Plenty of people who buy a cabin here first came as guests. If you plan to rent it out, find out first whether the property is inside the City of Dahlonega or in unincorporated Lumpkin County, because each sets its own rules. This page covers the county’s published steps; for a city address, ask the city.
The short answer
- County: Land Use Permit first, then a $175 license, $100 for each extra rental, renewed by Dec. 31.
- Sign the responsible-party affidavit: no deed restriction against rentals, not under CUVA, a guest register, an annual inspection.
- Report the rental to the Tax Assessor within a month, and collect the hotel-motel taxes or let your platform remit them.
- City of Dahlonega: its ordinances are on Municode; confirm with the city before you buy.
Lumpkin County, step by step
- In unincorporated Lumpkin County, you must have an approved Land Use Permit before the county will issue a Business and Short-Term Rental License. Lumpkin County Planning & Development: Short-Term Rentals
- County STR applicants complete the Occupational Tax Certificate (business license) application, including the section marked Short-Term Rental Only, with signed and notarized supporting affidavits, through the county Business License Portal. Lumpkin County Planning & Development: Short-Term Rentals
- Lumpkin County issues one Business & Short-Term Rental License for $175.00; each additional short-term rental needs a $100 Short-Term Rental License. Lumpkin County: Business License (Occupational Tax)
- Lumpkin County Short-Term Rental Licenses must be renewed by Dec. 31 each year. Lumpkin County Planning & Development: Short-Term Rentals
- The county's STR Responsible Party Affidavit requires the owner or agent to confirm no deed restrictions or covenants prohibit STRs, the property is not under a Conservation Use Value Assessment (CUVA), a guest register will be kept, and the STR area may be inspected annually. Lumpkin County Planning Department: STR Responsible Party Affidavit (12/2022)
- Lumpkin County requires an STR to be reported to the Tax Assessor in writing within one month of the change in use or start of the use. Lumpkin County Planning Department: STR Responsible Party Affidavit (12/2022)
Taxes you collect
- Lumpkin County's hotel-motel tax is 8%. The Board of Commissioners raised it from 5% on June 20, 2023 (Resolution 2023-33), effective for occupancy on or after Aug. 1, 2023. Lumpkin County Planning & Development: Short-Term Rentals
- Lumpkin County says that if you list a short-term rental only through marketplace platforms such as Airbnb or VRBO, those platforms must remit the local and state hotel-motel taxes for you. If you advertise yourself or collect rent directly, you remit them, due the 20th of each month. Lumpkin County Planning & Development: Short-Term Rentals
- Lumpkin County tells STR owners who rent and advertise themselves to set up a Georgia Department of Revenue sales and use tax account (no fee) and collect hotel-motel tax. Lumpkin County Planning Department: STR Responsible Party Affidavit (12/2022)
- Georgia's State Hotel-Motel Fee is $5.00 per night, collected by innkeepers and marketplace innkeepers on each night a room, cabin or other short-term rental is rented (Rule 560-13-2-.01). Georgia Department of Revenue: State Hotel-Motel FAQ
Neighbors and complaints
- Lumpkin County routes non-emergency short-term rental concerns through the Sheriff's Office non-emergency line, 706-864-3633, or an online form; complaints go to county Code Enforcement. Lumpkin County Planning & Development: Short-Term Rentals
- Lumpkin County Planning & Development is at 342 Courthouse Hill, Suite A, Dahlonega; phone 706-864-6894; open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Lumpkin County Planning & Development: Short-Term Rentals
Inside the City of Dahlonega
We could not confirm the city’s short-term rental rules from a city page, so we do not summarize them here. The city’s own code and tax pages are below; call City Hall before you make an offer on a city property you plan to rent.
- The City of Dahlonega's ordinances are published offsite on Municode; the city's ordinance page redirects to library.municode.com/ga/dahlonega. City of Dahlonega: City Ordinance page
- Businesses in the City of Dahlonega apply for an Occupational Tax Certificate using the city's procedure and application form. City of Dahlonega: Doing Business in Dahlonega
- The city's FY27 budget says its Hotel/Motel Tax Fund comes from an 8% lodging tax on hotel/motel and short-term rental (STR) stays. City of Dahlonega: FY27 Proposed Budget (Aug. 19, 2026), Fund 275 Hotel/Motel Tax Fund
- City innkeepers file the Accommodation Excise Tax Return and pay by the 20th of the month after the tax was collected, attaching that month's Georgia sales and use tax report (Form ST-3). A zero return is required for months with no tax collected. The tax is set by City Ordinance 85-2, Amendment 7. City of Dahlonega: Accommodation Excise Tax Return (rev. 05/2024)
Cabins for sale
These are current Gold Peach Realty listings around Dahlonega. Listing data comes straight from the MLS. A Gold Peach Realty agent can help you check whether a property is inside the city and what its deed restrictions say before you buy.
