Rental Rules by City / Georgia / Macon
Macon short-term rental rules & tax calculator
📋 The Basics
- Can I rent my place short-term here?
- Yes, with a permit
- Do I need a permit?
- Yes, a yearly $100 permit.
- What taxes do I pay?
- Total about 16%. Check your Airbnb payout report to see which ones Airbnb collects; you pay the rest yourself.
Your 3 steps to be legal
- Apply for the STVR permit.
- Register for hotel-motel tax.
- Charge the per-night fees.
⚠️ Biggest risk: Fines up to $1,000.
Words confusing? See the glossary. Details and official sources are below.
Tax calculator
Rates used: GA + Bibb County sales tax 8% + Macon-Bibb hotel-motel excise tax 8% = 16%. Mandatory cleaning fees are included in the taxable total. Plus Macon-Bibb tourism fee $3/night ($1.50/night for 7+ night stays) and Georgia's $5/night state hotel-motel fee.
What Airbnb collects: Verify in payouts which taxes your platform remits.
Advanced details (laws, fees, sources)
Rules
| Permit | Annual short-term vacation rental permit from Business Development Services; fee $100. |
|---|---|
| Taxes | Certificate of authenticity to collect hotel-motel tax; 8% excise plus per-night tourism fee. |
| Penalty | $500 first violation, $750 second within 12 months, $1,000 thereafter. |
Items marked "Verify with the city" could not be confirmed from an official source; call the office listed before relying on them.
Sources
Free tools
Free "Is my rental legal?" checklist · Free tourist tax calculator
Rules can change
Macon'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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Stay Compliant: $4.99/month
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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Not legal or tax advice. Last verified Oct 24, 2026. Rules and rates change: confirm with the official sources linked before you rent or file.