The Milton City Council has gone on the record opposing state legislation that sides with property owners who offer their homes on Airbnb, VRBO and other short-term rental sites.

The council approved a resolution asking Milton’s legislative delegation to oppose House Bill 523 as currently drafted. The bill would bar local governments from prohibiting short-term rentals or treating them differently from long-term rentals.

“While HB 523 would allow the regulation of such short-term rentals, the bill implies (if not directs) that no local government can ban them entirely in any district,” according to a memo to the council by City Attorney Ken Jarrard.

In his opinion, Jarrard said, the prohibition is unconstitutional, as the power to zone “is assigned by the Georgia Constitution to cities and counties, and … the General Assembly does not have the power to repeal or restrict this power.”

About the Author

Keep Reading

Juana Alzaga (standing) instructs members of the Buford Highway Orchestra Project at the Latin American Association in Brookhaven on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. The orchestra, which is comprised mostly of children of parents who lack legal status, will be featured in the documentary “La Orquesta” coming this month to PBS. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Featured

Carleigh Knight (left) and her sister, Natalie Rogovin, look at Christmas ornaments while shopping at Kudzu Antiques + Modern in Decatur on Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. (Natrice Miller/AJC)

Credit: Natrice Miller