10 of the 10 rules below carry a statute citation that was read at the official source (most recently October 2026), with the controlling text quoted. The rest are conservative reference values from Aptoria's compliance data and are labeled unverified.
Security deposit size: Two months' rent maximum (effective July 1, 2024, Ga. L. 2024 p. 91, § 4 / HB 404). (O.C.G.A. § 44-7-30.1, confirmed 2026-10). Returning the deposit: Within 30 days after the landlord obtains possession of the premises, return the deposit; where cause exists to retain any portion, provide a written statement identifying the exact reasons. No portion may be retained for ordinary wear and tear. (2018 amendment replaced the former "within one month" language with "within 30 days after obtaining possession.") (O.C.G.A. § 44-7-34, confirmed 2026-07).
How Georgia treats the landlord's core obligations
Late fees: No statewide cap or grace period for residential late fees. Title 44, Chapter 7 (Landlord and Tenant) contains no late-fee section; the fee is governed by the lease, subject to general contract-penalty limits. Since July 1, 2024 unpaid late fees are among the amounts demanded in the three-business-day pay-or-vacate notice (§ 44-7-50(c)). (O.C.G.A. Title 44, Ch. 7, Art. 1 (no late-fee statute), confirmed 2026-10). Application fees: No statewide cap on rental application fees; Title 44, Chapter 7 contains no application-fee section. The 2024 Safe at Home Act capped security deposits (§ 44-7-30.1) but did not regulate application fees. (O.C.G.A. Title 44, Ch. 7 (no application-fee statute), confirmed 2026-10).
Nonpayment notice: Three business days: before filing a dispossessory for nonpayment, the owner must give a written notice to vacate or pay all past-due rent, late fees, utilities and other charges within three business days; the demand/notice must be posted in a sealed envelope conspicuously on the door (and delivered by any additional method agreed in the lease). The Code sets out § 44-7-50 twice (version effective until Jan. 1, 2027 and a version effective Jan. 1, 2027 adding record-sealing provisions); the three-business-day notice appears in both. (O.C.G.A. § 44-7-50(c)–(d), confirmed 2026-10). Rent increases: No Georgia statute sets a notice period for a rent increase. A tenancy at will (including month-to-month) can only be ended by the landlord on 60 days' notice (§ 44-7-7), so a rent change on such a tenancy is in practice imposed by a 60-day notice of new terms; during a fixed term rent can change only as the lease allows. (O.C.G.A. § 44-7-7 (no rent-increase statute), confirmed 2026-10). Ending a month-to-month tenancy: 60 days' notice from the landlord (30 days from the tenant) to terminate a tenancy at will. (O.C.G.A. § 44-7-7, confirmed 2026-10). Entry: No Georgia statute requires advance notice before a landlord enters an occupied rental; Title 44, Chapter 7 contains no right-of-entry section. Entry terms come from the lease and the tenant's common-law right to quiet enjoyment. (O.C.G.A. Title 44, Ch. 7, Art. 1 (no entry-notice statute), confirmed 2026-10).
Georgia has no statewide rent regulation on file, so any cap on increases would come from a local ordinance. Source-of-income protection is not on file statewide, although cities and counties can add it. Card surcharges on rent: allowed within card-network limits. Managing property for others for compensation generally requires a state license: State real estate broker license required for property management for others — confirm with state commission.
Security deposits
What Georgia allows a landlord to collect up front, how it must be held, and the deadline and paperwork for returning it.
Security deposit limit
Source-confirmed 2026-10
Two months' rent maximum (effective July 1, 2024, Ga. L. 2024 p. 91, § 4 / HB 404).
“No landlord shall demand or receive a security deposit in an amount that exceeds the equivalent of two months' rent.”
Excerpt from the cited source as read on the date shown.
Read from the official OCGA public-access search result for 44-7-30.1 (full section text displayed; history: 'Code 1981, § 44-7-30.1, enacted by Ga. L. 2024, p. 91, § 4/HB 404, effective July 1, 2024'). Opening the full document view triggered a CAPTCHA, which was not attempted. law.ga.gov redirects to the Attorney General site, not the Code.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “No statewide cap”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
The maximum a landlord may collect up front as security against unpaid rent or damage, usually expressed as a multiple of one month's rent. Separate pet, key or cleaning deposits often count toward the same limit.
Deposit return deadline
Source-confirmed 2026-07
Within 30 days after the landlord obtains possession of the premises, return the deposit; where cause exists to retain any portion, provide a written statement identifying the exact reasons. No portion may be retained for ordinary wear and tear. (2018 amendment replaced the former "within one month" language with "within 30 days after obtaining possession.")
