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Rockdale County adopts short‑term rental licensing and limits licenses to 250
Summary
The Rockdale County Board of Commissioners adopted a rewrite of short‑term rental rules on Jan. 27, reclassifying rentals as an accessory use, moving to a licensing model, capping licenses at 250 and setting occupancy at two people per bedroom; the change takes effect as adopted.
The Rockdale County Board of Commissioners voted Jan. 27 to adopt a rewrite of short‑term rental rules that changes short‑term rentals from a special‑use permit to an accessory use and establishes a licensing system with a county cap of 250 licenses.
The change was presented by Director White (speaker 11), who summarized staff's proposal to convert permitting to a licensing process and to clarify occupancy rules. Director White said staff’s original proposal included a higher licensing target and that the ordinance moves licensing and compliance toward a model similar to alcohol licensing. The ordinance sets an occupancy metric of two people per bedroom and requires, for properties in communities with homeowners associations, a letter of support from the HOA as part of licensing eligibility.
Commissioner Williams (speaker 6) moved to approve the second reading with an amendment to limit the total number of licenses to 250; the board adopted the ordinance as amended on a voice vote. Commissioner Williams said the lower cap and an immediate effective date were intended to encourage property owners to complete applications ahead of the summer events calendar. Director White noted the public‑hearing discussion raised a disputed numeric figure during debate (staff testified to a proposal of 350 while other board comments referenced smaller numbers or fee amounts), and the board resolved the discrepancy by adopting the 250 cap on the floor.
The ordinance also shifts the regulatory mechanism from one‑time special‑use approvals to a renewal‑style license intended to streamline administration and to allow the county to track compliance and occupancy. County staff will prepare licensing procedures, application materials and an implementation timeline following the ordinance’s adoption. Where the ordinance references HOA letters, staff confirmed those letters are required only when an HOA governs a community’s covenants.
The board adopted the ordinance as amended; the licensing program and implementing rules will be developed by county staff and presented to the board for final administrative procedures.
