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Rockdale County proposes licensing and a cap for short-term rentals; hosts push for clarity on counts and taxes
Summary
Planners proposed changing short-term rentals from a special-use-permit process to a licensing system, adding a cap (draft: 350 licenses), limiting occupancy to two people per bedroom, and banning special events; staff said a Rentalscape demo returned ~192 listings while a host said Airbnb showed many more, a discrepancy not resolved in the hearing.
Jessica, a project manager in Rockdale County Planning & Development, presented a text amendment (TEXT2025-14) to the county’s Unified Development Ordinance to change short-term rentals from a special-use-permit process (90–120 days) to a licensing approach modeled on alcohol licensing. The amendment would expedite processing, allow public comment during licensing, require deed/ownership verification, and add operational limits: no special events or private gatherings at licensed short-term rentals and a maximum occupancy of two persons per bedroom at all times.
Staff described a proposed numeric cap on licenses. Planning staff said a 2022 audit found 82 short-term rental listings and that a Rentalscape demonstration earlier in 2024 returned an estimated 192 listings; Planning recommended a cap of 350 (later discussion referenced 300) to avoid immediate closure of a waiting list and to allow some room for legitimate registrations. The presenter also said the county would require insurance and compliance with OCGA and state regulations and would track violations through code enforcement (three strikes leads to license nonrenewal and a two-year wait before reapplication).
Commissioners raised options for lower caps (examples discussed: 225–250) and for neighborhood protections (limits on numbers per subdivision) and asked whether platforms provide insurance; staff said platform coverage often exists, and the ordinance could be amended to add an explicit county insurance requirement. Staff said HOA approval (when an HOA exists) would be required for applications listing short-term rentals in those neighborhoods and that owners must provide proof of ownership as part of the application.
During public comment, Jackie Johns, a Conyers host, said she rents a unit in a subdivision and was surprised by staff’s listing estimates; she reported seeing over 1,000 listings when searching 'Conyers' on Airbnb and asked whether hosts like her would be able to register. Jessica said the tax-assessor and licensing consequences are part of operating procedures and not yet written into the ordinance text; she said staff will coordinate with the tax assessor’s office about classification and taxes.
The transcript records robust policy discussion and at least one public comment but does not show a final Board action on the text amendment. Staff emphasized enforcement tools, owner verification and a licensing process intended to legitimize existing hosts while limiting nuisances from bad actors.
