Allen held a public meeting last week to hear residents’ views on the issue. He told WZQZ News on Monday that those attending expressed strong opinions both for and against a moratorium, as well as differing views about tiny homes in general.

The commissioner said his concerns are not directed at private property owners who want to build a small home on their own land for themselves or a family member. Instead, Allen said the county needs to address larger projects proposed by developers, particularly developments involving multiple tiny homes, shipping containers converted into residences or similar non-traditional structures.

Allen said public safety is one of the primary concerns. He specifically cited the possibility that some container homes already located in the county may have only one exit. That could create a dangerous situation for occupants during a fire or other emergency and make it more difficult for firefighters and other first responders to enter or evacuate the structure safely.

Georgia treats a tiny home used as a residence as a dwelling, meaning it is generally subject to the same state building-code requirements as a conventional site-built home. The Georgia Department of Community Affairs notes that local governments may also adopt a special tiny-house appendix to the residential code, but that appendix applies only where it has been adopted locally.

Other Georgia counties have taken different approaches. In 2022, Rabun County imposed a short-term moratorium on non-traditional developments not specifically addressed by its ordinances. The moratorium included tiny homes, container homes, park-model homes, yurts, tent communities, treehouses and other projects while county leaders reviewed regulations intended to protect public health, safety and welfare.

Hall County has chosen to regulate tiny homes through minimum construction standards rather than broadly prohibiting them. The county requires a dwelling to contain more than 256 square feet of heated space, and neither its length nor width may be less than 16 feet, excluding features such as porches, decks and carports.

Allen said Chattooga County must determine what rules are appropriate locally before additional large-scale developments move forward. A temporary moratorium, if adopted, would give the county time to study matters such as building standards, emergency exits, utility service, sanitation, density, road access and the effects of larger developments on nearby property owners.

No final decision on a moratorium has been announced