Tybee officially passes ban on vacation rentals. Here’s what that means for the island

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    TYBEE ISLAND, Georgia (WJCL) — Despite clear division from homeowners and renters, the city of Tybee is moving forward with its ban on short-term rentals.

Tybee City Council voted 4-1 to pass the ordinance Thursday night during its second reading.

The ordinance would ban STRs in residential areas, which make up 85% of the island.

Before its passing, people were given a last chance to express their opinions on the ban. Thirty people spoke during public comment. Out of the 30, 11 supported the ordinance, and 19 opposed it.

Supporters of the bans applauded council to move forward, claiming renters of STRs only care about money instead of a sense of community.

“This is a small island. And we pose to be here together, helping one another, not getting to the point where we can’t socialize,” one Tybee resident said.

Meanwhile, opposers called the council’s decision “disgusting,” saying it would hurt future generations.

“How dare you take away our rights, our opportunities and our future, because you had these opportunities. How dare you dismiss our concerns, ignore them and push forward with this proposal. Your actions are not only misguided, but disgraceful,” another Tybee resident said.

Another big talking point is the fact the city passed the ban without performing a comprehensive economic study first.

Jenny Rutherford, a Tybee real estate agent who opposes the ban, presented a 2023 economics study performed by Georgia Southern during public comment. It illustrates the impact tourism has had on Tybee.

According to the study, more than 1,900 jobs have been created, and $84 million has been generated from tourism.

“There’s 140 brick and mortar businesses that continue year-round on the island that are going to be directly affected when you pass this,” Rutherford said.

The city has not yet announced when the ban will go into effect.

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