Short-Term Rental Rules in Kennesaw & Cobb County (2026)
Can You Legally Run an Airbnb in Kennesaw or Cobb County, Georgia?
Yes, but it depends on exactly where the property sits. Kennesaw requires its own city business license and short-term rental certificate under an ordinance that took effect in 2025, capped at 150 total licenses citywide. Unincorporated Cobb County has required a separate $55 short-term rental certificate since January 1, 2023, with its own occupancy and parking rules. Marietta hasn't adopted a short-term rental-specific ordinance, so a standard business license and your property's HOA covenants matter more there.
TL;DR
- Kennesaw's short-term rental ordinance took effect in 2025, caps the city at 150 licenses total, charges a $250 application fee, and requires a 250-foot buffer between rental properties.
- Unincorporated Cobb County has required a $55 short-term rental certificate per unit since January 1, 2023, with occupancy capped at one person per 390 square feet.
- Marietta hasn't passed its own short-term rental ordinance as of 2026 — you still need a standard business license, and county rules apply if your address falls in unincorporated Cobb.
- Operating without a certificate in Cobb County can cost $500 per day, on top of losing your rental income while you sort out compliance.
- HOA covenants in communities like Legacy Park and Bridgemill can ban short-term rentals outright, even where the city or county allows them.
Georgia has no statewide short-term rental law. That means the rules for renting your house out on Airbnb or Vrbo depend entirely on which side of a city line your address falls on — and in Cobb County, that line matters more than most buyers realize.
Kennesaw Short-Term Rentals: The City's New Ordinance
Kennesaw passed its own short-term rental ordinance in 2025, and the city started issuing licenses that fall. It's more restrictive than the county rules next door, and it's worth understanding before you buy or list.
Here's what it requires:
- A city business license and a separate Short-Term Rental Certificate, both issued through Kennesaw's Business License Office. You need both before you can advertise the property.
- A $250 application fee.
- Single-family residentially zoned properties only. Condos, townhomes in non-qualifying zones, and multifamily units aren't eligible.
- A 250-foot buffer between licensed short-term rentals — the city won't approve a new license too close to an existing one.
- A citywide cap of 150 licenses, with a limit of two per property owner.
If a property was operating as a short-term rental before January 1, 2025, it may qualify as a Nonconforming Short-Term Rental, which exempts it from some of the newer restrictions. That grandfathered status doesn't survive everything, though — it's lost if the property is sold, damaged by 50% or more, or sits idle as a rental for 12 consecutive months.
What this means if you're buying: don't assume a Kennesaw property can become an Airbnb just because the last one down the street is. Check whether the citywide cap has room left and whether the lot falls inside another rental's 250-foot buffer before you write an offer with STR income in your numbers.
Marietta and Unincorporated Cobb County: The Rules Change at the City Line
As of 2026, Marietta hasn't passed a short-term rental ordinance of its own, unlike Kennesaw. That doesn't mean anything goes — you still need a standard city business license, and your property still has to comply with Marietta's zoning code. If you're buying in Marietta specifically for short-term rental income, verify directly with the city's business license office before you close, since local rules can shift with little notice.
Unincorporated Cobb County — which covers a lot of ground around Acworth, West Cobb, and areas just outside Kennesaw and Marietta's city limits — has operated under its own short-term rental ordinance since January 1, 2023. It requires:
- A short-term rental certificate per dwelling unit, filed with the Cobb County Business License Office (1150 Powder Springs St, Suite 400, Marietta, GA 30064).
- A $55 annual application fee.
- A designated local agent who can respond to noise, parking, or other complaints about the property.
- Occupancy capped at one person per 390 square feet.
- One parking space per bedroom, plus one additional space.
- Residential (R) zoning only — short-term rentals are prohibited in commercially zoned parcels.
- Only one certificate active per dwelling unit at a time.
The first step for any of these addresses is figuring out which jurisdiction actually governs the parcel. City and county lines split some subdivisions in West Cobb, so two houses on the same street can fall under completely different rules.
Buying for Short-Term Rental Income: What to Check Before You Write an Offer
Getting a license from the city or county is only half the picture. Even a property that qualifies under Kennesaw's or Cobb County's ordinance can still be off-limits because of its HOA.
