---
title: HB 1007. Essential Services for Renters Act; enact
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1007
cite_as: HB 1007, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1007
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1007.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1007/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72302
date: 2026-01-28
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1006.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1008.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1007.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1007
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-01-16
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
- Bryce Berry
- Spencer Frye
- Jordan Ridley
- Gabriel Sanchez
- Eric Bell
- Shea Roberts
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1007/2025
upstream_id: 2085251
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- landlord-tenant law
- rental repairs
- renters rights
- housing conditions
- lease termination
---
# HB 1007. Essential Services for Renters Act; enact
## Text
House Bill 1007
By: Representatives Berry of the 56th, Frye of the 122nd, Ridley of the 22nd, Sanchez of the
42nd, Bell of the 75th, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 7 of Title 44 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
landlord and tenant, so as to provide residential tenants with the right to complete repairs
required by the landlord and offset rental installments by the reasonable cost of such repairs
under certain circumstances; to provide residential tenants with the right to terminate a rental
agreement under certain circumstances; to provide for definitions; to provide a short title; to
provide for applicability; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for
other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Essential Services for Renters Act."
SECTION 2.
Chapter 7 of Title 44 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to landlord and
tenant, is amended by revising Code Section 44-7-13, relating to landlord's duties as to
repairs and improvements, as follows:
"44-7-13.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) 'Essential service' means any sanitary plumbing or sewer service; electrical service;
gas service used for heating, hot water, or cooking; heating, ventilating, and air
conditioning service; or hot and cold running water service. Such term includes any
fixture or appliance supplied by, or required to be supplied by, the landlord by law or by
contract, lease, license, or similar agreement, oral or written.
(2) 'Necessary repair' means any defect within the interior of a tenant's residential unit
that requires repair by the landlord under the terms of a contract, lease, license, or similar
agreement, oral or written; or to ensure the continuity of an essential service.
(3) 'Premises' means any residential real property rented or leased pursuant to a contract,
lease, license, or similar agreement, oral or written, for use as a dwelling place. Such
term includes common areas shared with other tenants, including, but not limited to,
hallways, lobbies, stairways, elevators, recreational areas, or other shared facilities.
(4) 'Residential unit' means any portion of a premises intended for use as a private
dwelling place over which a tenant has exclusive use and possession. Such term shall not
include any common areas shared with other tenants, including, but not limited to,
hallways, lobbies, stairways, elevators, recreational areas, or other shared facilities.
(a)(b) The landlord shall keep the premises in repair and shall be liable for all substantial
improvements placed upon the premises by such landlord's consent.
(b)(c) Any contract, lease, license, or similar agreement, oral or written, for the use or
rental of real property as a dwelling place any premises is deemed to include a provision
that the premises is fit for human habitation, which shall include, but shall not be limited
to, compliance with any requirements of applicable building and housing codes affecting
health and safety.
(d)(1) If, within 14 days of receiving written notice of a necessary repair, the landlord
fails to complete such repair, the tenant may complete the repair through a preapproved
licensed professional named in the lease agreement or previously identified by the
landlord in a written notice to the tenant or, if no such professional is preapproved by the
landlord, through any licensed professional. After the repair is complete, the tenant may
reduce the amount of the next rental installment due by the cost of such repair; provided,
however, that the tenant shall submit receipts for the repair to the landlord. If such repair
costs exceed the amount of the rental installment due, the tenant may reduce subsequent
rental installments until such costs are recovered. No tenant shall reduce any rental
installment for a repair made pursuant to this paragraph in an amount greater than the
reasonable cost of such repair. Before completing a necessary repair affecting facilities
shared by more than one residential unit, the tenant shall notify all other tenants sharing
such facilities of the plans for the repair and shall arrange the repair so as to create the
least practicable inconvenience to the other tenants.
(2) If, within 60 days of receiving written notice of a necessary repair, the landlord fails
to complete such repair, the tenant may, after 30 days' written notice to the landlord,
terminate the lease, provided that the tenant has not started or completed such repair
pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection.
(3) The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to a necessary repair caused by the
intentional or negligent acts or omissions of a tenant."
SECTION 3.
This Act shall apply to residential rental or lease agreements that are entered into on or after
July 1, 2026, and to any renewals, modifications, or extensions of such agreements entered
into on or after such date.
SECTION 4.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## Summaries written by Georgia Commons
The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.
House Bill 1007 would let Georgia renters fix certain problems themselves and deduct the cost from rent, or end their lease, if a landlord fails to repair essential services like plumbing, heat, or hot water.
### Plain-language summary
Under current Georgia law, landlords must keep rental properties in repair, but tenants have limited options if a landlord ignores a needed fix. House Bill 1007, called the Essential Services for Renters Act, amends the landlord and tenant law (O.C.G.A. § 44-7-13) to define 'essential services' such as plumbing, electrical, gas, heating and air conditioning, and hot and cold water, and 'necessary repairs' needed to keep those services working or required under a lease.
If a landlord does not fix a necessary repair within 14 days of written notice, the tenant may hire a licensed professional (a preapproved one if named in the lease, or any licensed professional otherwise) to make the repair and then subtract the reasonable cost from future rent payments, as long as receipts are provided. If the landlord still has not made the repair after 60 days, the tenant may give 30 days' notice and terminate the lease. These rights do not apply if the tenant caused the problem. The changes would apply to leases entered into, renewed, modified, or extended on or after July 1, 2026.
### What it does
- Defines 'essential service' to include plumbing, sewer, electrical, gas heating and cooking, HVAC, and hot and cold running water in a rental unit.
- Lets a tenant hire a licensed professional to fix a necessary repair if the landlord fails to do so within 14 days of written notice, and deduct the cost from future rent.
- Requires tenants to submit repair receipts to the landlord and caps rent deductions at the reasonable cost of the repair.
- Allows a tenant to terminate the lease, after giving 30 days' notice, if the landlord fails to complete a necessary repair within 60 days of notice.
- Excludes repairs caused by the tenant's own intentional or negligent actions from these new rights.
- Requires tenants making shared-facility repairs to notify other affected tenants and minimize inconvenience to them.
### Who it affects
Residential tenants and landlords across Georgia are directly affected, along with licensed repair professionals such as plumbers and electricians who may be hired under the new self-repair option. The changes apply to leases signed, renewed, or extended on or after July 1, 2026.
### Why it matters
Tenants facing broken heat, plumbing, or hot water could get faster fixes without waiting on an unresponsive landlord, and could recover repair costs through lower rent instead of paying out of pocket. Landlords would face new deadlines and the risk of lease termination or rent deductions if repairs are not made.
### Key provisions
- Section 2 adds definitions for 'essential service,' 'necessary repair,' 'premises,' and 'residential unit' to O.C.G.A. § 44-7-13.
- Section 2 keeps the existing rule that landlords must keep premises in repair and are liable for improvements they consent to.
- Section 2 creates a self-repair and rent-offset process: tenants can hire a licensed professional after 14 days of unaddressed written notice and deduct the reasonable repair cost from rent.
- Section 2 allows lease termination with 30 days' notice if the landlord has not completed a necessary repair within 60 days of notice, unless the tenant already used the self-repair option.
- Section 2 excludes repairs caused by a tenant's own intentional or negligent acts or omissions from these tenant remedies.
- Section 3 makes the Act apply only to rental agreements entered into, renewed, modified, or extended on or after July 1, 2026.
- Section 4 repeals conflicting laws.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2026-01-16)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2026-01-28)
- Sponsors: Bryce Berry, Spencer Frye, Jordan Ridley, Gabriel Sanchez, Eric Bell, Shea Roberts
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72302
> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1007.md?full=1