Marietta, Georgia Airbnb Investment Guide

A Marietta purchase should remain contingent on City-limit confirmation, parcel-specific zoning review, business licensing, tax registration, and a complete operating budget.

• Confirm the address is inside the City of Marietta rather than unincorporated Cobb County or another municipality.
• Obtain written zoning guidance for the proposed rental format and property.
• Verify City business-license and lodging-tax requirements before opening bookings.
• Review overlays, property-specific conditions, deed restrictions, leases, and association rules.
• Model only the operation that City and state authorities confirm is lawful.

Before waiving acquisition contingencies, plan a Marietta property strategy call to review jurisdiction, zoning, licensing, tax, and underwriting inputs.

Marietta does not publish a standalone adopted STR registration program in the official materials reviewed. Property eligibility still depends on zoning, overlays, business rules, and property-specific restrictions.

• Use the City zoning map and Planning and Zoning staff to confirm the parcel district.
• Do not infer City jurisdiction from a Marietta postal address.
• The Residential Infill Development Overlay District prohibits short-term rentals in covered units.
• Committee discussions about broader STR regulations were tabled in April 2026.
• Ask the City for written confirmation before relying on a proposed use.

Marietta states that every business operating inside City limits must hold a current City business license. Confirm how that requirement applies to the proposed lodging operation.

• Contact the Business License Division before advertising or accepting reservations.
• Confirm the application, zoning review, documentation, and renewal cycle for the property.
• Do not treat a platform listing as City approval.
• Keep the license and tax accounts aligned with the legal operator.
• Recheck requirements if ownership, management, or use changes.

The absence of a standalone STR registration form does not remove zoning, fire, building, nuisance, tax, or business obligations.

• Operate within the approved zoning and business-license scope.
• Maintain safe egress, smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms, and any required inspections.
• Set parking, occupancy, noise, trash, and guest rules appropriate to the property and applicable law.
• Keep emergency and responsible-party contact information current.
• Recheck City rules before renewal and after any ordinance change.

Zoning, business-license, tax, building, fire, and nuisance issues may be handled by different City offices. Preserve written approvals and respond promptly to notices.

• Route zoning questions to Planning and Zoning.
• Route licensing and City occupancy-tax questions to the Business License Division.
• Use Code Enforcement for applicable property-code or nuisance concerns.
• Review the cited ordinance and appeal deadline in any enforcement notice.
• Direct immediate threats to life or property to 911.

Underwrite only after confirming municipal jurisdiction and the lawful use of the specific parcel. A Marietta mailing address alone does not establish City rules.

• Verify City limits, zoning district, overlays, and property-specific conditions.
• Confirm business licensing and every required state and local tax account.
• Review fire, building, parking, occupancy, and nuisance constraints.
• Check deed restrictions, leases, condominium rules, lender terms, and insurance.
• Keep contingencies until authoritative offices confirm the proposed use.

Build the budget from current property-specific quotes and confirmed government requirements rather than marketwide estimates.

• Include acquisition, financing, furnishings, utilities, cleaning, maintenance, management, and reserves.
• Price business licensing, tax administration, accounting, and professional review.
• Include appropriate property and liability insurance.
• Model the 8% City hotel-motel tax, applicable sales tax, and $5 state nightly fee correctly.
• Stress-test the lawful occupancy and booking pattern rather than an unrestricted scenario.

Qualifying lodging inside Marietta is subject to an 8% City hotel-motel occupancy tax. Georgia also taxes accommodations and imposes a $5 state hotel-motel fee per night until extended-stay treatment applies.

• File and pay Marietta hotel-motel occupancy tax monthly by the 20th day of the following month.
• Confirm exclusions and the taxable-rent base with the City.
• Register for Georgia sales tax and the state hotel-motel fee when required.
• Georgia generally stops the state nightly fee on the 31st day of uninterrupted occupancy by the same customer.
• Confirm what a marketplace collects and remit every remaining obligation.

Use the office responsible for each question and keep written property-specific guidance.

• Contact Marietta Planning and Zoning at 770-794-5669 for City-limit and zoning questions.
• Contact the Business License Division at 770-794-5520 for licensing and City hotel-motel tax filing.
• Use Marietta Code Enforcement for applicable property-code concerns.
• Use the Georgia Department of Revenue for sales tax and the state hotel-motel fee.
• Use STR Search for property screening and setup planning, while government offices retain approval authority.

Review current City and Georgia materials before acquisition, licensing, filing, and renewal because rules and forms can change.

• Marietta Planning and Zoning and zoning ordinance
• Marietta City Ordinances portal and committee minutes
• Marietta Applications and Forms and Business License Division
• Marietta hotel-motel occupancy tax reporting form
• Georgia Department of Revenue lodging-tax guidance