Georgia landlord tenant law: the rules a landlord meets

Georgia security deposit law

Most you can take

2 months’ rentO.C.G.A. § 44-7-30.1

Back to the tenant within

30 daysO.C.G.A. § 44-7-34The statute says 'one month' after termination or surrender and acceptance, whichever is later.

Rent and late fees

Late fee

No statute caps itNo statute sets this

Georgia rent increase laws and rent control

Notice before a rent increase

60 daysO.C.G.A. § 44-7-7; O.C.G.A. § 44-7-19No statute addresses rent increases directly. A tenancy at will needs 60 days' notice from the landlord to end, so the state handbook treats 60 days as the notice for a rent increase on a tenancy at will; a fixed-term lease can be raised only as the lease allows.

Rent control

Local rent control bannedO.C.G.A. § 44-7-7; O.C.G.A. § 44-7-19

Entering the property: notice to the tenant

Notice before you enter

No statute sets thisNo statute sets this

Ending a tenancy and eviction notices

Ending a month-to-month tenancy

60 daysO.C.G.A. § 44-7-7

Unpaid rent

3 business daysO.C.G.A. § 44-7-50(c); O.C.G.A. § 44-7-52“notice to vacate or pay”Paying in full within the period stops itSince the Safe at Home Act (2024), the landlord must give written notice to vacate or pay all past due rent, late fees, utilities and other charges within three business days before filing. After filing, the tenant may also tender everything owed plus court costs within seven days of service, a defense usable once in 12 months.

Another breach of the lease

Could not be confirmedO.C.G.A. § 44-7-50(a)“demand for possession”The statute does not say whether the breach can be fixedThe landlord must demand possession before filing, but no statute sets a minimum number of days or a right to cure for a breach other than rent. The lease's own notice terms apply.

Lockouts and shutoffs

Banned: lockouts and utility shutoffsO.C.G.A. § 44-7-14.1; O.C.G.A. § 44-7-50

The Georgia eviction process, step by step

Disclosures a Georgia lease has to carry

• Give the tenant the name and address of the owner or authorized agent for notices, and of the property manager, at or before signing. (O.C.G.A. § 44-7-3)
• Tell a prospective tenant in writing if the living space has been damaged by flooding three or more times in the past five years. (O.C.G.A. § 44-7-20)
• Landlords with more than 10 units, or who use a management agent, must give the tenant a signed list of existing damage before taking a deposit and let the tenant inspect it. (O.C.G.A. § 44-7-33)
• Landlords with more than 10 units, or who use a management agent, must hold the deposit in escrow and tell the tenant in writing where it is held. (O.C.G.A. § 44-7-31)