Decision tool 3
Cabin carrying-cost worksheet
What would a cabin cost you each month? Type in your own numbers. Nothing here is pre-filled with a market figure; links point to where to find yours.
Where to find each number
| Line | Where the real number comes from |
|---|---|
| Property tax | The current bill on the Gilmer County Tax Commissioner site. A sale can change the assessed value, so ask your agent. |
| Insurance | Two or three quotes. Mountain, river and wildland-edge homes can price very differently, and rentals need cover that includes short-term rental use. |
| Association dues | The association office. Coosawattee River Resort does not publish its dues on its public pages. |
| Utilities and internet | The seller’s last twelve months of bills, and a provider quote for the exact address. |
| Upkeep reserve | Your own plan: septic pumping, gravel for a private road, gutters and decks. |
What is not income
If you rent the cabin, guests pay the hotel-motel tax and Georgia’s per-night fee on top of your rate. Those pass through to the county and state, so leave them out of your income line.
The rental taxes, from the source
- Gilmer County requires short-term rental operators to report and remit hotel/motel tax for every month in which rentals occur, even when a platform already paid it. Returns for the previous month are due on or before the 20th and are filed online through the county's Neumo (formerly GovOS) portal. The county says paper returns are no longer accepted. Gilmer County, checked 2026-10-16
- In the Georgia Department of Community Affairs' hotel/motel tax report (updated August 8, 2025), Gilmer County's rate on file is 6%, East Ellijay City's is 5%, and Ellijay City shows no rate on file. Georgia DCA, checked 2026-10-16
- Georgia also charges a $5.00-per-night state hotel-motel fee, which can apply to cabins and other short-term rentals. When a home is booked through a marketplace platform that qualifies as a 'marketplace innkeeper', the platform collects and remits the fee. Georgia Dept. of Revenue, checked 2026-10-16
Owners who live in the cabin full time may qualify for a homestead exemption; see property taxes in Gilmer County.
Rules and fees change. Every rule on this page links to the office that sets it; confirm with that office before you rely on it.
