Albany

City certificate

Get a short-term vacation rental certificate from the city before you offer the rental.[1] The application is annual, made under oath, with a $50 application fee.[1, 2] A rental that starts after Dec 31, 2024, without a valid certificate pays a doubled application fee.[1]

Occupational tax certificate

You also need an occupational tax certificate, and you must pay all applicable state and local taxes before you offer the rental.[1] The city's occupational tax page has application packets for commercial, home-based and registered businesses, and it doesn't say which one fits a rental.[5]

Owner and agent

The owner of record applies and names an agent on the certificate.[1] The agent must be reachable at all times and appear at the unit within 24 hours of a city notice, and the owner must tell Planning and Development Services within five business days if the agent changes.[1] If you aren't the owner, you can be that agent, since the ordinance defines the agent as a person designated by the owner.[1]

Application papers

Send proof of ownership, the unit's address, the maximum occupancy, the number of on-site parking spaces, the posted rules and proof of homeowner's insurance that lists the unit as a short-term rental.[1] You also file a code compliance verification form and, for a condo, a declaration showing it permits short-term rentals or doesn't prohibit them.[1]

Neighbor notice

Notify every owner of record next to the rental, including owners directly across an abutting street or alley.[1] The notice lists the address, parking limits, occupancy limits, the posted rules, the owner's name and the agent's contact details.[1]

Occupancy and parking

State a maximum occupancy that matches your advertised capacity, and keep guests within the limit on the certificate.[1] Occupancy is also limited by the International Residential Code's habitable space rules.[1] Vehicles must park on gravel, concrete, asphalt or another surface set aside for parking.[1]

Posting

Post a legible copy of the certificate inside the unit.[1] It shows the agent's details, the certificate number, the maximum occupancy and the vehicle limit, and you post your current occupational tax certificate there too.[1]

Rental periods and exterior

Don't rent a unit for less than 24 hours.[1] The ordinance bars changes to the unit's exterior appearance and visible signage.[1]

House rules

Post written rules in the unit that cover noise, occupancy limits, on-site parking and the consequences of breaking them, and state that occupancy is limited to two adults per bedroom.[1] The owner must make sure guests follow the law and the capacity limit on the certificate.[1]

Upkeep and inspection

Maintain the unit and inspect it regularly so it meets code.[1] The code compliance form certifies that the unit meets the applicable zoning, building, health and life safety rules.[1]

City hotel tax

Albany charges a tax of 8% of the rent for every occupancy of a guest room in a hotel, motel, inn or other place in the city that regularly or periodically furnishes rooms or lodging for value.[3] The rental ordinance says any hotel-motel tax you owe is paid to the city's Chief Financial Officer.[1] The tax is due monthly, by the 20th day after the close of the monthly period.[3]

Sales tax

Georgia's October 2026 rate chart lists Dougherty County at 9%, and the state's 4% is included.[4] Anyone who rents a room or home to transients, including owners of private residences and their rental agents, counts as a retailer for sales tax.[6] The tax doesn't apply to accommodations supplied to one person for 90 continuous days or more.[6]

State hotel-motel fee

Georgia charges a $5 per night state hotel-motel fee for each night a room is rented.[7] The marketplace innkeeper, usually an online booking platform, collects and remits it, and a host who lists through one doesn't collect it.[7] The fee stops on the 31st day of continuous occupancy.[7]

Fines

Within any 12 months, a first violation brings a written notice and a $500 fine, and a second brings a written notice and a $750 fine.[1] A third brings a cease operation notice, a $1,000 fine and a six-month revocation of your occupational tax certificate.[1]

Revocation

Three violations within 12 months revoke the certificate for 12 months.[1] After a conviction, the City Manager may revoke the certificate and reject applications for the premises for 12 months.[1] A guest's violation of the ordinance or any other city ordinance goes as a notice to your agent.[1]

Complaints and appeals

Complaints go to the agent, who must fix the problem in a reasonable time.[1] The city can investigate with inspections, police reports, online searches and neighbors' records, and it sends a written notice with 15 calendar days to appeal before penalties start.[1] You appeal to the City Manager within 15 calendar days of the adverse action, and the City Manager decides within 10 business days.[1]

Unlawful operation

Violating the ordinance is unlawful, and the Director of Planning and Development Services can serve a notice of violation or a cease and desist order on the agent.[1] You can be cited into court and face a fine, imprisonment or both under city code section 1-17.[1]

County rules

Dougherty County's code has its own short-term vacation rental chapter, which the code's history note dates to Dec 2, 2024.[8] It has a $50 annual application fee and similar rules, but it doesn't say whether it covers addresses inside Albany, so confirm which one applies to yours.[8]