08/28/2026
‼️ TYBEE STVR UPDATE ‼️
What passed, what didn’t, and what owners, buyers & sellers need to know.
There has been a LOT of discussion about Tybee’s new STVR ordinance, so I went through the August 13 and August 27 meetings and pulled together the main things people need to know.
August 13 was the first reading, where Council discussed the ordinance and made changes. The final vote was August 27, and the ordinance passed 3–2.
🏠 NEW STVR CAPS
Residential STVRs in R-1, R-1B and R-2 will now have caps by sector.
Sector 1: 175
Sector 2: 250
Sector 3: 220
Sector 4: 180
These numbers were already in the ordinance going into the August 13 meeting. Once a sector hits its cap, no new certificates will be issued until a spot opens up. When that happens, applications will be handled first come, first served.
🏠 THE 18-MONTH SALE/TRANSFER RULE
This is an important one if you are buying or selling an existing STVR. For the first 18 months after the ordinance takes effect, an existing legal STVR in R-1, R-1B or R-2 can be sold and the new owner gets one opportunity to apply for an STVR certificate without being subject to the sector cap.
The new owner has to apply within 15 days of the transfer. The certificate itself does not automatically transfer with the property. The buyer still has to apply. After that one-time transfer, a future buyer would be subject to the regular sector cap and waiting-list rules.
🏠 FAMILY TRANSFERS
There are separate rules for certain family ownership situations, including qualifying joint tenancies, family trusts and family corporations. Certain transfers involving a death or family succession can continue without going onto the sector waiting list.
“Immediate family” now includes grandchildren, along with spouses, parents, siblings and children.
🏠 BEDROOM COUNTS, PARKING & OWNER-OCCUPIED STVRS
The city can check STVR bedroom counts against Chatham County tax records, City building permits and other public records. Just because a property is advertised with a certain number of bedrooms does not necessarily mean the city will recognize all of them for STVR purposes.
Bedrooms also have to meet the required egress rules, and parking shown on an STVR application cannot exceed one space per bedroom.
Owner-occupied STVRs can remain outside the sector caps if they meet the requirements. The owner has to actually occupy the property during STVR activity and can be away for no more than 14 rental-night stays per calendar year.
🏠 ENFORCEMENT CHANGES
Administrative violations can now count against an STVR along with violations that happen at the property. Repeat or habitual violations are looked at over a 24-month period. The City Manager can suspend an STVR certificate and decide the length of the suspension.
If Mayor and Council revoke a certificate after a show-cause hearing, the revocation lasts 36 months. A sale during that time has to be a bona fide sale and cannot simply be used to get around the revocation. Unpaid citations can also affect an existing certificate or someone’s ability to get one in the future.
For property management companies, three STVR permit revocations within 24 months can have consequences for the company’s business license.
🏠 FALSE INFORMATION & DOCUMENTS
A separate enforcement ordinance also passed unanimously. The penalty is $500 for false information and $500 for falsified documents.
Responsible parties are also supposed to receive notice of court or administrative hearings involving alleged violations.
‼️ WHAT DID NOT PASS
A few other changes were proposed but did not pass.
One would have changed the caps to 25% in Sectors 1 and 2 and 40% in Sectors 3 and 4. That failed 2–3, so the caps stayed at 175 / 250 / 220 / 180.
There was also an attempt to change the sector boundary involving the east side of Lovell Avenue. That failed, so the boundary stayed as proposed.
Another amendment would have required STVR signs to also list the police non-emergency number for complaints. That did not pass either.
🏠 WHEN DOES THIS START?
The new STVR system takes effect January 1 2027. City staff said they need “the time to get the application and enforcement processes ready and transition STVR administration to the new licensing coordinator.” Homeowners are not happy about the request for four months to do this!
The city also plans to hold meetings and workshops for owners, management companies and the public before everything starts.
A standard STVR sign will also be required, and the city plans to provide a black-and-white template that owners can print and weatherproof. This is a NEW ADDITIONAL COST!
🏠 THE 13 PROPERTIES FROM THE 2021 MORATORIUM
Council also talked about roughly 13 properties connected to an exception from the 2021 STVR moratorium. That exception gave certain homesteaded properties a three-year window to operate as STVRs.
The question was whether those properties were counted toward the new sector caps even though their temporary exceptions were expiring. Staff said most have already expired and there may only be one property still qualifying under that provision.
This part still appears to need some clarification.
‼️ NEW STVR FEES: NOT FINAL YET
There is a separate proposal for annual STVR fees:
Maximum occupancy of 5 guests or fewer: $400
Maximum occupancy of 6 to 10 guests: $800
Maximum occupancy over 10 guests: $1,200
These would apply to both new applications and renewals.
These fees were NOT final at the August 27 meeting. The fee ordinance only passed first reading and was expected to come back for a second reading.
🏠 IF YOU’RE BUYING OR SELLING
If you have an existing legal STVR, don’t assume the certificate automatically transfers when you sell. During the 18-month transition period, a qualifying buyer gets one opportunity to apply outside the sector cap, but they have to apply within 15 days of the transfer. This does not start until January 1, 2027 though.
If you are buying a Tybee property with plans to use it as an STVR, check everything before closing. Find out the zoning, which sector it is in, whether that sector is at its cap, whether there is a waiting list, whether the property already has a legal STVR, whether the 18-month rule applies, how many bedrooms the city recognizes, how much parking is allowed and whether you qualify for a certificate.
Just because a property is being used as a vacation rental now does not automatically mean a new owner will be able to use it the same way.
‼️ BOTTOM LINE
The sector caps are 175 / 250 / 220 / 180, and once a sector is full, new applicants will have to wait for a spot to open.
Existing legal STVRs have an 18-month sale transition period, with a 15-day deadline for the new owner to apply. There are separate rules for certain family transfers, bedroom and parking information can be checked against official records, repeat violations are looked at over 24 months, Council revocations last 36 months, and three STVR revocations within 24 months can affect a management company’s business license.
The new STVR system takes effect January 1 2027. The proposed new STVR fees are separate and were not final at the August 27 meeting.
