Do I need a permit for an Airbnb in Kennesaw?

Yes, with a business license and $250 STR certificate.

What taxes apply to short-term rentals in Kennesaw?

Total about 8%. Check your Airbnb payout report to see which ones Airbnb collects; you pay the rest yourself.

How do I make my Kennesaw rental legal?

1. Get business license. 2. Apply in STR portal. 3. Remit 8% hotel tax.

Rental Rules by City / Georgia / Kennesaw

Kennesaw short-term rental rules & tax calculator

Cobb County, Georgia · Verified against official sources Oct 26, 2026

📋 The Basics

Can I rent my place short-term here?: Yes, with a permit
Do I need a permit?: Yes, with a business license and $250 STR certificate.
What taxes do I pay?: Total about 8%. Check your Airbnb payout report to see which ones Airbnb collects; you pay the rest yourself.

Your 3 steps to be legal

Get business license.
Apply in STR portal.
Remit 8% hotel tax.

⚠️ Biggest risk: Fines, enforcement.

Words confusing? See the glossary. Details and official sources are below.

Tax calculator

Nightly rate ($) Nights Cleaning fee ($)

Rates used: City hotel/motel excise tax 8% = 8%. Mandatory cleaning fees are included in the taxable total.

What Airbnb collects: Verify in payouts which taxes your platform remits.

This is the general rule for Kennesaw. Does your address qualify?

The free info covers the city as a whole. Your property can still be different: zoning can change from one street to the next, and an HOA or condo ban can stop rentals even where the city allows them.

Your $49 Compliance Check looks at your exact property:

Whether your exact address and zone allow short-term rentals
A check of HOA / condo rental restrictions to look for
Which permits and tax accounts you personally need
What you're missing right now
A personal report with clear next steps and official sources, by email
A refund if we report a rule in error (refund policy)

🔎 How we check: official city, county and state sources, a last-verified date on every page, and nothing guessed. Learn more

Check my address: $49

🔔 Stay notified: $4.99/month

Rules don't change every week, but they do change, and nobody emails you when they do. We'll alert you when city rules, tourist taxes, HOA-related laws, or Airbnb/Vrbo policies change in Kennesaw. Cancel anytime.

Stay notified

Need guest waivers and booking tools too? Click here for more info

Why use this instead of a web search?

Instead of scattered, sometimes outdated pages, you get the city, county and state rules on one page, with official sources linked, a last-checked date, and unconfirmed items marked "verify" instead of guessed. How we verify →

Advanced details (laws, fees, sources)

Rules

Certificate	Business license plus STR Certificate (Ch. 22 Art. XIII); expires Dec 31 yearly.
Fee	$250 application; $90 inspection; business license by gross receipts.
Limits	Two-property maximum and distance rule for new STRs; notarized affidavits, neighbor notice, liability insurance, 24-hour local contact.

Items marked "Verify with the city" could not be confirmed from an official source; call the office listed before relying on them.

Sources

Kennesaw: Short-Term Rentals

Free tools

Free "Is my rental legal?" checklist · Free tourist tax calculator

Rules can change

Kennesaw's rules, its tax rates and platform policies can change through a council vote, a new state law or a court ruling, often with little notice to hosts. We re-check this page monthly; subscribers get notified. Stay Compliant for $4.99/mo.

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Get a personalized STR Compliance Check ($49) for your exact address in any US city: the permits, registrations and tax accounts you need, with official sources, delivered by email in 48 business hours. Not legal advice.

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Rules, tax rates and Airbnb/Vrbo policies can change without warning, and hosts who miss a change can be fined. Get alerts when your city, county or state changes, deadline reminders, a pending-bill watch list and a monthly host brief (even in quiet months: "we checked on [date]; no changes"). Compare plans.

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Nearby & other Georgia cities

Alpharetta · Athens · Atlanta · Blue Ridge area (Fannin County) · Brookhaven · Columbus · Decatur · Dunwoody · Helen · Jekyll Island · Macon · Peachtree City · All Georgia cities

Not legal or tax advice. Last verified Oct 26, 2026. Rules and rates change: confirm with the official sources linked before you rent or file.