Deposit laws by state · Georgia
Georgia security deposit laws.
Georgia requires a written move-in and move-out inspection in addition to the deposit accounting. Landlords owning 10 or more units must escrow deposits or post a surety bond. Wrongful withholding triggers triple damages.
Key rules
What Georgia landlords need to do.
- 1.
30-day deadline to send itemized statement + refund after move-out.
- 2.
Written move-in inspection is required, and tenant must be given a copy and 5 business days to dispute.
- 3.
Move-out inspection must be done within 3 business days of move-out; tenant has the right to be present.
- 4.
Landlords with 10+ units: deposits in escrow or covered by surety bond; smaller landlords exempt from escrow rule.
- 5.
Wrongful withholding (no itemization, padded charges): 3× damages plus attorney fees.
Common pitfalls
Where Georgia landlords lose deposit cases.
Skipping the written move-in inspection — without it, the move-out itemization is much harder to defend.
Doing the move-out inspection without the tenant present (or without offering them the chance) — required.
Treating the 10-unit threshold loosely — escrow rules apply to total units owned, not units per property.
Statute
Official Code of Georgia § 44-7-30 et seq.
Read the statute on the Georgia legislature site →This page is a landlord-oriented summary, not legal advice. Local ordinances may impose stricter rules than state law. Consult a Georgia attorney before acting on a contested deposit dispute.
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Georgia deposit FAQ.
- How long does a landlord have to return the security deposit in Georgia?
- 30 days after move-out, per Official Code of Georgia § 44-7-30 et seq.. The clock typically starts when the tenant gives a forwarding address; check the statute for state-specific triggers.
- What's the maximum security deposit allowed in Georgia?
- No statutory limit. Courts can still strike down unconscionably high deposits, so reasonableness still matters.
- What's the penalty for wrongfully withholding a deposit in Georgia?
- Three times the wrongfully withheld amount plus reasonable attorney fees.
- Does Georgia require an itemized deduction statement?
- Yes. Georgia requires an itemized written statement listing each deduction with its cost. Sending a refund without itemization (when claiming any deductions) commonly triggers the wrongful-withholding penalty.
- Does Georgia require a pre-move-out inspection?
- Georgia does not require a pre-move-out inspection. Offering one anyway is good practice — it reduces dispute risk by giving the tenant a chance to remedy issues.