Center manages 23 listings with 650 reviews (4.74 rating). Evolve also holds 23 listings with 806 reviews (4.38 rating). The top three operators account for 96 listings, roughly 5.8% of the approximately 1,650-listing market. Athens Vacation Rentals is the highest-rated operator in the top 5 at 4.96 with 14 listings and 959 reviews, reflecting the quality-over-quantity approach that tends to succeed in event markets.
Frequently Asked Questions About Athens, Georgia
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Can I buy a property in Athens, GA and rent it out on Airbnb if I do not live there?
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What permits are required to operate an STR in Athens-Clarke County?
How has the Athens, GA STR market performed recently?
What is the gross investment yield for Athens, GA vacation rentals?
How does UGA football affect Athens STR rates?
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