Security deposit law in Georgia

Two months' rent. The return rule is 30 days. The controlling text is Ga. Code § 44-7-30 to 37.

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Georgia's deposit ceiling

Two months' rent.

A 2024 law caps a residential deposit at two months' rent for leases entered on or after July 1, 2024; Georgia previously set no ceiling.

Georgia's return deadline

30 days.

You have 30 days after the tenancy ends and the tenant vacates to return the deposit or deliver an itemized statement of deductions. A move-in and a move-out inspection list are the backbone of any deduction you make.

The itemized statement rule

A written list of the specific damages, prepared after a move-out inspection, is required, and the tenant has the right to inspect the unit and dispute the list. A move-in list at the start of the tenancy is what makes the move-out list defensible.

Where the deposit must be held

Deposits must be held in an escrow account used only for that purpose, or secured by a surety bond, with the location disclosed to the tenant.

Exposure for wrongful withholding

Up to 3x plus attorney fees.

A landlord who withholds in bad faith can be liable for up to three times the amount wrongfully withheld plus attorney fees, and failing to provide the inspection lists can bar you from keeping anything. The inspection paperwork is both the shield and, if skipped, the exposure.

Compare Georgia with neighboring states

• Florida: no statutory limit; return rule: 15 or 30 days.
• Alabama: one month's rent; return rule: 35 days.
• Tennessee: no statutory limit; return rule: no fixed statutory deadline.
• North Carolina: two months' rent; return rule: 30 days.
• South Carolina: no statutory limit; return rule: 30 days.