Athens-Clarke County is approaching a critical juncture in its regulation of short-term rentals, with owners of properties granted temporary legal status facing a deadline to comply with modern ordinances. The regulations, adopted in February 2024, aimed to address concerns about housing affordability and neighborhood character as the number of rentals listed on platforms like Airbnb increased. Now, owners of those “legal non-conforming” properties have less than a year to meet the requirements or risk losing their ability to operate.
The shift came after a period with no formal limitations on short-term rentals within the county. According to District 8 Commissioner Carol Myers, the growing prevalence of these rentals prompted the demand for regulation. “We had to insert ‘short-term rentals’, gain a definition for that and apply those to neighborhoods in a way that enables the younger couple, the senior citizen, the person that’s struggling to pay their mortgage, to be able to use a short-term rental as a home occupation short-term rental and still live in the house,” Myers said.
The county finalized the list of legal non-conforming short-term rentals in March 2025, granting owners a 24-month window to align with the new ordinance. That timeline brings the compliance deadline to March 2027, a date that is quickly approaching for property owners. The ordinance, detailed in Title 9 of the Athens-Clarke County Code of Ordinances, distinguishes between two types of short-term rentals: those operated as a home occupation and those functioning as a commercial enterprise. More information about the ordinance is available on the Athens-Clarke County government website.
Defining Home Occupation vs. Commercial Rentals
The key difference lies in occupancy. Home-occupation rentals require the applicant to be the owner-occupant of the property or a long-term tenant. Only one structure on a given parcel can be used as a short-term rental under this designation. Commercial short-term rentals are not subject to these limitations. This distinction is central to the concerns voiced by some members of the Athens-Clarke County Mayor and Commission.
At a meeting on February 3, the commission denied two requests for special-use permits for commercial short-term rentals, signaling a tightening of restrictions. The focus, according to Commissioner Myers, is on preventing the proliferation of properties effectively operating as hotels within residential neighborhoods. “There’s one over there on Riverbend Parkway where it’s a house that I think is advertised and can have something like 25 occupants in it in the middle of a single-family neighborhood, and it’s actually a quite affluent single-family neighborhood,” Myers explained. “And you can imagine the residents are like, ‘I didn’t buy my house for there to be a hotel next to me.’”
Impact on Property Owners
The new regulations are already impacting local residents. Thomas Meyers, an Athens resident, supplements his income through Airbnb rentals. He reports that his rentals are booked approximately 40-50 out of 60 days each month. “For us, to comply means we’re out of business,” Meyers said. “In the meetings you watch, they’re like, ‘Oh, well, they can just go sell their house and get their money back,’ and it’s like, ‘This was our dream house … this is my only income.’”
However, Commissioner Myers emphasizes that the primary concern isn’t with homeowners utilizing short-term rentals as a supplemental income source while residing on the property. “I think the home occupation short-term rentals are a really great option for a lot of people, for a lot of different reasons, to supplement their income and provide a need for the community,” she said. The ordinance aims to balance the economic benefits of short-term rentals with the need to preserve the character of residential neighborhoods and ensure housing availability for long-term residents.
What’s Next for Short-Term Rentals in Athens-Clarke County?
As the March 2027 deadline looms, property owners face a critical decision: comply with the ordinance, potentially incurring costs and limitations, or cease short-term rental operations. The county continues to evaluate special-use permit requests, with the deciding factor often being whether a rental qualifies as a home occupation or a commercial enterprise. The final list of legal non-conforming properties was posted on March 1, 2025, according to the Athens-Clarke County government. Further details on short-term rentals are available on the ACCGov website.
The next regular meeting of the Athens-Clarke County Mayor and Commission is scheduled for March 5, 2026, where further discussion and potential amendments to the short-term rental ordinance could be considered. Property owners are encouraged to consult the county’s planning department for guidance on compliance requirements.
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