Gainesville, Georgia

Short-term rentals are explicitly legal in the Gainesville and Hall County area and are a major part of the Lake Lanier economy. Enforcement severity is rated moderate. Properties inside Gainesville city limits fall under the city, while unincorporated lake addresses fall under the Hall County ordinance adopted in March 2019. A short-term rental business license is required, along with a zoning affidavit filed with the Planning Department and a building inspection. The fee is about $75, licenses renew annually and expire December 31, and a Fire Marshal inspection is added when occupancy is 16 or more. STRs are permitted in all residential zoning districts in Hall County. Each booking must run 2 to 30 consecutive nights. There is no owner-occupancy requirement, no primary residence requirement and no annual cap on rental nights. Occupancy is limited to roughly 2 guests per bedroom plus 3 additional per property, and homes with 6 or more bedrooms are capped near 15 guests unless full life-safety codes are met. A 2024 amendment allows guest houses subject to a 20% lot-area limitation. A local contact person aged 21 or older must be available 24/7 and respond within one hour, and a responsible person aged 25 or older is required onsite during rentals. Gainesville levies an 8% local hotel-motel excise tax, on top of Georgia’s 4% state sales tax and the $5 per night state hotel-motel fee. Fines run up to $500 for a first violation, $1,000 for a second, and $2,000 plus 24 month license revocation for a third. Operating without a license costs $500 per day. Confirm HOA covenants, which vary by subdivision.