Georgia Tenant Rights Help — Get Your Action Plan in 60 Seconds

Landlord kept your deposit? Entered without notice? Threatening eviction? Describe what happened in your own words and get a plain-English breakdown, severity rating, step-by-step next steps, and ready-to-send letters — specific to Georgia law.

Georgia tenant law, at a glance

• Security deposit: must be returned within 30 days of move-out, with an itemized statement for deductions.
• Landlord entry: No state law sets a minimum notice period — check your lease, which may require one.
• Eviction: requires a court process. Self-help eviction is illegal.

Under O.C.G.A. §§ 44-7-33 to -34, the deposit must be returned with an itemized statement within 30 days of regaining possession; as of July 1, 2024, deposits are capped at two months' rent (§ 44-7-30.1). Georgia has no statutory entry-notice requirement — the DCA Landlord-Tenant Handbook recommends 24 hours, but that is guidance, not law. There is no statutory rent grace period, and a landlord can file a dispossessory immediately upon nonpayment, though the tenant gets 7 days to cure and avoid eviction (§§ 44-7-50, -52). Self-help eviction is illegal: lockouts are prohibited, and landlord utility shutoffs are punishable by a fine up to $500 (§ 44-7-14.1).

Free legal help in Georgia

• Georgia Legal Services Program — 1-800-498-9469 — Statewide nonprofit serving low-income Georgians.
• Atlanta Legal Aid Society — Free civil legal services for people unable to afford counsel.
• Housing Justice League — Atlanta tenant-led org: eviction defense, tenant associations, housing-justice campaigns.
• GeorgiaLegalAid.org — Renter legal information and resources directory.
• Call or text 211 for free local referrals.

Common questions