Chattanooga real estate agent Sarah Brogdon bought a $220,000 condominium just built on Fagan Street off of Main Street two weeks ago with the intent of using the one-bedroom unit as an Airbnb or other short-term vacation rental home for those visiting Chattanooga.
Brogdon got her business license and applied for the required permit from the city for her first such short-term rentals. Before she could begin her newest business venture, however, the Chattanooga City Council voted Tuesday to immediately ban such non-owner-occupied short-term rentals – at least until January – while the city studies the issue.
After voting 7-2 to reject an amendment to provide another month for issuing permits to those like Brogdon who had already invested in such housing, the council unanimously approved a moratorium for the rest of the year on issuing any more permits for Airbnb or other short-term vacation rental units in houses where the owner doesn’t live in the house.
“I just think it is unfair to retroactively limit how you can use your property,” Brogdon said after Tuesday’s council meeting.