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Landlord's Desk

State law guide · Checked November 14, 2026

Georgia landlord rules: late fees, deposits and rent increases

Georgia capped security deposits in 2024 and has detailed rules for holding and returning them. It sets no late fee limit and no rent cap. Here is what the Official Code of Georgia says, with the section for each rule.

All states

The short version

  • The statute sets no late fee cap and no required grace period. Your lease sets both.
  • Deposits are capped at two months' rent, for leases signed or renewed on or after July 1, 2024.
  • Return the deposit within 30 days after you get possession back.
  • To keep any of it, you need the move-in and move-out damage lists and a written statement of the exact reasons.
  • No statute sets a notice period for raising rent, and cities and counties can't regulate rent.

Late fees in Georgia

Limit
None in the statute. O.C.G.A. tit. 44, ch. 7
Grace period
None in the statute. O.C.G.A. tit. 44, ch. 7
Other conditions
None specific to late fees. Your lease sets the fee. O.C.G.A. tit. 44, ch. 7

Security deposits in Georgia

Maximum deposit
Two months' rent. This applies to leases entered into or renewed on or after July 1, 2024. O.C.G.A. § 44-7-30.1
Return deadline
30 days after the landlord obtains possession of the premises. O.C.G.A. § 44-7-34(a)
Itemized deductions
Required. Give the tenant a list of existing damage before taking the deposit. Within three business days after the lease ends and the tenant moves out, inspect and compile a list of any damage. If you keep any of the deposit, give the tenant a written statement of the exact reasons, with the balance, within the 30 days. O.C.G.A. §§ 44-7-33, 44-7-34
Interest
The statute doesn't require it. O.C.G.A. tit. 44, ch. 7, art. 2
How it's held
In an escrow account used for deposits, or covered by a surety bond. The escrow account goes in a bank or lending institution regulated by Georgia or a federal agency, and tenants are told in writing where it is. The bond alternative is the total of the deposits held or $50,000, whichever is less. This rule doesn't apply to a natural person who, with a spouse and minor children, owns ten or fewer rental units, unless someone else manages the units for a fee. O.C.G.A. §§ 44-7-31, 44-7-32, 44-7-36
Penalty
Three times the amount wrongly kept, plus reasonable attorney's fees. A landlord who shows the mistake was a bona fide error owes the amount wrongly kept. Owners exempt under § 44-7-36 (ten or fewer units, self-managed) are exempt from this section too. O.C.G.A. §§ 44-7-35, 44-7-36

Rent increases in Georgia

Notice to raise rent
No statute sets a notice period for a rent increase. The closest rule covers ending a tenancy at will: 60 days' notice from the landlord, or 30 days from the tenant. Check your lease for its own notice term. O.C.G.A. § 44-7-7
Statewide cap
None in the statute. O.C.G.A. tit. 44, ch. 7
City rent control
Not allowed. No county or city may regulate the amount of rent charged for privately owned residential rental property. O.C.G.A. § 44-7-19

This page covers Georgia state law for ordinary residential rentals. Cities and counties can add their own rules, and subsidized housing and mobile home lots follow different ones. Georgia's official code site doesn't link to single sections, so each link above opens the code's front page. Search the section number there.

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Questions landlords ask

What is the maximum security deposit in Georgia?

Two months' rent, for leases entered into or renewed on or after July 1, 2024 (O.C.G.A. § 44-7-30.1).

How long does a Georgia landlord have to return a security deposit?

30 days after the landlord obtains possession of the premises. To keep any of it, the landlord gives a written statement of the exact reasons within that time (O.C.G.A. § 44-7-34).

Is there a late fee limit for rent in Georgia?

Not in Georgia's landlord and tenant chapter (O.C.G.A. title 44, chapter 7). The lease sets the late fee and any grace period.

Free templates you can use in Georgia

These are plain templates that aren’t tied to one state. Fill in the numbers your statute and lease call for.

Keep Georgia rent and deposits on one ledger

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This guide is general information, not legal advice. It summarizes state statutes as read on November 14, 2026; laws change and courts interpret them. Check the current statute (Official Code of Georgia, title 44, chapter 7) or talk to a local attorney before you act.