{
    "dataset": "Homzora Georgia Residential Security Deposit Statute Reference 2026",
    "jurisdiction": "State of Georgia",
    "scope": "Residential tenancies. Sections 44-7-30 through 44-7-37 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated govern security deposits. This reference covers the six provisions that most affect what a renter pays and recovers.",
    "basis": "Compiled from published statutory text. This is a primary source reference rather than a compilation of third party estimates.",
    "sources": [
        "Official Code of Georgia Annotated, Title 44, Chapter 7, Article 2",
        "Ga. L. 2024, p. 91, s. 4 (House Bill 404, the Safe at Home Act)"
    ],
    "verified": "2026-09-08",
    "note": "Statutes change and their application depends on facts specific to a tenancy. This reference is not legal advice and does not evaluate any particular lease. Verify against current statutory text and consult a Georgia attorney or a housing assistance organization before acting. Some published summaries still describe the pre-2024 position in which Georgia had no statutory deposit cap; that changed on 1 July 2024.",
    "license": "CC BY 4.0. Statutory text is a public record; the Homzora compilation and notes are licensed under CC BY 4.0.",
    "methodology": "https://homzorarealty.com/atlanta/atlanta-methodology/",
    "rows": [
        {
            "section": "O.C.G.A. 44-7-30.1",
            "subject": "Security deposit cap",
            "provision": "No landlord shall demand or receive a security deposit exceeding the equivalent of two months rent.",
            "key_figure": "two months rent",
            "notes": "Applies to lease agreements entered into or renewed on or after 1 July 2024. Created by House Bill 404, the Safe at Home Act, Ga. L. 2024, p. 91, s. 4. Refundable deposits are counted together toward the cap. Non-refundable fees are a separate category and are not counted toward it."
        },
        {
            "section": "O.C.G.A. 44-7-31",
            "subject": "Escrow requirement",
            "provision": "A security deposit must be held in an escrow account at a state or federally regulated depository, used for no other purpose, with written notice to the tenant of the account location. A surety bond is an alternative.",
            "key_figure": "separate escrow account or surety bond",
            "notes": "Subject to the exemption in 44-7-36."
        },
        {
            "section": "O.C.G.A. 44-7-33",
            "subject": "Move-in inspection list",
            "provision": "Before accepting a security deposit the landlord must give the tenant a written list of existing damage. A landlord who fails to do so forfeits the right to retain any portion of the deposit.",
            "key_figure": "written list before deposit accepted",
            "notes": "The forfeiture consequence is unusually severe and makes the walkthrough list the decisive document in most deposit disputes. Subject to the exemption in 44-7-36."
        },
        {
            "section": "O.C.G.A. 44-7-34",
            "subject": "Return deadline",
            "provision": "Within thirty days of the end of the tenancy the landlord must return the deposit, or return the balance together with a written statement itemising each deduction.",
            "key_figure": "thirty days",
            "notes": "Runs from the end of the tenancy rather than from the tenant giving notice."
        },
        {
            "section": "O.C.G.A. 44-7-35",
            "subject": "Bad faith remedy",
            "provision": "A landlord who withholds a deposit in bad faith may be liable for treble the amount wrongfully withheld.",
            "key_figure": "treble damages",
            "notes": "A statutory remedy, not a discretionary award."
        },
        {
            "section": "O.C.G.A. 44-7-36",
            "subject": "Exemption",
            "provision": "The escrow and inspection requirements do not apply to a landlord who is a natural person owning ten or fewer rental units and who does not use a management company.",
            "key_figure": "ten or fewer units, self managed",
            "notes": "The deposit cap and the thirty day return deadline are not part of this exemption. Establish early whether your landlord is an individual owner or a management company, because it changes which requirements apply."
        }
    ]
}