Athens, Georgia Short-Term Rental Market
Athens requires owner-occupancy for STRs; September 2026 ADR is $364, occupancy 46.7%, revenue $3,820 monthly.
Quick Answer: Athens, Georgia is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 47%. average monthly revenue is $3,820. average daily rate is $364. the top operator in Athens is MPM Vacation Rentals with 50 listings. market score is 94/100 (grade A).
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Athens, Georgia is a regulated short-term rental market where hosts must live on the property, and the latest data covers September 2026. In that month the Athens STR market posted an average daily rate (ADR) of $364, occupancy of 46.7%, and average monthly revenue of $3,820 per listing. Compared with a year earlier, occupancy rose 3.1%, ADR rose 5.5%, and revenue rose 25.4%. The yearly view points the same direction. ADR averaged $210 in 2024, $246 in 2025, and $251 across the first nine months of 2026, while occupancy stayed in a narrow band between 47.1% and 47.8% over those years. Monthly revenue per listing moved from $2,761 in 2024 to $3,106 in 2025 and $3,133 in 2026 so far.
The Athens area STR market tracks 1,650 listings. Entire places make up 1,462 of them (88.6%) and private rooms account for 188. By bedroom count, 528 listings have one bedroom, 523 have two, 323 have three, 195 have four, and 78 have five. On channels, 1,067 listings appear on Airbnb only, 95 on Vrbo only, and 488 on both platforms.
Demand centers on the University of Georgia, which enrolls roughly 40,000 students and plays football at Sanford Stadium, a venue that seats about 93,000. The city has a population of 130,776, a live music scene anchored by the Georgia Theatre and the 40 Watt Club, and the 8,500-seat Akins Ford Arena, which opened in December 2024. Athens has 26 hotels with 2,637 guest rooms, so event weekends draw on a modest hotel base. Direct domestic visitor spending reached $434.7 million in 2022.
StaySTRA scores the market 94.4 out of 100 overall, with revenue growth at 98.1, seasonality at 81.7, investability at 81.4, regulation at 70.8, and rental demand at 65.2.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 47% |
| Feb | 55% |
| Mar | 52% |
| Apr | 52% |
| May | 47% |
| Jun | 56% |
| Jul | 57% |
| Aug | 56% |
| Sep | 50% |
| Oct | 45% |
| Nov | 44% |
| Dec | 43% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Athens are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
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 nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Athens are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 64.7% |
| vrbo | 5.8% |
| both | 29.6% |
Home Value Trends (Athens)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Athens are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Insights
Booking-window and length-of-stay analysis for Athens — how far ahead guests book and how to price around it — is available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Short-term rentals are permitted in Athens-Clarke County, but with a strict owner-occupancy structure. The county passed a comprehensive ordinance on February 6, 2024 that created two tiers.
Home Occupation STR permits are for owner-occupants or long-term tenants with written owner permission who rent their primary residence for stays under 31 consecutive days. Applicants submit two government-issued IDs proving primary residency and a notarized affidavit. Only one structure per parcel may operate as an STR. The permit application fee is $20, and the permit renews annually.
Commercial STRs, where the operator does not live on site, are prohibited entirely in residential zones designated for detached homes. In zones where they are allowed, they need a Special-Use Permit and a construction plans review. Commercial operators must also notify neighbors within 300 feet and post guest safety information.
Every operator needs a Business Occupation Tax Certificate from the ACC Finance Department. The local hotel-motel excise tax is 7%, and Airbnb and Vrbo collect and remit it automatically for platform bookings under Georgia HB 317. Georgia also adds a flat $5 per night hotel-motel fee.
STRs that operated between September 19, 2022 and September 19, 2023 could qualify for the legal non-conforming list, finalized March 1, 2025. Those properties have until March 1, 2027 to comply, and a change of ownership immediately voids non-conforming status. The county has a dedicated STR coordinator in Code Enforcement and contracts with Rentalscape to monitor listings. Enforcement severity is rated moderate. Check current rules with the county planning department before buying.
Market Comparison
Athens posts 46.7% occupancy and a $364 ADR in September 2026. Higher rates offset moderate fill, and the result is monthly revenue of $3,820 per listing.
Growth is also strong. Revenue is up 25.4% year over year, ADR is up 5.5%, and occupancy is up 3.1%. Occupancy has been steady between 47.1% and 47.8% since 2024, after falling from a 2021 high of 57.5%, so recent gains have come mostly from rate.
The Athens area STR market is led by a handful of professional operators. MPM Vacation Rentals has 50 listings and a 4.47 average rating. Georgia Gameday Center and Evolve each manage 23 listings, with ratings of 4.74 and 4.38. Coboda Rentals manages 15 (4.43), and Athens Vacation Rentals manages 14 with a 4.96 rating across 959 reviews. Together these five operators account for 125 of the 1,650 tracked listings, so most of the supply remains with independent hosts. The owner-occupancy rules also limit how many large investor portfolios can form.
Frequently Asked Questions About Athens, Georgia
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