Updated Sept. 28, 2022.

The Cobb County Board of Commissioners passed the following code amendments yesterday. 

• Chapter 18 and Chapter 2- Multifamily Rental Housing Inspection Program. Multifamily rental property owners will be required to have 25% of the units within each complex inspected for interior code compliance and 100% for exterior code compliance annually, with each unit having an interior inspection at least every four years. Inspections are to be performed by a certified building inspector and documentation is required to be submitted with annual renewal of the occupational tax certificate (i.e. business license). This becomes effective with the 2024 renewal season (January 1, 2024)
• Chapter 54-a Permit from the Fire Marshal’s Office will be required for outdoor social gatherings with projected crowds exceeding 1000 people to ensure that adequate EMS, fire watch, crowd management, etc. are provided
• Chapter 78- Short-term rentals. Effective January 1, 2023, a short-term rental certificate from the business license office will be required for operation of a short-term rental. Upon application, a short-term rental agent must be identified to serve as a local contact to quickly respond to any issues that may arise at the short-term rental property. Short-term rentals are subject to all applicable county codes for residential property, including zoning, building, fire prevention and protection, and health and sanitation regulations.
• Chapter 83- Weed control. Properties exceeding 40000 square feet will now be subject to the provisions of the weed control ordinance if there is a building or structure located within 75 feet of the public right-of-way.
• Chapter 90-Smoking or vaping in county owned parks, sports complexes, recreations areas or facilities is prohibited, except in designated smoking areas
• Chapter 106- For new developments, in lieu of building a sidewalk or other required transportation improvements, the applicant may contribute to a fund to construct the improvements in the future. 
• Chapter 110- Private streets in new developments must meet county standards for public streets and a mandatory homeowners or property owners association will be responsible for insuring, maintaining and repairing private streets within the development to county standards. The DOT Director can require the repair of existing private streets that have become hazardous. If the property owner fails to repair the hazardous condition, the county can perform the repairs, with a special assessment lien attached to the property.
• Chapter 134
  • Differentiated bulk landscape materials business from farm and garden supply stores, with the former being permitted only in industrial zoning districts
  • Added a definition for heavy automotive repair establishment. Language was included to limit overnight outdoor parking to one car per designated parking spot, and to prohibit outdoor storage of parts except in dumpsters or other appropriate container for both heavy and light automotive repair establishments.
  • Updated standards for requiring traffic studies for rezoning applications. Traffic studies are required a minimum of 15 business days prior to the Planning Commission hearing.
  • Added detailed maintenance standards for signs.

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Cobb County's Board of Commissioners periodically considers changes or modifications to the county code.  The board will take up the next code amendment package in September.

Following several meetings and public hearings, staff has made revisions to some of the Code Amendment proposals the board will vote on during its September 27th meeting.

This package contains changes to the code involving: code enforcement, a multi-family rental housing inspection program, fire safety standards, short-term rentals, nuisances, park rules, sidewalks, subdivision streets, and zoning.

A public hearing on the package will be held on September 27 at 7 p.m.