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City or County? Which Rules Apply to Your Ellijay Cabin

The short answer

Most “Ellijay” cabins are not in the city of Ellijay. The 2020 Census counted 1,862 people in Ellijay and 650 in East Ellijay, about eight percent of Gilmer County. Everyone else lives in unincorporated county, where county rules apply. Pull the parcel record on qPublic to see which one a cabin is in; it changes the rental rules and the lodging tax.

By the Ellijay Cabins Editorial Team1 min read Last checked October 16, 2026

A curving brick crosswalk leading to the tree-planted roundabout on the town square, with a street clock, red-brick buildings and the white-columned courthouse behind.
The courthouse square in downtown Ellijay Photo: Thomsonmg2000, CC0 1.0

An Ellijay mailing address covers a lot of ground. The rules follow the parcel, not the address.

Of the 31,353 people the 2020 Census counted in Gilmer County, 1,862 lived in Ellijay city and 650 in East Ellijay city. The remaining 28,841, about 92 percent, lived outside the two cities. (U.S. Census Bureau, checked 2026-10-16)

How to check a parcel

For parcel maps and records, Gilmer County links to its Board of Assessors' qPublic site. (Gilmer County Board of Assessors (qPublic), checked 2026-10-16)

  1. Search the address or owner on the county’s qPublic site.
  2. Look at the tax district on the parcel record.
  3. If it names Ellijay or East Ellijay, the parcel is inside that city.

What changes

Unincorporated Gilmer CountyInside Ellijay or East Ellijay
Short-term rentalsCounty Chapter 45 host licenseAsk city hall; we found no published city rules
Hotel-motel tax on file with the stateGilmer County rateEast Ellijay has its own rate; Ellijay shows none on file
RoadsCounty list or privateCity streets or private

Gilmer County regulates short-term rentals (stays of 30 consecutive days or less) in unincorporated Gilmer County under Code of Ordinances Chapter 45, Article I, 'Short-Term Rental Host License', adopted by Resolution No. 24-188 on November 14, 2024. The county's Planning & Zoning page says all short-term rental properties had to be registered by July 1, 2025. (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)

See cabins and homes in town for the in-city side, and the county rental rules for everywhere else.

Written by the Ellijay Cabins Editorial Team. AI tools help us draft; people check every fact before it publishes.

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.

An elevated view over downtown rooftops and a full parking lot, with green wooded hills and a blue mountain ridge on the horizon.
Downtown Ellijay rooftops and the ridges beyond · Photo: Tamparitus, CC BY-SA 4.0

Ready to walk a cabin?

Talk to a North Georgia agent before you write the offer.

Gold Peach Realty is the brokerage behind this guide. An agent can pull the septic records, read the association rules and drive the road with you before your due-diligence clock runs out, and show you what is actually for sale in Ellijay and the rest of Gilmer County.

Visit Gold Peach Realty Call (770) 283-1223

Send a question about a specific cabin