Investment Property Loans in Marietta, GA

Cobb's 2026 millage table puts a parcel in the Marietta tax district (code 4) at 31.122 mills: 8.46 Cobb County general, 4.692 city general and bond, and 17.97 for Marietta City Schools.

For investors: Marietta parcels skip Cobb's 18.70 school and 2.97 fire mills, yet the 31.122 total still tops unincorporated Cobb's 30.13. Rentals inside the Downtown Marietta Development Authority district (Marietta DMDA) add 1.272 mills, for 32.394 in all.

Source: Cobb County Tax Commissioner, 2026 Millage Rates of Cobb County Bills (Marietta, code 4, and Marietta DMDA rows), Oct 2026

Marietta's 2026 notices proposed keeping the city rate at 4.692 mills for a 25th year, yet advertised a 5.73% tax increase because the 2.788-mill operating rate tops the 2.637-mill rollback rate.

For investors: The city's floating homestead exemption, in place since 2002, freezes city assessments on owner-occupied homes at purchase price until sale. A rental gets no freeze, so its city taxes track Cobb's current appraisal, and a home bought from a longtime owner-occupant resets upward.

Source: City of Marietta Tax Division page: Notice to Marietta Taxpayers, Notice of Property Tax Increase and 2026 five-year levy history (posted ahead of the July 28, 2026 rate-setting meeting), Oct 2026

Marietta owners get two property tax bills: Cobb County's, mailed by August 15 and due October 15, and the City of Marietta's, covering city, school and downtown district levies, due October 31.

For investors: A self-paying Marietta landlord faces two deadlines about two weeks apart at two offices, and Cobb adds a 5% penalty plus monthly interest to balances left after October 15. Confirm your escrow covers both bills, not just the county's.

Source: Cobb County Tax Commissioner, Property Tax Overview (two bills, mailed by Aug. 15, due Oct. 15, 5% penalty); City of Marietta Tax Division page and FAQs (city bill due Oct. 31), Oct 2026

Chapter 8-40 of Marietta's code, adopted in 2004, requires a separate city rental license for each non-owner-occupied rental before a tenant moves in, backed by a city-licensed inspector's report and renewed every two years.

For investors: The owner hires and pays the inspector, though a Section 8 inspection from the past 12 months can stand in. When neither owner nor operator is a Georgia-resident individual, a local agent living in Georgia must be named for city notices.

Source: Code of Marietta, Ch. 8-40, Rental Dwellings and Units, Secs. 8-40-040 to 8-40-130 (Municode, version Aug. 25, 2026), Oct 2026

A Marietta rental license expires 30 days after the property changes owners, and the code directs the buyer to apply for a license transfer within 30 days of the transfer and pay a $10 fee.

For investors: Put the transfer filing on the closing checklist for any Marietta rental bought with tenants in place. Ask the seller for the current license and last certificate of compliance so you know when the next two-year renewal and inspection fall.

Source: Code of Marietta, Secs. 8-40-110 and 8-40-120 (Municode, version Aug. 25, 2026), Oct 2026

Marietta's code sets an 8% hotel/motel occupancy tax that operators collect and remit with a monthly return by the 20th of the next month; stays beyond 30 consecutive days are exempt after day 30.

For investors: Under the code, on-time filers keep 3% of the tax or $25, whichever is less, while late payments draw a 10% penalty plus 1% monthly interest. Ask the city whether your booking platform remits on your behalf before skipping a Marietta return.

Source: Code of Marietta, Ch. 8-32, Hotel/Motel Occupancy Tax, Secs. 8-32-020 to 8-32-060 (Municode, version Aug. 25, 2026), Oct 2026

Homes built under Marietta's optional Residential Infill Development Overlay, open to residential parcels of 2 acres or less in the urban core, must be for-sale units, and short-term rental is never allowed in them.

For investors: Newer infill houses near central Marietta may carry this condition from their approval. Before buying one to host nightly guests, ask Development Services whether the lot was developed under the overlay's density bonus rather than its base zoning.

Source: Marietta Zoning Ordinance, Sec. 712.11, Residential Infill Development Overlay District (Municode, version Aug. 25, 2026), Oct 2026

Marietta's R-1 to R-4 districts allow one accessory dwelling unit only when the owner lives on the lot, no paying guests or tenants are housed, and 5,000 extra square feet of lot is dedicated.

For investors: A backyard cottage cannot produce rent in Marietta's R-1 to R-4 districts, even for an owner who lives on site. Value a house in those zones on its main dwelling alone, and treat any existing accessory unit as family space rather than income.

Source: Marietta Zoning Ordinance, Secs. 708.01 through 708.04, temporary and conditional uses (Municode, version Aug. 25, 2026), Oct 2026

Marietta's AICUZ overlay around Dobbins Air Reserve Base maps clear zones, accident potential zones and noise zones above 65 decibels; permits there get extra review, and raising a building's height needs a no-objection letter.

For investors: Existing buildings in the overlay keep grandfathered rights only while their area and height stay the same. Before planning a second story or addition on a rental near Dobbins, check the city's AICUZ maps, and visit at different hours to judge aircraft noise.

Source: Marietta Zoning Ordinance, Sec. 712.05, AICUZ Overlay District (Municode, version Aug. 25, 2026), Oct 2026

The City of Marietta entered FEMA's Community Rating System on October 1, 2013 and holds class 7 on the list effective October 1, 2026, a 15% discount on National Flood Insurance Program premiums.

For investors: Check a Marietta address on FEMA's flood maps before closing. If a rental needs flood coverage, the city's class 7 rating trims the NFIP premium; unincorporated Cobb County holds the same class, so the discount does not differ across the city line.

Source: FEMA, CRS Eligible Communities, October 1, 2026, Oct 2026

Marietta Power and Water supplies electric, water and wastewater service and puts city sanitation on its monthly bill; landlords can ask that service revert to their name when a tenant cancels.

For investors: A revert agreement keeps lights and water on between Marietta tenants for showings and turnover work, though service does not revert after a disconnection for nonpayment. Expect a possible deposit when opening owner accounts, refunded once service ends, and confirm which utilities serve the address.

Source: City of Marietta FAQs, Power & Water (Service and General Questions), Oct 2026

Kennesaw State University reports over 51,000 students on campuses in Kennesaw and Marietta, the latter at 1100 South Marietta Parkway, and more than 5,200 students living in its residential communities in both cities.

For investors: University housing holds more than 5,200 of over 51,000 students across both campuses, so most live elsewhere. Rentals near the Marietta campus on South Marietta Parkway can draw students, faculty and staff, with leasing that tends to follow the academic calendar.

Source: Kennesaw State University, About KSU, Oct 2026