HB374: HB374 Local government; residential rental property; establish housing management databases

Currently, Georgia law bars local governments from requiring registration of residential rental property. This bill changes that by letting a local governing body pass an ordinance or resolution creating a 'housing management database' for residential rental properties, but only for owners who own or control at least ten contiguous rental units in that jurisdiction. Registrants could only be asked for basic contact information, the property's address and tax parcel number, and recording details from the deed. No registration fees could be charged, though penalties of up to $500, $750, and $1,000 for repeated violations within a 12-month period are allowed. Owners and property managers would also have to disclose if the property is owned by a foreign adversary designated by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce. The bill exempts active-duty military deployed more than 30 days, people with serious medical conditions, hospice patients, estate representatives within 18 months of an owner's death, and disaster-hardship owners. Short-term rentals are excluded entirely.

• Authorizes local governing bodies to create housing management databases for residential rental properties, reversing the current ban on requiring rental property registration.
• Limits the database requirement to owners who control at least ten contiguous rental units within the local government's jurisdiction.
• Restricts what information a local government can require for registration to owner or manager contact details, the property address and tax parcel number, and deed recording information.
• Bans registration fees but allows penalties up to $500 for a first violation, $750 for a second, and $1,000 for a third or later violation within 12 months.
• Requires disclosure of any ownership stake held by a foreign adversary as designated by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, and makes that information public.
• Creates exemptions for deployed military members, people with serious medical conditions, hospice patients, estates within 18 months of an owner's death, and disaster-related financial hardship, and excludes short-term rentals entirely.

Owners and property managers of larger residential rental properties (ten or more contiguous units), county and municipal governments that choose to set up databases, code enforcement officers, and tenants whose rental units fall under the new registration system. Short-term rental owners and smaller landlords are not affected.

Local governments would gain a new tool to track ownership and management of larger rental properties and to flag foreign ownership, while landlords covered by the law would face new paperwork duties and potential fines for failing to register or update information, though fees themselves are prohibited.

• Section 1 revises definitions in O.C.G.A. § 36-74-21, adding terms like 'property manager,' 'residential rental property,' and 'short-term rental property' to clarify who the new rules apply to.
• Section 2 updates notice requirements under O.C.G.A. § 36-74-29 so notices can go to a property manager, not just the alleged violator.
• Section 3 amends O.C.G.A. § 36-74-30 to remove the outright ban on registration for qualifying large rental properties and lay out the database system, including the ten-unit threshold, allowed information, fee ban, and tiered penalties up to $1,000.
• Section 3 also adds a foreign adversary ownership disclosure requirement tied to U.S. Commerce Department designations, with the same penalties for noncompliance.
• Section 3 lists exemptions for military deployment, serious medical conditions, hospice care, estate transitions after death, and disaster-related hardship, and exempts short-term rentals from the entire database requirement.

1. 2025-04-04House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)
2. 2025-02-27House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
3. 2025-02-12House Second Readers (House)
4. 2025-02-11House First Readers (House)
5. 2025-02-10House Hopper (House)

• Martin Momtahan (R, HD-017)Primary sponsor
• Joseph Gullett (R, HD-019)
• Ginny Ehrhart (R, HD-036)
• Phil Olaleye (D, HD-059)

• rental housing
• landlord regulations
• local government ordinances
• foreign ownership disclosure
• housing databases