New legislation proposed in the Georgia House of Representatives is looking to protect owners of short-term rental units from potential local restrictions or bans.
Georgia is seeking to protect landlords using Airbnb from local government prohibitions.
Republican Reps. Dale Washburn of Macon, Bethany Ballard of Warner Robins, Alan Powell of Hartwell, Kimberly New of Villa Rica and Steven Sainz of St. Marys introduced a bill this month that would prevent city and county governments from banning landlords from using their dwelling units as short-term rentals, such as those commonly found on platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo.
In essence, the bill, if passed in the House and Senate and signed by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, would act as a grandfather clause, allowing landlords who already list their units in single-family homes and apartment communities for rent for 30 days or fewer to continue to do so, even if a local government passes an ordinance that would prohibit or outlaw them.
“It’s necessary to protect the legal rights of property owners in the state of Georgia, many of whom rely on the income of short-term rentals,” said Kathie McClure, vice president of the Atlanta Metro Short Term Rental Alliance, a volunteer organization of people who rent out units on a short-term basis.
“It makes it fair to property owners in the state of Georgia who are, in fact, entitled to protection,” McClure said. “This is extremely reasonable.”
But for local officials who spoke to Bisnow, the bill represents a turf war with the state, which they say should have no jurisdiction to dictate what local governments can and…
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