Prefer the binding text at law.ga.gov (LexisNexis, official) for a public citation; the Justia URL reproduces the official code.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “30 days after move-out”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
The window after the tenant vacates in which the landlord must refund the deposit or deliver an itemized statement of deductions. Missing the deadline is the most common way a landlord forfeits the right to keep any part of the deposit.
Separate pet deposit
Source-confirmed 2026-10
A separate refundable pet deposit may be charged, but it IS a "security deposit" by definition (§ 44-7-30(3) expressly lists pet deposits), so for leases entered or renewed on or after July 1, 2024 the pet deposit plus all other security deposits together may not exceed two months' rent (§ 44-7-30.1), and it is subject to the same escrow, inspection and 30-day return rules. A non-refundable pet FEE is not a security deposit and is not counted toward the cap.
Federal law bars pet deposits for assistance animals (FHA reasonable accommodation). Binding text is at law.ga.gov (LexisNexis, official); the Justia URL reproduces the 2025 code.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “Permitted”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
Whether a refundable pet deposit can be collected on top of the security deposit. Even where it is permitted, the combined amount usually has to stay inside the overall deposit limit.
In practice
• Hold the deposit the way the statute requires (separate or escrow account where applicable) and record the account in the file.
• Document move-in condition with a dated, photographed inventory the tenant can sign; it is the only evidence that supports a later deduction.
• Send the itemized statement and any refund by a trackable method, and keep the receipts or estimates behind every deduction.
Rent, late fees and application fees
The fees a Georgia lease can charge, the statutory ceilings that override the lease, and whether rent increases are regulated statewide.
Late fees
Source-confirmed 2026-10
No statewide cap or grace period for residential late fees. Title 44, Chapter 7 (Landlord and Tenant) contains no late-fee section; the fee is governed by the lease, subject to general contract-penalty limits. Since July 1, 2024 unpaid late fees are among the amounts demanded in the three-business-day pay-or-vacate notice (§ 44-7-50(c)).
Absence confirmed by reading the Article 1 section list (§§ 44-7-1 to 44-7-25). Binding text is at law.ga.gov (LexisNexis, official); the Justia URL reproduces the 2025 code.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “No statewide cap (reasonableness standard)”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
Any statutory ceiling on the fee for late rent and any mandatory grace period before it can be charged. Where there is no statutory cap, courts still strike fees they find punitive rather than a reasonable estimate of the landlord's cost.
Application fee limit
Source-confirmed 2026-10
No statewide cap on rental application fees; Title 44, Chapter 7 contains no application-fee section. The 2024 Safe at Home Act capped security deposits (§ 44-7-30.1) but did not regulate application fees.
Absence confirmed by reading the Article 1 section list and § 44-7-30.1. Binding text is at law.ga.gov (LexisNexis, official); the Justia URL reproduces the 2025 code.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “No statewide cap”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
A cap on what an applicant can be charged to apply, sometimes limited to the actual cost of screening and sometimes prohibited outright. Fee receipts and refund rules usually travel with the cap.
Statewide rent regulation
Source-confirmed 2026-10
(b) Statewide preemption: no county or municipality may enact, maintain or enforce any ordinance regulating in any way the amount of rent for privately owned residential rental property (enacted 1984). No statewide rent cap and no statutory rent-increase notice beyond the 60-day tenancy-at-will termination rule. Repeal bills (SB 106, HB 299, 2025–26) have not passed.
“No county or municipal corporation may enact, maintain, or enforce any ordinance or resolution which would regulate in any way the amount of rent to be charged for privately owned, single-family or multiple-unit residential rental property.”
Excerpt from the cited source as read on the date shown.
Section continues with a carve-out for property owned by a county, municipality or their authorities. History: 'Code 1981, § 44-7-19, enacted by Ga. L. 1984, p. 1079, § 1.' Repeal bills SB 106 / HB 299 (2025–26) and a lost SB 230 floor amendment were read from legis.ga.gov PDFs; none enacted.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “No statewide rent regulation (check local ordinances)”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
Whether a statewide law caps annual rent increases or whether rent control exists for covered units. Local ordinances can add limits even where the state has none.
In practice
• State the late fee, the grace period and the application fee in the lease in dollars or a clear percentage; a fee that is not in the lease is rarely enforceable.
• Never charge above the statutory cap even when the lease says more; the excess is unenforceable and can expose the landlord to penalties.
