Last updated: April 2026 If you are underwriting a short-term rental anywhere in metro Savannah, the permit rules are not a compliance afterthought — they are the deal. One jurisdiction runs a hard ward cap that has not moved in years. Another froze new permits entirely and is in litigation. A third just added a 500-foot separation rule that killed comparables mid-underwrite. A fourth has no cap and is still the easiest place to get licensed.
This guide lays out every STVR jurisdiction an investor will encounter within commuting distance of downtown Savannah, with fees, timelines, enforcement posture, and the tax stack you are actually obligated to collect. Everything is sourced to primary documents — city ordinances, official permit portals, and council agenda materials — because the second- and third-order blogs on this topic are consistently wrong about dates, cap math, and who issues what.
Work this guide before you write an offer, not after.
Quick-Reference Jurisdiction Matrix
Jurisdiction
New STVR permits available?
Permit fee (new / renewal)
Annual cap or separation
Total occupancy tax stack
Transferable on sale?
City of Savannah — Historic/Victorian residential
Only as 20% ward cap openings appear (waitlist, often 2+ years)
$400 / $250
20% per-ward cap on non-owner-occupied parcels
4% GA sales + 8% local hotel/motel + $5/night state fee
No — but 6-month grace window for new owners of grandfathered parcels
City of Savannah — Streetcar/TN-2
Owner-occupied only; 2+ unit parcels
$400 / $250
No ward cap, but structural 2-unit/owner-occupancy rule
Same as above
No
City of Savannah — B-C, B-N, B-L, A-1 zones
Yes, no ward cap in commercial/ag zones
$400 / $250
None
Same as above
No
Tybee Island — R-1, R-1-B, R-2 (residential)
No — freeze in place since October 2022
$200 base + $135 OTC / same
De facto permit freeze; Mayor West March 2026 proposal would hard-cap at 775 island-wide
4% GA sales + 7% local room tax + $5/night state fee
No — permits do not transfer on sale per Ord. 08-2024
Tybee Island — C-1, C-2, and other non-residential zones
Yes
$200 + $135 / same
None at zone level
Same as above
No
City of Pooler
Yes — new ordinance effective March 18, 2025
$350 / $250
500-ft separation from any other licensed STR
4% GA sales + Chatham 7% stack + $5/night state fee
No — non-transferable
Unincorporated Chatham County
Yes — most residential zones permitted
$350 / $350 (BSRS)
None
4% GA sales + 3% county local sales + $5/night state fee + county hotel/motel
4% GA sales + 8% city hotel/motel + $5/night state fee
N/A
Town of Thunderbolt
Currently unregulated at STVR-specific level; 90-day minimum ordinance under council consideration as of August 2025
TBD
Pending
4% GA sales + local + $5/night
TBD
Garden City
No city-specific STVR ordinance found; business license required
Business license only
None
4% GA sales + local hotel/motel + $5/night
N/A
Note on Pooler/Chatham tax stack: Pooler sits inside Chatham County, so the county 3% local sales piece applies on top of the state 4%. Hotel/motel collection handled at city level where a city ordinance governs.
The State-Level Framework You Cannot Opt Out Of
Before any city or county rule, every Georgia short-term rental triggers two state obligations. These apply everywhere in this guide. There is no local carve-out.
4% State Sales and Use Tax
Applies to the full rental price including cleaning fees for any stay of 89 nights or fewer (Georgia DOR regulation). Under Georgia’s Marketplace Facilitator law, Airbnb and VRBO collect and remit this on platform bookings. Direct bookers collect and remit to the Georgia Department of Revenue on the 20th of the following month.
$5/night State Hotel-Motel Fee
Flat fee on every room-night rented for 30 consecutive days or fewer (GA Rule 560-13-2). Separately itemized on the guest invoice and excluded from the sales price for sales tax calculation. Major platforms collect and remit this; direct bookers must register with the Georgia Department of Revenue.
No Statewide Preemption
HB 523, introduced in 2019, would have barred localities from banning, capping, or requiring licenses for short-term rentals. It did not pass (Georgia HB 523 bill text). Georgia remains fully decentralized — local governments hold all zoning and licensing authority.