A lot of West Cobb subdivisions — Legacy Park, Bridgemill, Brookstone, and Seven Hills among them — write short-term rental restrictions directly into their covenants, and those restrictions apply regardless of what the city or county allows. Before you count on Airbnb income from a property, pull the HOA's governing documents and confirm short-term rentals aren't banned outright. If you haven't already looked at how HOA fees and resale certificates work in Kennesaw, that's worth reading alongside this one — HOA dues and assessments can also eat into the margin an STR needs to pencil out.
A few other things worth confirming before you close:
- Whether the address is inside Kennesaw's city limits or unincorporated Cobb County — the ordinance that applies, and the fees and caps that come with it, depend on this.
- Whether Kennesaw's 150-license cap still has room, since licenses aren't guaranteed just because the property qualifies.
- How your lender treats short-term rental income. Some conventional and investment-property loans price differently, or require different reserves, when the intended use is short-term rather than long-term rental.
If you're rolling proceeds from a prior investment sale into a short-term rental purchase, it's also worth understanding the mechanics of a like-kind exchange before you shop — the 1031 exchange rules for Cobb County investors cover the identification and closing deadlines that trip up most first-timers. Whether a specific property actually pencils out for short-term rental income depends on its zoning, its HOA, and license availability — that's where running the numbers with someone who knows this market makes the difference.
Fines, Taxes, and What Happens If You Skip the Paperwork
Cobb County doesn't treat unlicensed short-term rentals as a paperwork oversight. Operating without a valid certificate can cost $500 per day, and repeated violations can lead to certificate revocation and a 12-month ban on operating a short-term rental at that address at all.
On top of local licensing, short-term rental income in Georgia is subject to a 4% state sales tax and a $5-per-night state hotel-motel fee on stays under 30 nights, in addition to whatever local hotel/motel tax applies. Airbnb and Vrbo don't verify your local license before letting you list a property — that responsibility sits entirely with the host.
Because Georgia hasn't passed a statewide law preempting local short-term rental ordinances, cities and counties are free to tighten these rules further. Kennesaw's ordinance itself is only a year old. If you're buying with STR income in the plan, it's worth checking current rules again before you list, not just before you close.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I legally rent out my house on Airbnb in Kennesaw?
Yes, if the property is zoned single-family residential and you obtain both a city business license and a Short-Term Rental Certificate for a $250 fee. Kennesaw caps the city at 150 total licenses and requires a 250-foot buffer between licensed rentals, so approval isn't automatic even for a qualifying property.
Does unincorporated Cobb County require a short-term rental permit?
Yes. Cobb County has required a $55 short-term rental certificate per dwelling unit since January 1, 2023, along with a designated local agent, occupancy limits of one person per 390 square feet, and parking requirements. You can find community-specific details for the areas this applies to at masoudpour.com.
Does Marietta have its own short-term rental ordinance?
Not as of 2026. Marietta requires a standard business license and zoning compliance, but hasn't adopted short-term rental-specific rules the way Kennesaw has. That can change, so confirm directly with the city before relying on it for rental income.
What happens if I run a short-term rental in Cobb County without a certificate?
You can be fined $500 per day of unlicensed operation, and repeated violations can lead to your certificate being revoked along with a 12-month ban on short-term rentals at that address.
Can my HOA stop me from running a short-term rental even if the city allows it?
Yes. HOA covenants operate independently of city and county ordinances, and many West Cobb communities restrict or ban short-term rentals outright. Read the HOA fees and resale certificate guide before assuming a property qualifies.
The Bottom Line
Short-term rental rules in Cobb County aren't one set of rules — they're at least three, depending on whether your address is in Kennesaw, unincorporated Cobb County, or Marietta, and a fourth layer if your HOA has its own restrictions on top. Every situation is different, and the only way to know for sure whether a specific property will actually support short-term rental income is to run the numbers with someone who knows this market.
If you're looking at a property in Kennesaw with short-term rental income in mind, let's talk through the zoning, the license cap, and the HOA before you make an offer. Schedule a 15-minute call.
