-
Helen City Commission approved the second reading of an amendment that will require owners of short-term rentals pay occupational tax.
The Helen City Commission approved the second reading of an amendment to the business chapter of the Helen City Code at a May 17 meeting.
This amendment will require owners of short-term rentals to pay occupational tax. The amendment defines short-term rentals as “residential spaces located within the city limits of Helen, Georgia, and rented out for overnight accommodations for a period of 1 to 30 nights.”
Only one tax certificate will be required for short-term rental owners, even if they own multiple rentals within city limits. The occupational tax rate that rental owners will have to pay is $350, as well as a $15 administration fee
A change was made during the reading to the wording of this amendment due to concerns from commissioner Cliff Hood.
“The way that first sentence is worded I would have taken that to mean long-term rentals and it basically says that you need an occupational license to operate long term rentals,”said Hood.
City Attorney Carl Free said it was a simple fix and they should just add some language that will allow people operating one long-term rental to not pay occupational tax. “I would say if you own more than one long term rental, if you want to put four or five houses in Helen you are a business, because you’re making a business out of having multiple long-term rentals,” said Free.
The commission voted unanimously to approve the second reading. This amendment will go into effect next year for all owners of short-term rentals in Helen.