4–8% Local Hotel/Motel Tax
Stacked on top of the 4% state sales tax and $5/night state fee. Rates are jurisdiction-specific and detailed below. Most platforms do not collect local hotel/motel automatically — hosts are usually on the hook for direct registration and monthly remittance.
City of Savannah: The Ward Cap Market
Savannah has the most complex STVR framework in the region. The governing document is Section 7.5 of the NewZO zoning ordinance, which took effect September 1, 2019, preserving the 20% per-ward cap adopted September 28, 2017 (City of Savannah STVR Regulations).
Within the Downtown and Victorian Historic Districts, non-owner-occupied STVRs are capped at 20% of residential parcels per ward. The Streetcar Historic District requires two or more dwelling units on the parcel with one unit owner-occupied. Outside the three overlay districts, STVRs are permitted only in B-C, B-N, B-L, and A-1 zones — not in standard residential zones. Savannah Georgia
The 6-Month Transfer Window
STVR certificates are non-transferable, but a buyer who applies within six months of title transfer cannot be denied on ward-cap grounds even if the ward is over its 20% ceiling (City of Savannah STVR Regulations). Miss the window and you are on the waitlist. This mechanism is how the entire Historic District investor market operates — a parcel with an active grandfathered certificate commands a 10–20% premium specifically because the buyer can replicate the income without a multi-year wait.
Fees and Tax Stack (City of Savannah)
New application: $400. Annual renewal: $250. Zoning Confirmation Letter: $50. Tax stack: 4% GA state sales + 8% City of Savannah local hotel/motel + $5/night state fee. Airbnb and VRBO collect the 4% state sales tax; hosts must register and remit the 8% local hotel/motel monthly by the 20th.
Tybee Island: The Freeze Market
Tybee Island froze new STVR permits across all R-1, R-1-B, and R-2 residential zones in October 2022. Ordinance 08-2024 (June 2024) eliminated permit transferability on sale — a buyer of a Tybee residential property after June 2024 cannot operate an STR regardless of the seller’s permit history. The Tybee Alliance lawsuit challenging the residential freeze was heard by Judge Middleton in January 2026 and a ruling is pending.
C-1, C-2, and other non-residential zones still issue new permits. Grandfathered residential permits remain valid with continuous 60-day proof-of-use. Tax stack: 4% GA sales + 7% Tybee local room tax + $5/night state fee. Application: $200 base + $135 OTC.
Full neighborhood analysis, lawsuit tracking, and flood-zone math: Tybee Island Investor Guide. Tybee Island
City of Pooler: The New-Rules Market
Pooler Ordinance O2025-09.A, effective March 18, 2025, created Pooler’s first STVR framework. The 500-foot separation rule is the most consequential provision: no new STR certificate will be issued for a property within 500 feet of any existing licensed STR (City of Pooler STR page). On typical Pooler subdivision lot sizes, one active permit takes 40–75 neighboring homes out of eligibility. STVRs are permitted in R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-A, RA-1, RA-2, and PUD districts. Permits are non-transferable. Operators need both a Business License and a Short-Term Rental Certificate.
New application: $350. Annual renewal: $250, due by December 31. Penalty stack: 1st violation $500; 2nd $750; 3rd $1,000; three violations in a calendar year triggers suspension and revocation hearing.
Before making any Pooler offer with STR intent, confirm no existing licensed STR is within 500 feet by contacting Pooler Planning & Development. Full neighborhood analysis: Pooler Investor Guide.
Unincorporated Chatham County: The Permissive Market
Unincorporated Chatham County — covering Wilmington Island, Whitemarsh Island, Skidaway Island, Isle of Hope, and large portions of the area south and west of the city — is the most investor-friendly STVR jurisdiction in the region. No cap, no separation rule, no residential freeze. Flat $350 application fee from the Chatham County Department of Building Safety & Regulatory Services (BSRS). Renewal: $350 annual due by July 1 (Chatham County STR Ordinance).
The most common reason a technically-eligible property cannot operate: HOA covenants. Many planned communities in unincorporated Chatham carry deed restrictions that prohibit short-term rentals regardless of county zoning. Always pull the full deed and HOA bylaws before writing an offer. Tax stack: 4% GA sales + 3% Chatham county local sales + county hotel/motel + $5/night state fee.