• Keep fee calculations in the ledger so a tenant, a court or an auditor can reproduce them from the rent roll.
Notices, rent increases and termination
How much written notice Georgia requires before a rent increase, before ending a month-to-month tenancy, and before filing for nonpayment.
Rent-increase notice
Source-confirmed 2026-10
No Georgia statute sets a notice period for a rent increase. A tenancy at will (including month-to-month) can only be ended by the landlord on 60 days' notice (§ 44-7-7), so a rent change on such a tenancy is in practice imposed by a 60-day notice of new terms; during a fixed term rent can change only as the lease allows.
The 60-day figure is the termination-notice rule applied to rent changes, not a rent-increase statute. Binding text is at law.ga.gov (LexisNexis, official); the Justia URL reproduces the 2025 code.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “60 days”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
The written notice a landlord must give before a rent increase takes effect on a periodic (month-to-month) tenancy. Fixed-term leases generally cannot be changed mid-term.
Month-to-month termination notice
Source-confirmed 2026-10
60 days' notice from the landlord (30 days from the tenant) to terminate a tenancy at will.
“Sixty days' notice from the landlord or 30 days' notice from the tenant is necessary to terminate a tenancy at will.”
Excerpt from the cited source as read on the date shown.
Full section text displayed in the official search result; § 44-7-6 construes a tenancy with no specified termination time as a tenancy at will.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “30 days”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
The notice a landlord must give to end a periodic tenancy without cause. Some jurisdictions require longer notice for long-term tenants or require a stated cause.
Pay-or-quit notice
Source-confirmed 2026-10
Three business days: before filing a dispossessory for nonpayment, the owner must give a written notice to vacate or pay all past-due rent, late fees, utilities and other charges within three business days; the demand/notice must be posted in a sealed envelope conspicuously on the door (and delivered by any additional method agreed in the lease). The Code sets out § 44-7-50 twice (version effective until Jan. 1, 2027 and a version effective Jan. 1, 2027 adding record-sealing provisions); the three-business-day notice appears in both.
“possession when so demanded after being provided with a notice to vacate or pay all past due rent, late fees, utilities, and other charges owed to the landlord within three business days, the owner or the”
Excerpt from the cited source as read on the date shown.
Also from the same page: 'the three-day notice to vacate or pay under subsection (c) of this Code section shall be posted in a sealed envelope conspicuously on the door of the property and'. Quotes are hit-context excerpts from the official search results (full-document view blocked by CAPTCHA). The July 1, 2024 lease-applicability limit reported in wave 1 (DCA handbook / HB 404) was not visible in these excerpts.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “No statewide minimum”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
The notice a tenant must receive for nonpayment before the landlord can file for possession, and the time the tenant has to pay in full and cure. This is the step most often done wrong in an eviction.
In practice
• Serve notices in the form and by the method the statute names, and keep proof of service with the dated notice.
• Count notice periods the way the statute counts them (calendar days, business days, or "before the next rent due date") and build in a margin.
• Treat a notice to a possibly rent-regulated or subsidized unit as a legal check, because longer periods and extra content requirements usually apply.
Landlord entry
When a Georgia landlord may enter an occupied unit and how much notice the tenant must receive.
Non-emergency entry notice
Source-confirmed 2026-10
No Georgia statute requires advance notice before a landlord enters an occupied rental; Title 44, Chapter 7 contains no right-of-entry section. Entry terms come from the lease and the tenant's common-law right to quiet enjoyment.
Absence confirmed by reading the Article 1 section list. Binding text is at law.ga.gov (LexisNexis, official); the Justia URL reproduces the 2025 code.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “Reasonable notice”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
The advance notice required before a landlord enters an occupied unit for repairs, inspections or showings. Emergencies are the usual exception.
In practice
• Give written notice with the date, a reasonable time window and the purpose, and log the entry afterwards.
• Emergencies are the only common exception; document what made the entry urgent.
• A pattern of unannounced entries is a common basis for tenant complaints and counterclaims.
Payments, fair housing and licensing
Operational rules that sit outside the landlord-tenant act but decide how rent can be collected, who can be screened out, and who may manage for others.
Card surcharges on rent
Allowed within card-network limits
Returned-payment (NSF) fee
No statewide statutory cap on file
Source-of-income protection
No statewide protection on file
Local ordinances can extend protection beyond the statewide rule.
Property-management licensing
License generally required to manage for others
State real estate broker license required for property management for others — confirm with state commission.
