Georgia Residential Lease Agreement
What Georgia law requires in a residential lease — the deposit cap, the return deadline, the notice to end a month-to-month tenancy, and the disclosures you have to give the tenant. Every figure is cited to the statute it comes from and dated. The free Georgia lease template is one click away.
Maintained by Rapi Stack · Every state-specific figure on this page is cited to its statute or official agency page · Dataset last verified 2026 · Not legal advice.
Other Georgia rules your lease has to live with
Beyond the deposit, Georgia law sets rules on entry, late fees, and repairs that apply whether or not the lease mentions them.
- Rent increases. 60 days' notice from landlord to raise rent on a tenancy-at-will (O.C.G.A. § 44-7-7: 60 days landlord / 30 days tenant to terminate or change terms) — O.C.G.A. § 44-7-7 (2024) + Georgia Landlord-Tenant Handbook rev. 8-29-24, p.13 ↗
- Repair and deduct. No statutory cap. DCA handbook recognizes repair-and-deduct: written notice to landlord first, repair by licensed professional at reasonable cost, subtract from next rent; not for common areas. — Georgia Landlord-Tenant Handbook rev. 8-29-24, p.11 'Repair-and-deduct' ↗
- Habitability. Georgia law implies a warranty of habitability into every residential lease; a clause waiving it is unenforceable. — O.C.G.A. § 44-7-13 (2024) ↗
Each point links to the Georgia source it was taken from. Rules change; confirm before relying on them.
What Georgia law requires · as of 2026
- Max security deposit
- No statutory limit
- Deposit return deadline
- 30 days after move-out
- Notice to end month-to-month
- 30 days
Source: Ga. Code §44-7-34 · verify ↗. Laws change — confirm the current rule before you rely on it.
Deposit still not back 30 days after move-out? Ask for it in writing with a Georgia security deposit demand letter; if that doesn’t work, the usual next step is Georgia small claims court.
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Required disclosures in Georgia
What Georgia law says a residential landlord has to tell the tenant, each with the statute it comes from. Federal rules and some city ordinances can add more.
Owner and manager identification
At or before tenancy begins, landlord must disclose in writing names and addresses of the owner of record (or agent for service of process) and the person authorized to manage the premises; changes within 30 days.
Flooding history disclosure
Before signing a residential lease, owner must notify prospective tenant in writing if flooding damaged the living space at least three times in the preceding five years.
Source: O.C.G.A. § 44-7-20 (2023)
Frequently asked questions
How much security deposit can a landlord charge in Georgia?
Georgia does not set a statutory cap on the security deposit, so the amount is negotiable — but it must be returned within 30 days after you move out (as of 2026). Source: Ga. Code §44-7-34.
Is this lease valid in Georgia?
A written lease that identifies the parties, the property, the term, and the rent is generally enforceable in Georgia once both sides sign. What it cannot do is contract around Georgia law: the deposit rules, entry notice, and habitability duties below apply whether or not the lease mentions them.
Can a tenant repair and deduct rent in Georgia?
No statutory cap. DCA handbook recognizes repair-and-deduct: written notice to landlord first, repair by licensed professional at reasonable cost, subtract from next rent; not for common areas. Source: Georgia Landlord-Tenant Handbook rev. 8-29-24, p.11 'Repair-and-deduct'.
What does a landlord have to disclose in Georgia?
Under Georgia law: Owner and manager identification (O.C.G.A. § 44-7-3 (Ga. L. 1976 p.1372; 1982 p.3)); Flooding history disclosure (O.C.G.A. § 44-7-20 (2023)). Federal and local rules can add more; each item on this page links to the law it comes from.
How does Georgia compare? See the security deposit limits in all 50 states, every figure cited to statute.
How Georgia compares
Computed from our 51-jurisdiction dataset (as of 2026). Source for Georgia: Ga. Code §44-7-34 ↗.
- Georgia is one of 22 of 51 jurisdictions that set no statutory cap on the security deposit (29 cap the deposit by statute).
- Deposit return deadline
Deposit return deadline: 30 days, exactly the national median.
This is the most common figure nationally — shared by 26 other states.
Deposit return deadline in neighboring states — Alabama (60 days), Florida (30 days), North Carolina (30 days), South Carolina (30 days), Tennessee (30 days).
- Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy
Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy: 30 days, exactly the national median.
This is the most common figure nationally — shared by 39 other states.
Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy in neighboring states — Alabama (30 days), Florida (30 days), North Carolina (7 days), South Carolina (30 days), Tennessee (30 days).
The rest of what Georgia requires
The figures below are Georgia's, not national averages — each one is the value we verified for this state, with the statute it comes from. Follow a row to the full Georgia page for that document.
- Notice for unpaid rent · as of 2026
- 3 days to pay or quit O.C.G.A. § 44-7-50 (HB 404, eff. 7/1/2024); § 44-7-7 ↗
- Small claims limit · as of 2026
- $15,000 O.C.G.A. §15-10-2(5) ↗
- Where you file · as of 2026
- Magistrate Court (Georgia's small claims court - there is no separately named small claims division) · filing fee Varies by county, roughly $50-$110 all-in (e.g. DeKalb County: $104 filing + $35 service per defendant); fees are set under O.C.G.A. §15-10-80 O.C.G.A. §15-10-2(5) ↗
- Rental application fee · as of July 2026
- No statutory limit Georgia Code ↗
- Bill of sale notarization · as of 2026
- Not required Georgia DOR (Form T-7) / DMV.ORG ↗
- Power of attorney signing · as of 2026
- Notarization required · 1 witness Ga. Code §10-6B-5 (form §10-6B-70) ↗
- LLC operating agreement · as of 2026
- Not required by statute, but it controls over the default rules O.C.G.A. § 14-11-101(18) ↗
- Recording a deed · as of 2026
- Clerk of Superior Court (county) · 1 witness O.C.G.A. § 44-5-30 ↗
Lease agreement in other states
More Georgia legal forms
Different state? See lease agreements by state →