---
title: HB 1019. Senior Stabilization Act; enact
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1019
cite_as: HB 1019, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1019
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1019.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1019/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72347
date: 2026-01-29
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.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1018.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1020.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1019.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1019
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-01-27
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
- Imani Barnes
- Lydia Glaize
- Kimberly Alexander
- Carolyn Hugley
- Jasmine Clark
- Lisa Campbell
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1019/2025
upstream_id: 2095242
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- senior citizens
- rent increases
- landlord tenant law
- housing affordability
- Social Security
---
# HB 1019. Senior Stabilization Act; enact
## Text
House Bill 1019
By: Representatives Barnes of the 86th, Glaize of the 67th, Alexander of the 66th, Hugley of
the 141st, Clark of the 108th, 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 for rent increase limits for certain senior citizens; to
provide for a short title; 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 "Senior Stabilization Act."
SECTION 2.
Chapter 7 of Title 44 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to landlord and
tenant, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
"44-7-26.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term 'tenant' means a person who is entitled under a
rental agreement that exists on June 30, 2026, between the person and a landlord to occupy
a dwelling unit to the exclusion of others and:
(1) Is 62 years of age or older; and
(2) 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.
(b) During the period beginning July 1, 2026, and ending December 31, 2028, 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 of the rent payable
by the existing tenant pursuant to the rental agreement that is in effect on June 30, 2026."
SECTION 3.
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 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.
### Plain-language summary
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 it does
- Creates a new Code section (O.C.G.A. ยง 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.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2026-01-27)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2026-01-29)
- Sponsors: Imani Barnes, Lydia Glaize, Kimberly Alexander, Carolyn Hugley, Jasmine Clark, Lisa Campbell
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72347
> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1019.md?full=1