ATLANTA — Gov. Brian Kemp is sending a message to anyone who may be looking to come to Georgia, to escape the coronavirus pandemic.
During a briefing from the State Capitol announcing the extension of Georgia's shelter-in-place order through the end of the month - among other measures - Kemp also revealed that he signed an executive order to suspend short-term vacation rentals across the state.
"To stop the spread of COVID-19, no vacation rental shall occur in Georgia starting at midnight through 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, April 30," Kemp said.
According to the governor, "vacation rentals" are defined by any transaction to "lease or license a residential property for residential or vacation purposes, facilitated by a third party or broker for 30 days or less between a corporation, partnership, person, or other entity and a private person."
Kemp said there are some exceptions. The order does not apply to the following:
- hotels, including extended-stay hotels, motels, campgrounds, or purely commercial transactions;
- vacation rentals which had already been paid for before 12 a.m. April 9;
- leases for property to be used as someone’s primary place of residence.
Kemp said all state, county and local law enforcement are authorized to enforce the order, but at they are not allowed to evict occupants of a vacation rental.
The order comes as local leaders in both the north Georgia mountains and along the coast worried that residents from both inside and outside the state flocked to beaches and trails. While some outdoor activities are accepted during the order, in many cases, it led to crowding stores in the surrounding areas, despite the statewide shelter-in-place order in effect.
Coronavirus News in Georgia