Compliance posture values are reference data compiled from public statutes and are not source-confirmed line by line. Confirm with the state agency before relying on them.
Georgia next to its neighbors
Own units on both sides of a state line? These are the reference values for every bordering jurisdiction. Open a state to see which values carry a citation.
Federal and state disclosures Aptoria's lease workflow surfaces for Georgia. This is a working checklist from public sources, not a complete legal inventory for a specific property.
• Lead-based paint hazards (pre-1978 housing) — EPA Pamphlet "Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home"
• Flood disclosure (HB 31)
• Move-in condition statement
Official sources
Primary sources a Georgia landlord should bookmark. Each link was fetched and read during the October 2026 review; the binding text is always the current official version.
How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Georgia?
Two months' rent maximum (effective July 1, 2024, Ga. L. 2024 p. 91, § 4 / HB 404). (O.C.G.A. § 44-7-30.1, confirmed 2026-10).
How long does a Georgia landlord have to return the security deposit?
Within 30 days after the landlord obtains possession of the premises, return the deposit; where cause exists to retain any portion, provide a written statement identifying the exact reasons. No portion may be retained for ordinary wear and tear. (2018 amendment replaced the former "within one month" language with "within 30 days after obtaining possession.") (O.C.G.A. § 44-7-34, confirmed 2026-07).
What is the maximum late fee in Georgia?
No statewide cap or grace period for residential late fees. Title 44, Chapter 7 (Landlord and Tenant) contains no late-fee section; the fee is governed by the lease, subject to general contract-penalty limits. Since July 1, 2024 unpaid late fees are among the amounts demanded in the three-business-day pay-or-vacate notice (§ 44-7-50(c)). (O.C.G.A. Title 44, Ch. 7, Art. 1 (no late-fee statute), confirmed 2026-10).
How many days does a Georgia pay-or-quit notice give the tenant?
Three business days: before filing a dispossessory for nonpayment, the owner must give a written notice to vacate or pay all past-due rent, late fees, utilities and other charges within three business days; the demand/notice must be posted in a sealed envelope conspicuously on the door (and delivered by any additional method agreed in the lease). The Code sets out § 44-7-50 twice (version effective until Jan. 1, 2027 and a version effective Jan. 1, 2027 adding record-sealing provisions); the three-business-day notice appears in both. (O.C.G.A. § 44-7-50(c)–(d), confirmed 2026-10).
How much notice must a Georgia landlord give before entering?
No Georgia statute requires advance notice before a landlord enters an occupied rental; Title 44, Chapter 7 contains no right-of-entry section. Entry terms come from the lease and the tenant's common-law right to quiet enjoyment. (O.C.G.A. Title 44, Ch. 7, Art. 1 (no entry-notice statute), confirmed 2026-10).
How much notice is required to raise rent in Georgia?
No Georgia statute sets a notice period for a rent increase. A tenancy at will (including month-to-month) can only be ended by the landlord on 60 days' notice (§ 44-7-7), so a rent change on such a tenancy is in practice imposed by a 60-day notice of new terms; during a fixed term rent can change only as the lease allows. (O.C.G.A. § 44-7-7 (no rent-increase statute), confirmed 2026-10).
How much notice is required to end a month-to-month tenancy in Georgia?
60 days' notice from the landlord (30 days from the tenant) to terminate a tenancy at will. (O.C.G.A. § 44-7-7, confirmed 2026-10).
Does Georgia have statewide rent control?
No statewide rent regulation is on file for Georgia. Local ordinances can still limit increases, so check the city or county where the unit sits before setting a renewal rent.
Is source of income a protected class in Georgia?
No statewide source-of-income protection is on file for Georgia, but cities and counties can adopt it. Check local law before refusing a voucher or benefit income, and apply any screening criteria consistently.
Can a Georgia landlord add a surcharge for paying rent by card?
Allowed within card-network limits. Where a surcharge is allowed, it must still follow card-network rules and be disclosed before payment.
How this page was verified
Every rule is shown in one of two states. “Source-confirmed” means an editor opened the official statute page named next to the rule on the date shown, read the controlling text, and recorded the excerpt you see; the excerpt is quoted verbatim so you can check it. “Reference value” means Aptoria's compliance engine applies a conservative number for this rule, but nobody has yet tied it to a specific statute section on this page, so it must be checked before you rely on it.
This page meets Aptoria's evidence floor for publication (10 source-confirmed rules and 4 fetched official sources). Statutes change; local ordinances can be stricter; the facts of a tenancy change the result.