Courtesy of the Savannah, Georgia Chamber of Commerce
Savannah is considering new limits on vacation rentals, and one of the proposals could mean part-time residents wouldn’t be able to rent their homes.
The regulations are in response to the rise of Airbnb-type rentals in Savannah’s historic neighborhoods.
Victorian district resident Michael Ambrose said tourists now stay in homes all around him. Sometimes the visitors can be noisy and less considerate about trash, he said.
“It just seems to me that there are more and more short-term rentals and it’s kind of destroying the neighborhood feeling,” Ambrose said.
Ambrose’s neighborhood association wants the city to put a cap on rentals. It’s also recommending that only Savannah residents should be able to rent out their homes, since they would be most invested in the community.
But attorney Bob McCorkle, who represents property managers, said rules like that would cut out most homes zoned for short-term vacation rentals.
“We have a significant population of people here who are second-home owners,” McCorkle said. “A lot of people from Atlanta who own second homes.”
He said second homeowners contribute to the city, and they should have the same real estate rights as others. Some also rely on the revenue from tourists to be able to afford the homes, he added.
Bridget Lidy, director of tourism management for Savannah, said, her office hope to balance everyone’s interests in its review of the vacation rentals.
“The question is are they taking away from the quality of life and the neighborhood integrity that makes Savannah so unique and special,” Lidy said.
The city plans to present new rules to the city council in June. Savannah adopted its first regulations for short-term rentals in 2015.
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