Georgia CommonsHB 1019: Senior Stabilization Act; enact
Last action January 29, 2026 · House Second Readers
House Bill 1019 would cap rent increases at 10 percent for existing tenants aged 62 or older who rely mainly on Social Security income, for renewals or new leases between July 2026 and the end of 2028.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the bill and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Introduced version, the latest LegiScan holds.
In plain language
Georgia law currently places no limit on how much a landlord can raise rent when a lease renews or a new agreement is signed. House Bill 1019, called the Senior Stabilization Act, would add a new section to the state's landlord-tenant law (O.C.G.A. Chapter 7 of Title 44) creating a rent increase cap for a specific group of tenants. The cap would apply to tenants who are 62 or older and whose main income comes from Social Security benefits, including retirement, survivor's, supplemental security income, or disability payments, and who already have a rental agreement in place as of June 30, 2026. From July 1, 2026 through December 31, 2028, a landlord could not raise that tenant's rent by more than 10 percent above what was being charged under the lease in effect on June 30, 2026, whether through a renewal or a new agreement with the same tenant for the same unit.
What the bill does
- Creates a new Code section (O.C.G.A. § 44-7-26) limiting rent increases for a defined category of senior tenants.
- Defines a covered tenant as someone 62 or older whose main income is Social Security benefits (retirement, survivor's, SSI, or disability) under a lease existing on June 30, 2026.
- Bars landlords from raising that tenant's rent by more than 10 percent above the rent in effect on June 30, 2026, whether through a lease renewal or a new agreement.
- Limits the cap to the period from July 1, 2026 through December 31, 2028, after which the restriction ends.
- Repeals any existing state laws that conflict with the new rent cap.
Who it affects
Landlords who rent to senior tenants, and tenants aged 62 or older whose primary income is Social Security retirement, survivor's, supplemental security income, or disability benefits and who have an existing lease as of June 30, 2026.
Why it matters
For qualifying seniors on fixed Social Security incomes, this would cap how much their rent can jump when their lease renews, offering some predictability in housing costs for about two and a half years. Landlords with such tenants would face a temporary limit on how much they can raise rent.
Key provisions
- Section 1 names the measure the 'Senior Stabilization Act.'
- Section 2 adds new Code section 44-7-26, defining a covered 'tenant' as someone 62 or older whose primary income is Social Security-related benefits under a lease existing on June 30, 2026.
- Section 2 sets the rent increase cap at no more than 10 percent above the rent in effect on June 30, 2026, for renewals or new agreements with that same tenant.
- Section 2 limits the cap's window to July 1, 2026 through December 31, 2028.
- Section 3 repeals conflicting laws.
From the bill
“no landlord shall renew the rental agreement or enter into a new rental agreement for a dwelling unit with the existing tenant of such dwelling unit that increases the rent payable by the existing tenant for such dwelling unit in an amount that is more than 10 percent”
“Whose primary source of income is from payments received pursuant to the federal Social Security Act, including retirement and survivor's benefits, supplemental security income benefits, and disability income benefits”
Status timeline
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Imani Barnes (D, HD-086)
- Lydia Glaize (D, HD-067)
- Kimberly Alexander (D, HD-066)
- Carolyn Hugley (D, HD-141)
- Jasmine Clark (D, HD-108)
- Lisa Campbell (D, HD-035)
Topics
- senior citizens
- rent increases
- landlord tenant law
- housing affordability
- Social Security