Compliance Checklist: Before You Write an Offer
Identify the exact jurisdiction. A Savannah mailing address may sit in unincorporated Chatham, Thunderbolt, or Garden City. Verify with the Chatham County Board of Assessors PIN lookup.
Pull zoning. Savannah: Zoning Confirmation Letter ($50). Tybee: Planning & Zoning at (912) 472-5033. Pooler: Business Zoning Approval via Planning & Development. Unincorporated: Chatham BSRS at (912) 201-4300.
Check ward cap status (Savannah residential overlay only). Current count vs. 20% ceiling — published on Savannah’s STVR Regulations page.
Check the 500-ft map (Pooler only). Contact Pooler Planning & Development to verify no existing licensed STR within 500 feet.
Verify permit-transferability window (Savannah only). Confirm seller’s certificate has not lapsed and closing will occur within 6 months of your application date.
Read the full condo declaration (all jurisdictions, condo units).
Read the HOA/restrictive covenants (any property with private covenants).
Verify Tybee grandfathering (Tybee R-zones only). Confirm 60-day proof-of-use history is current and permit has not lapsed.
Flood zone verification (Tybee and waterfront Chatham). Pull FEMA FIRM panel and get NFIP quote in writing before contract.
Tax stack modeling. Build the full stack into your pro forma. Assume platforms do not collect local hotel/motel and you remit monthly.
Insurance quote. Must be written specifically as short-term rental coverage — standard homeowner’s does not qualify.
Local agent designation. All four major jurisdictions require a designated on-call agent. Budget for professional management if out of market.
FAQs
Can I operate an STVR in Savannah if my property is in a regular residential zone outside the historic districts?
No. Savannah’s STVR overlay district is limited to the Downtown, Victorian, and Streetcar historic districts. Outside the overlay, STVRs are permitted only in B-C, B-N, B-L, and A-1 zones (Savannah NewZO §7.5). A property in standard residential zoning south of Victory Drive or on the Southside cannot legally operate as an STVR. Request a Zoning Confirmation Letter before assuming eligibility.
If I buy a Savannah property with a grandfathered STVR certificate, what happens?
The certificate does not transfer. However, if you apply for your own certificate within six months of title transfer, your application cannot be denied on ward-cap grounds even if the ward is at or above the 20% ceiling (Savannah STVR Regulations). Miss the window and you are on the waitlist like any other new applicant.
Are new STVR permits still available on Tybee Island?
Not in R-1, R-1-B, or R-2 residential zones, which comprise approximately 80% of the island. Tybee froze new residential permits in October 2022. C-1, C-2, and other non-residential zones still issue new permits. The Tybee Alliance lawsuit challenging the freeze was heard in January 2026 and a ruling is pending.
Do Tybee STVR permits transfer when I sell the property?
No. Ordinance 08-2024, adopted June 13, 2024, eliminated permit transferability on sale. A buyer of a Tybee R-zone property with a seller’s active grandfathered permit cannot operate as an STVR.
What is the 500-foot rule in Pooler?
Under Pooler Ordinance O2025-09.A, effective March 18, 2025, no new STR certificate will be issued for a property within 500 feet of any existing licensed STR (Pooler STR page). On typical Pooler subdivision lots, a single licensed STR takes 40–75 neighboring homes out of eligibility. Verify separation with Pooler Planning & Development before making an offer.
Is unincorporated Chatham County more investor-friendly than the City of Savannah?
For STVR permitting, yes. No ward cap, no separation rule, no residential freeze, flat $350 fee. Most residential zones eligible. Two caveats: HOA covenants in many unincorporated planned communities prohibit STRs regardless of county zoning, and the tax stack is comparable to the city stack.
Who collects local hotel/motel tax — the platform or the host?
Airbnb and VRBO collect the 4% Georgia state sales tax. Local hotel/motel collection varies by jurisdiction and platform agreement. The safe assumption: the host is responsible for local hotel/motel registration and monthly remittance on the 20th of each following month.
Can my LLC own and operate the STVR?
Yes in most jurisdictions — except Savannah’s TN-2 Streetcar zone, where the ordinance requires a natural-person applicant whose primary domicile is one unit on the parcel. Elsewhere an LLC can hold the certificate, but most jurisdictions require a natural-person designated agent with 24/7 availability. Out-of-state Pooler operators must employ a Georgia-licensed broker.
