Georgia CommonsHB779: HB779 Property; require landlords and managers of apartment buildings or complexes to provide local police and fire departments certain information
Last action March 21, 2025 · House Second Readers
House Bill 779 would require landlords and managers of Georgia apartment buildings to give local police and fire departments after-hours contact numbers, with fines for landlords who don't comply or don't respond quickly.
In plain language
Georgia law currently does not require apartment landlords or managers to share after-hours contact information with local police and fire departments. House Bill 779 would add a new section to the landlord-tenant law (O.C.G.A. § 44-7-14.2) requiring landlords or managers of apartment buildings or complexes to keep local police and fire departments updated with current after-hours maintenance and management phone numbers. Landlords who fail to provide this information would face a $2,000 fine per violation, with an additional fine every five days the violation continues. If police or fire departments contact a landlord or manager and get no response within one hour, the landlord or manager would be fined $5,000. All fines collected under this section would go to the Clayton County Public Schools Homeless Education Department. The law would take effect July 1, 2025, and apply to violations occurring on or after that date.
What the bill does
- Requires landlords or managers of apartment buildings or complexes to give local police and fire departments current after-hours maintenance and management phone numbers.
- Sets a $2,000 fine per violation for landlords or managers who fail to provide this contact information.
- Adds a recurring fine every five days a landlord or manager remains in violation of the requirement.
- Requires landlords or managers to respond to a police or fire department communication within one hour or face a $5,000 fine.
- Directs all fines collected under this new law to be paid to the Clayton County Public Schools Homeless Education Department.
Who it affects
Landlords and property managers of apartment buildings and complexes across Georgia, along with local police and fire departments who would receive the contact information, and indirectly Clayton County Public Schools, which would receive any fines collected.
Why it matters
If passed, apartment landlords and managers would face new legal duties and financial penalties for failing to keep emergency responders able to reach maintenance or management staff quickly, which could affect how fast building issues or emergencies get addressed after hours.
Key provisions
- Section 1 adds new Code section 44-7-14.2 requiring landlords or managers to give local police and fire departments current after-hours maintenance and management phone numbers.
- Subsection (b) sets a $2,000 fine per violation for failing to provide the required contact information.
- Subsection (c) adds a fine for every five days a landlord or manager continues to be in violation.
- Subsection (d) requires landlords or managers to respond to police or fire department communications within one hour or pay a $5,000 fine.
- Subsection (e) directs all fines collected under this section to the Clayton County Public Schools Homeless Education Department.
- Section 2 sets the effective date as July 1, 2025, applying to violations occurring on or after that date.
From the bill
“The landlord or manager of any apartment building or compl ex shall provide local11 police and fire departments with current and up to date:”
“All fines collected pursuant to this Code section shall be paid into Clayton County22 Public Schools Homeless Education Department.”
Status timeline
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Yasmin Neal (D, HD-079)
- Eric Bell (D, HD-075)
- Demetrius Douglas (D, HD-078)
- Robert Flournoy (D, HD-074)
- Sandra Scott (D, HD-076)
- Rhonda Burnough (D, HD-077)
Topics
- landlord tenant law
- apartment safety
- police and fire response
- rental property regulation