Georgia has long been seen as a landlord-friendly state, and it still bars cities from adopting rent control. The Safe at Home Act, which took effect in 2024, added duties that every rental owner in metro Atlanta should build into the plan.
The Safe at Home Act
- Fit for living. Every lease now carries a duty that the home is fit for human habitation, and the landlord must keep it in repair. Budget for the systems, roof and pest control that keep a rental habitable.
- Deposit cap. A security deposit can be no more than two months’ rent.
- Notice before filing. Before filing an eviction for nonpayment, the landlord must give the tenant written notice and at least three business days to pay.
- No retaliation. A landlord cannot retaliate against a tenant for asking for repairs or exercising legal rights.
Security deposits
Give the tenant a list of existing damage at move-in and let them inspect and sign it. After the lease ends, the deposit, less any lawful deductions with a written list, must be returned within the time the law sets, generally 30 days.
Evictions
Georgia evictions run through a dispossessory proceeding in the county magistrate court. After the landlord files and the tenant is served, the tenant has a short window to answer, and the case moves quickly if there is no defense. Timelines vary by county, so build a vacancy and turnover cushion into the numbers.
No rent control
Georgia law bars counties and cities from regulating the amount of rent on private residential property, so rents follow the market across metro Atlanta.
How it affects a loan
We size a DSCR rental loan on market rent, and a well-maintained property with a written lease and a proper move-in list is the easiest to keep rented and to refinance.
Common questions
No. Georgia law bars cities and counties from regulating rents on private residential property.
No more than two months’ rent under the Safe at Home Act.
Written notice giving the tenant at least three business days to pay.