Gold Peach Realty listings
Cabins and homes for sale around Dahlonega
Current listings from Gold Peach Realty, the North Georgia brokerage behind this guide. Photos, prices and details come straight from the MLS.
Want your home featured here? List with Gold Peach Realty and your home is featured on this guide and across our local community sites. How Gold Peach Realty markets homes
Search homes around DahlonegaListings open on goldpeachrealty.com, the website of our brokerage, Gold Peach Realty. Listing information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
Questions
Do I need a permit to rent my cabin short-term in Lumpkin County?
Yes, in unincorporated Lumpkin County. You need an approved Land Use Permit before the county issues a Business and Short-Term Rental License. The license is $175, plus $100 for each additional rental, and it must be renewed by Dec. 31 each year. Owners also sign a notarized responsible-party affidavit. Confirm current rules with Planning.
Source: Lumpkin County Planning & Development: Short-Term Rentals
Who collects hotel tax on an Airbnb or VRBO cabin in Lumpkin County?
Lumpkin County says that if you list only through marketplace platforms such as Airbnb or VRBO, the platforms must remit the local and state hotel-motel taxes for you. If you advertise on your own or collect rent directly from guests, you remit the taxes yourself, due on the 20th of each month.
Source: Lumpkin County Planning & Development: Short-Term Rentals
What does Lumpkin County's short-term rental affidavit require?
The county's responsible-party affidavit asks the owner or agent to confirm that no deed restrictions or covenants prohibit short-term rentals, the property is not in a Conservation Use Value Assessment, a guest register will be kept, and the rental area may be inspected annually. Owners must also report the rental to the Tax Assessor within one month.
Source: Lumpkin County Planning Department: STR Responsible Party Affidavit (12/2022)
What are the short-term rental rules inside the City of Dahlonega?
Inside the city limits, the City of Dahlonega collects its 8% lodging tax on short-term rental stays as well as hotel stays, and businesses need a city Occupational Tax Certificate. The city's zoning and rental rules are published in its Code of Ordinances on Municode. Confirm licensing and zoning with City Hall before buying.
Source: City of Dahlonega: FY27 Proposed Budget (Aug. 19, 2026), Fund 275 Hotel/Motel Tax Fund
When are city hotel-motel taxes due in Dahlonega?
City of Dahlonega innkeepers file the Accommodation Excise Tax Return and pay by the 20th of the month after the tax was collected. The return requires a copy of that month's Georgia sales and use tax report (Form ST-3). A return showing zero is still required for months with no tax collected.
Source: City of Dahlonega: Accommodation Excise Tax Return (rev. 05/2024)
Should I tell the tax assessor if I start renting my Lumpkin County cabin?
Yes. Lumpkin County's short-term rental affidavit says an STR must be reported to the Tax Assessor in writing within one month of the change in use or the start of the use. The same affidavit asks owners to confirm the property is not under a Conservation Use Value Assessment, which restricts how land is used.
Source: Lumpkin County Planning Department: STR Responsible Party Affidavit (12/2022)
Where can neighbors report a short-term rental problem in Lumpkin County?
Lumpkin County routes non-emergency short-term rental concerns to the Sheriff's Office non-emergency line at 706-864-3633, or to an online form that creates a case number tied to the property. Complaints go to county Code Enforcement. Owners buying a rental cabin should expect neighbors to know about this reporting route.
Source: Lumpkin County Planning & Development: Short-Term Rentals
What should I check before buying a cabin to use as a vacation rental?
Start with location: city or unincorporated county rules differ. In the county you need a Land Use Permit, then a Business and Short-Term Rental License. Check deeds and covenants for STR bans, Conservation Use status, and plan to collect or confirm platform collection of 8% local tax plus Georgia's $5 nightly fee.
Source: Lumpkin County Planning Department: STR Responsible Party Affidavit (12/2022)
Dates, rules and hours can change. The organizers have the final word: Dahlonega-Lumpkin County Visitors Center