Atlanta Puts New Limits on Short-Term Rentals in Home Park Near Georgia Tech

Atlanta Puts New Limits on Short-Term Rentals in Home Park Near Georgia Tech

In a move many saw coming — and some resisted — the Atlanta City Council voted 11 to 2 recently to ban new short-term rental permits in the Home Park neighborhood, right next to Georgia Tech. (Georgia Public Broadcasting) Existing short-term rental operators are grandfathered in, but no new permits will be issued. (Georgia Public Broadcasting)

Why Home Park?

Home Park has become a hotspot for short-term rentals, driven by its proximity to Georgia Tech and demand for places to stay in the city. But that trend has raised concerns among residents about:

• Transient occupancy versus long-term community presence

• The decline in permanent residents who “take care” of the neighborhood

• The dominance of rentals over homes where people actually live

One Home Park resident, Dan Bringman, put it plainly: “We need more residents to tend and care for Home Park daily. Not more properties occupied just a few days a week.” (Georgia Public Broadcasting)

A Georgia Tech study also backs up the concerns: in 2022, only about 25% of properties in Home Park were owner-occupied, based on homestead exemption filings. (Georgia Public Broadcasting)

What the Council Decided

Here’s how the new rule works:

• No new short-term rental permits will be allowed in Home Park. (Georgia Public Broadcasting)

• But if you already hold a permit, you can continue operating under the old rules (i.e. a “grandfather” clause). (Georgia Public Broadcasting)

• The decision now heads to the mayor’s desk for final approval and implementation. (Georgia Public Broadcasting)

Councilmember Liliana Bakhtiari emphasized a central tension:

“My concern is protecting my constituents who have used this to supplement their income … What we cannot continue to allow is a complete monopolization of housing in the city without any regulations.” (Georgia Public Broadcasting)

Meanwhile, Byron D. Amos, who sponsored this resolution, had previously tried to regulate short-term rentals in Home Park back in 2023, focusing on limiting rentals to owner-occupied homes — but that effort did not pass committee at the time. (Georgia Public Broadcasting)

On the flip side, Airbnb has criticized the ban: they claim it unfairly restricts the ability of property owners to earn supplemental income, and reduces lodging options in the city. (Georgia Public Broadcasting)

Why This Matters

This decision is more than a zoning change. It highlights several broader issues:

• Balancing tourism / short-term lodging demand with resident stability

• Housing pressures: with demand high, property owners may prefer short-term rentals over long-term tenants, reducing housing available for locals

• Community identity: neighborhoods become less rooted when many units turn over frequently

• Regulatory precedents: Home Park could be a testing ground — other neighborhoods may follow

What to Watch Next

• Could similar restrictions spread to other parts of Atlanta?

• How will permitted hosts and the short-term rental industry respond?

• Will this change lead to more long-term residents and more stability in Home Park?

This post is inspired by Amanda Andrews’s article, “Atlanta approves short-term rental limits for neighborhood near Georgia Tech,” originally published on GPB. The ideas here are summarized and reinterpreted in my own words for blog readers.