The Hall County Commission on Thursday, March 28, approved an update to its Short Term Rental Ordinance.
Under the updated code, homes in any zoning district may be used as a short term rental property, subject to the approval of a Hall County business license.
Commissioners approved the updated measures with a stipulation that occupancy be limited to two adults per bedroom, plus three additional adults per property. (For example, a three-bedroom home could house nine total adults.)
Additionally, the Board approved an update to the penalty structure in the ordinance, doubling the fines property owners would face, should there be code violations. The first violation now carries a $500 fine, the second a $1,000 fine and the third a $2,000 fine -- plus the revocation of the property owner's business license.
Anyone operating a short-term rental property (described in the code as a property that is rented for overnight accommodations for a period of two to 30 nights) without a proper business license will be subject to a $500-per-day fine while the rental is still on the market.
"Hall County has closely watched the local short-term rentals over the past year, and we've worked to balance the rights of property owners while preserving the character of the surrounding neighborhoods," said Srikanth Yamala, Hall County Planning and Development Director.
Currently there are 135 advertised short-term rental properties in the county, with only 14 operating with a business license. Hall County Marshals received a total of 10 complaints for short-term rental properties over the last year, and issued six citations.