Four rulebooks, one address: who answers which question

Most people think of a community as one rulebook. Chestatee is at least four, and they do not overlap neatly. The easiest way to see it is to ask five ordinary questions and watch the answer move from office to office.

Question one: can I repaint the front door, add a deck or put up a fence?

This is the association’s question first. Exterior changes need a Modification Request filed through the HMS portal; complex questions go to cmrc@chestateepoa.com.src It is also the county’s: Building permits are required for all construction including new houses, additions, fences, walls, retaining walls and accessory buildings; separate electrical, plumbing, mechanical and pool/spa permits apply.src Both answers apply, and the order matters: the association approves the design under the covenants, the county permits the construction. Skipping the first can make the second moot.

Question two: can I have a wedding at the Lodge?

That depends on the association. Owners can rent the Lodge and the Pavilion through the HMS portal under Amenity Reservations.src The Lodge, Pavilion, Square, pool, tennis, pickleball, basketball and bocce are not open to the public; use is limited to owners, family and accompanied guests.src A guest list that includes people with no owner to accompany them is a question for the manager, not for a listing.

Question three: can I rent the house on weekends?

The covenants say no. Short-term rentals (Airbnb, VRBO and similar) are expressly prohibited by an amendment to the covenants, whether or not the owner lives in the home.src The county has its own rules on lodging, but at Chestatee the association’s covenant is the one a buyer meets first, and it is the stricter.

Question four: can I play the course, or tie a boat up?

Neither is the association’s to grant. Under the covenants the golf course is not association common property, and owning a lot or association membership gives no right to use it; use rights are set by the course owner.src The covenants say owning a lot or association membership alone gives no right to use or own any boatslip; rights are granted by the slip owner on its terms.src The course question goes to the club, the slip question to the slip owner.

Question five: what happens at the water’s edge?

That is the Corps. The covenants state lake and Corps-shoreline use is governed by the association's rules in addition to any rules of government agencies with jurisdiction.src The Corps zones the shoreline, and its shoreline rules apply on top of the covenants. A boundary on a particular lot is a survey question that the Corps and a surveyor answer; no guide, listing or association can.

A table, to keep it straight

The principle underneath

The strictest applicable rule governs, and you have to read all four rulebooks to know which that is. The association’s welcome letter itself says the golf course, sewer and marina sit apart from it: The association's own welcome letter says the golf course, the sewer system and the marina are not managed by the homeowners association; they have a separate owner.src That one sentence explains why a call to the association about a sewer bill goes nowhere.

How to use this

Before you tour a home, write the questions that matter to you at the top of a page and put the right office next to each. The directory has the contacts, and the who runs what page draws the ladder. Ask each office in writing and keep the replies. A buyer who can show four written replies is a buyer who made a decision on documents.

Gold Peach Realty is the brokerage behind this guide. If you want a second pair of eyes on the paperwork for a specific home, call (770) 283-1223 or read how Gold Peach Realty works with buyers and sellers.

Related questions

Last checked 2026-10-20. Written by the Chestatee on Lake Lanier Editorial Team. Rules, dates and contacts change: confirm with the office we link before you rely on anything here.