Gwinnett County is putting short-term rental owners on the clock, signing off on a new ordinance that will bring annual licenses, regular safety inspections and a 24/7 local contact requirement to properties in unincorporated areas. The Board of Commissioners approved the measure on April 14, 2026, giving county staff authority to suspend or revoke licenses for repeat violations and building in a one-year runway before the rules officially kick in. Supporters and some neighbors say the move targets late-night noise, parking pileups and absentee owners who are slow to pick up the phone.
Board vote and timeline
The Board of Commissioners voted 5-0 to adopt the ordinance at its April 14 business session, according to the board's unofficial minutes (Board minutes). The ordinance will go into effect on April 14, 2027 and, as described in a county request for proposals, requires an annual short-term rental license, designation of a local agent who lives in Gwinnett or an adjacent county, and periodic interior property-maintenance inspections (county RFP).
What hosts will need to do
Under the new rules, owners must have a license on file, keep safety-related maintenance up to date and make sure a local agent is available to respond at any hour. "We also have provisions where if they violate the ordinance repeatedly, we can suspend or revoke the license," Gwinnett Planning and Development assistant director Chris Hayward said. County officials say they are bringing in a third-party vendor to help run the licensing program. Recent reporting puts the number of short-term listings in unincorporated Gwinnett at roughly 1,300, as reported by WSB-TV.
Origins: the task force and public input
The ordinance traces back to a Short-Term Rental Task Force the board created by resolution on Nov. 14, 2023. The group's final recommendations, adopted in January 2025, urged licensing, local agents and regular inspections to improve enforcement and data on listings. The task-force report shows Gwinnett had about 1,318 listings in its snapshot and recommended requiring license numbers on online listings and sharing violation data with marketplace platforms (Short-Term Rental Task Force report).
Enforcement and next steps
Gwinnett has already solicited vendors to implement an online licensing and monitoring portal and to actively identify unlicensed properties. The county's request for proposals includes a May 21 proposal deadline and a pre-proposal conference on April 28. The RFP also notes that any denial, suspension or revocation of a license must be approved by the Code Enforcement Division director or a designee, and that the vendor will handle application review, payment processing and reporting to county staff (county RFP). County officials say the phased rollout gives hosts time to comply while giving code enforcement new tools to track and penalize repeat violators.
What hosts should do now
Hosts should start lining up a local agent, review property maintenance and insurance paperwork and watch the county's Planning & Development page for portal and application details. For owners in unincorporated Gwinnett, the clock runs to April 14, 2027, when the licensing program is scheduled to take effect.
