What we checked
- Savannah, GA's short-term-rental registration requirement
- Savannah, GA's lodging-tax requirement
- Whether the published rules are still current
What we found
- →A licence is required
- →Lodging tax applies
- !Rules here changed recently — see what changed below
Read this before you list — these are rules you must confirm, not a verdict.
This page is informational, not legal advice, and not a guarantee. Only the
base zoning above is checked live, and even that is just the zone designation — not a ruling
that short-term rental is allowed at this address. Short-term-rental legality is mostly
decided by layers we do not verify here: city registration,
primary-residence requirements, night caps,
RSO / rent-stabilized & ADU restrictions, and your HOA or condo rules
(an HOA can ban STR even where the city allows it). Confirm every rule with the issuing
authority before you advertise or accept a booking.
Savannah, GA · free check
Short-term rental rules (preview)
What you get free: the city's core registration + lodging tax to confirm.
Full packet, fine exposure, and stage checklist are in the $49 report below.
Registration / license
Short-Term Vacation Rental (STVR) Certificate — required before operating; rentals are of a dwelling for 30 days or less.
Cost$400 new application (non-refundable) · $250 annual renewal (non-refundable)
Issued byCity of Savannah Planning & Urban Design (STVR Certificate) plus City of Savannah Revenue Department (Business Tax Certificate); applications are submitted through the City's STVR registration portal
What changed — Confirm with the City whether your property's zoning/overlay district, any per-ward density caps, and owner-occupancy rules permit an STVR at your address. The certificate number and an exemplar rental agreement must be included as required; a separate Business Tax Certificate from the Revenue Department is also required.
Lodging / occupancy tax
City Hotel/Motel Excise Tax registration + monthly remittance, plus separate Georgia state sales/use tax registration
RateApprox. 8% city hotel/motel excise + 7% GA state sales/use tax (remit ~20th of the following month) — confirm current rates with the City of Savannah Revenue Dept. / GA DOR
Paid toCity of Savannah Revenue Department (local hotel/motel excise tax) + Georgia Department of Revenue (state sales/use tax)
🔒 In the $49 report (not free)