Georgia · Evictions · Updated Oct 2026

Georgia eviction rules for tenants

The notices a landlord in Georgia must give, how long you have to respond in court, why a lockout is illegal and where to get free legal help fast.

Short answer

For leases signed or renewed on or after July 1, 2024 (Safe at Home Act): before filing for unpaid rent, the landlord must give you a written notice to pay all past-due rent, late fees, utilities and other charges or move out within 3 business days.

Notice for unpaid rent
3 business days
Time to respond in court
7 days after you are served with the dispossessory affidavit (if the 7th day is a weekend or holiday, the next business day).
Lockouts
Banned

If you get an eviction notice

  1. Read it closely: the kind of notice, the amount, the dates and how it was delivered. Use the timeline below.
  2. Don't move out or stop paying because of a notice alone. Only a court can order an eviction; the notice is the first step.
  3. Get free legal help now. Legal aid and the court's self-help center can check whether the notice is valid.
  4. If you are served with court papers, respond by the deadline and go to every hearing. Missing one can mean losing by default.
  5. Keep copies of the notice, your lease, rent receipts, texts and photos.

Eviction in Georgia

Notice for unpaid rent
For leases signed or renewed on or after July 1, 2024 (Safe at Home Act): before filing for unpaid rent, the landlord must give you a written notice to pay all past-due rent, late fees, utilities and other charges or move out within 3 business days. The notice must be posted on your door in a sealed envelope and also delivered by any other method your lease names. After you are served with the eviction, you may still stop a nonpayment case once in any 12 months by paying all rent, fees and court costs within 7 days ('tender' defense). O.C.G.A. §§ 44-7-50(c), (d), 44-7-52.
Notice for a lease violation
No statutory cure period. The landlord must demand possession (orally or in writing) before filing; follow any notice terms in your lease.
Ending a month-to-month tenancy
Tenancy-at-will (including month-to-month without a lease): the landlord must give 60 days' notice to end it or change the rent; the tenant must give 30 days' notice. O.C.G.A. § 44-7-7.
Time to respond to an eviction lawsuit
7 days after you are served with the dispossessory affidavit (if the 7th day is a weekend or holiday, the next business day). Answer orally or in writing and include all defenses and counterclaims. If the case is not decided within 2 weeks of service, you must pay rent into court. O.C.G.A. §§ 44-7-51, 44-7-54. Since July 1, 2025 (HB 270, the 'Eviction Service Act'), the eviction papers may also be served by an approved private process server, not only a sheriff or constable; if no one is home, they can be posted on your door and mailed the same day.
Lockouts and utility shutoffs
Yes. The landlord must go through the court dispossessory process; changing the locks or putting you out without a court order is illegal, and during an eviction case it is illegal for the landlord to knowingly and willfully cut off heat, cooling, light or water before the judge decides. (Georgia Landlord-Tenant Handbook; O.C.G.A. § 44-7-14.1.)
Court self-help
The court's eviction self-help page
Law
O.C.G.A. §§ 44-7-7, 44-7-14.1, 44-7-50 to 44-7-55

Eviction notice timeline for Georgia

Got a notice from your landlord? Enter the kind of notice and the day you got it to see the dates that follow from your state's rule, what your landlord may not do, and where to get free help fast.

This is not legal advice. Eviction deadlines are short and missing one can cost you your home. Read your notice carefully and contact legal aid or your court's self-help center right away.

Enter the date you got the noticeThe timeline appears when you pick a date.

Dates are estimates from the rule in our data. We skip weekends only where the rule counts business or court days, and we don't skip holidays.

Where to get free help in Georgia

Retaliation in Georgia

The landlord may not retaliate because you asked for repairs, organized or joined a tenant group about health or safety, filed a good-faith code complaint with a government agency, or tried to enforce your rights under the lease or law. If within 3 months the landlord files an eviction, cuts off access, reduces services, raises rent, ends the lease, or materially interferes with your rights, retaliation is presumed unless the landlord shows a lawful reason. Remedy: one month's rent plus $500, court costs and possibly attorney fees, minus any amount you owe. Evictions for unpaid rent, serious misconduct or holding over are allowed. O.C.G.A. § 44-7-24.

Rent increases and rent control in Georgia

Notice of a rent increase
Tenancy-at-will: 60 days' notice of a rent increase. During a lease, rent can be raised only if the lease allows it. (Georgia Landlord-Tenant Handbook.)
Rent control
No statewide rent control or rent cap.

Questions about eviction in Georgia

How much notice does a landlord have to give for unpaid rent in Georgia?

For leases signed or renewed on or after July 1, 2024 (Safe at Home Act): before filing for unpaid rent, the landlord must give you a written notice to pay all past-due rent, late fees, utilities and other charges or move out within 3 business days. The notice must be posted on your door in a sealed envelope and also delivered by any other method your lease names. After you are served with the eviction, you may still stop a nonpayment case once in any 12 months by paying all rent, fees and court costs within 7 days ('tender' defense). O.C.G.A. §§ 44-7-50(c), (d), 44-7-52.

How much notice for a lease violation in Georgia?

No statutory cure period. The landlord must demand possession (orally or in writing) before filing; follow any notice terms in your lease.

How much notice is needed to end a month-to-month lease in Georgia?

Tenancy-at-will (including month-to-month without a lease): the landlord must give 60 days' notice to end it or change the rent; the tenant must give 30 days' notice. O.C.G.A. § 44-7-7.

How long do I have to respond to an eviction lawsuit in Georgia?

7 days after you are served with the dispossessory affidavit (if the 7th day is a weekend or holiday, the next business day). Answer orally or in writing and include all defenses and counterclaims. If the case is not decided within 2 weeks of service, you must pay rent into court. O.C.G.A. §§ 44-7-51, 44-7-54. Since July 1, 2025 (HB 270, the 'Eviction Service Act'), the eviction papers may also be served by an approved private process server, not only a sheriff or constable; if no one is home, they can be posted on your door and mailed the same day.

Can my landlord lock me out or shut off utilities in Georgia?

Yes. The landlord must go through the court dispossessory process; changing the locks or putting you out without a court order is illegal, and during an eviction case it is illegal for the landlord to knowingly and willfully cut off heat, cooling, light or water before the judge decides. (Georgia Landlord-Tenant Handbook; O.C.G.A. § 44-7-14.1.)

More for Georgia renters

Eviction in nearby states

Sources

Last checked: Oct 2026.