Security deposit limits, eviction notices, rent control, and more for Georgia.
Every rule on this page is drawn from state statutes and municipal codes and summarized with AI assistance. Each one cites the statute it's based on and links to a published text of that law so you can read it firsthand. Where a page says a city or county has no local rule on a topic, that means none was found for the topics covered here — not that none exists. Local governments also regulate rental housing in ways these pages don't track, including registration, licensing, inspections and habitability standards. These summaries may be incomplete or out of date, laws change often, and every property and tenancy has specifics a summary can't capture — so treat this as a starting point for your own research, not as legal advice, and check with the local jurisdiction and a qualified attorney before acting on your particular situation.
Sources last checked September 2026
Georgia's 2024 Safe at Home Act capped security deposits at two months' rent for leases signed or renewed on or after July 1, 2024, and added a mandatory 3-business-day grace period before a landlord may file a dispossessory action for nonpayment. Landlords must give 60 days' written notice to end an at-will tenancy without cause or to raise rent — longer than the 30 days a tenant owes when leaving — under O.C.G.A. § 44-7-7. Georgia has no rent control, and O.C.G.A. § 44-7-19 bars any county or municipality from enacting one.
A landlord may not demand or receive a security deposit exceeding the equivalent of two months' rent. Refundable advance rent and refundable pet deposits count toward the cap when they fall within the statutory definition of security deposit.
For nonpayment of rent, late fees, utilities, or other charges, the 2024 Safe at Home Act (O.C.G.A. § 44-7-50) requires landlords to provide tenants with a written 3 business-day notice to pay or vacate before filing a dispossessory proceeding. For at-will tenancies (month-to-month or no written lease), landlords must give 60 days' written notice to terminate under O.C.G.A. § 44-7-7. Notices may be posted in a sealed envelope on the property door and delivered via any additional method agreed upon in the rental agreement. Self-help evictions — such as lockouts or utility shutoffs — are illegal in Georgia.
In a residential nonpayment action, the tenant may tender all rent allegedly owed plus the cost of the dispossessory warrant within seven days after service of the summons. The tender is a complete defense, but an individual tenant is required to receive this tender opportunity only once in any 12-month period. If the landlord refuses a qualifying tender, the court may order payment within three days of the order.
Before filing a residential dispossessory affidavit for unpaid rent, late fees, utilities, or other charges, the landlord must give the tenant three business days to pay all past-due amounts or deliver possession. The notice must be posted in a sealed envelope conspicuously on the property's door and delivered by any additional method or methods agreed upon in the rental agreement.
Georgia counties and municipalities may not enact, maintain, or enforce ordinances or resolutions regulating the amount of rent charged for privately owned single-family or multiple-unit residential rental property. The statute preserves regulation of publicly owned property and voluntary agreements concerning rents for publicly owned property.
For at-will or month-to-month tenancies in Georgia, tenants must provide at least 30 days' written notice before vacating, while landlords must give at least 60 days' written notice to terminate, per O.C.G.A. § 44-7-7. For fixed-term leases, the lease expiration date constitutes termination — no additional notice is required unless the lease specifies otherwise. Either party's failure to provide required notice may give rise to liability for an additional month's rent. Written notice is required; oral notice does not satisfy the statute.
For a tenancy at will, the landlord must give 60 days' notice and the tenant must give 30 days' notice. This rule does not govern fixed-term leases in the same way and does not replace a nonpayment demand.
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