Short-term rentals are now banned in one Atlanta neighborhood

“Many Atlantans rely on home sharing to help them afford home ownership and keep up with rising costs of living, with a majority of Airbnb hosts in Atlanta reporting that hosting has helped them stay in their homes,” an unnamed Airbnb spokesperson said in a statement. “By arbitrarily depriving many Atlantans of the ability to generate needed income, this short-term rental ban will exclude community members who rely on short-term rentals from Home Park while slashing more affordable, alternative accommodation options for travelers.”

Atlanta’s lawmakers have, for years, attempted to set regulations around the industry as part of an effort to curb unruly party houses and rental takeovers of single-family neighborhoods.

The city implemented regulations in 2022 that require a permit to operate, but very few applied, and enforcement of the rules has fallen flat.

Credit: Natrice Miller / Natrice.Miller@ajc.com

Credit: Natrice Miller / Natrice.Miller@ajc.com

Supporters of a crackdown on rentals say they’ve watched neighborhoods be lost to absentee landlords who run short-term rental businesses from afar.

“What Home Park would like to do is to do away with all short-term rentals in the neighborhood — but they can’t do that,” said City Council member Byron Amos, who spearheaded the legislation. “I am really hoping the precedent that we set now is one that when others will not act, we as a council will.”

But short-term rental owners argue that the businesses bolster the city’s tourism industry and provide supplemental income option for those who need it.

“The focus should not be on barring Airbnbs that the city needs,” said short-term rental owner Shelley Dean. “But rather on developing a mechanism to punish and close the small number of bad operators that are causing problems.”

Although the legislation passed 12-2, council members heavily debated the change.

“I am truly on the fence with this — I am not a believer in overall bans,” said council member Liliana Bakhtiari. “But there has come a point of desperation I think for many of us.”

Others echoed her conflicted feelings.

“I struggle with the fact that we as a council should not be making the decisions of how individuals earn their livelihood in this city,” said council member Eshé Collins.

Credit: Riley Bunch/riley.bunch@ajc.com

Credit: Riley Bunch/riley.bunch@ajc.com

Updated citywide regulations for short-term rentals have been unsuccessful during the committee process.

Council member Michael Julian Bond introduced legislation in July that would create a percentage cap on the number of short-term rentals allowed in multifamily buildings, but it has failed to move to the full council for a vote.

Theo Pace, deputy chief operating officer for the Dickens administration, said the mayor’s office was in favor of passing the new, citywide cap.

“Enforcing various regulations in different parts of town would be difficult,” he said.