Planning commission recommends short‑term rental ordinance to council, seeks to remove fingerprint requirement and online public database

The Peachtree City Planning Commission on Aug. 26 held a public hearing on a proposed short‑term rental (STR) permit ordinance and voted to recommend it to city council with two specific changes: remove the publicly searchable online database of permitted addresses in favor of a 200‑foot notice to neighbors, and revisit the draft’s requirement for fingerprinting to enable nationwide background checks.

City staff summarized the draft ordinance’s core elements: a citywide cap set at 1% of residential units (staff said that equates to 35 permits under the assessor’s current counts), no grandfathering (operators currently using STRs must obtain permits), allowed rental types (individual bedrooms or whole‑home rentals; detached structures such as guest houses, RVs, tents and yurts are excluded), and operator requirements including a local contact aged 21 or older who can respond 24/7 and be on site within one hour. The ordinance, as drafted in the packet, also requires fire and building inspections consistent with state‑adopted codes, off‑street paved parking, and prohibits special events and bachelorette‑style parties. The permit term is 365 days with an initial $400 fee and a reduced $300 renewal fee; staff said the fee includes inspection costs, a portion of an STR‑tracking contract and an estimated background‑check cost.

Staff said the only substantive change since the last draft was inclusion of GBI (Georgia Bureau of Investigation) language allowing staff to request a nationwide background check; staff attributed that language to GBI requirements for nationwide checks. Commissioners and members of the public debated several elements at length.

Supporters urged strict controls. Cathy Valencia of Smoke Rise asked that the ordinance be tightened to preserve Peachtree City’s residential character and advocated for confidential complaint mechanisms and periodic neighborhood notices. "Peachtree City has a definite character," Valencia said during public comment.

Opponents and some STR operators raised privacy and administrative concerns. Chris Anderson, an operator who has run a short‑term rental in Peachtree City for several years, praised staff’s thoroughness but objected to a publicly searchable database of STR addresses and questioned annual fingerprinting and heavy inspection requirements. "We don't even give that information to anybody, until they actually have the reservation set," Anderson said, arguing that major platforms withhold specific address data for safety reasons.

During commission discussion, members generally supported the draft’s goal of protecting neighborhood character and public safety but expressed reservations about two provisions: a public online registry of permitted addresses and the fingerprint language required for a nationwide background check. Commissioners asked staff to ask Police Chief Moon to explain the practical differences between a fingerprint‑based nationwide check and less‑intrusive background‑check alternatives. Several commissioners stated they preferred a 200‑foot mailed notice to neighbors in lieu of an always‑public online map of permitted properties.

A motion to recommend approval of the ordinance to city council with the two changes—replace the online database with a 200‑foot notification and remove (or further investigate) the fingerprint requirement—was moved, seconded and passed by the commission. Staff said it will document which commissioners supported or opposed specific items when forwarding the recommendation to council. The commission also requested that staff and public‑safety subject‑matter experts (including the fire marshal and police) provide additional input to council on inspection scope and background‑check options.

The recommendation will be forwarded to Peachtree City Council for further consideration; staff indicated the commission’s prior UDO/ordinance presentation to council will take place in November and that the STR recommendation will be included in the council’s docket for review.