Georgia CommonsHB 1031: Landlord and tenant; limitations on increasing rent on residential properties; provide
Last action January 29, 2026 · House Second Readers
A Georgia House bill would cap annual rent increases at 5 percent for tenants renewing a residential lease, though landlords could set any rent for a brand-new tenant.
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
Under current Georgia law, landlords can generally raise rent by any amount when a residential lease is renewed. This bill would add a new section to Georgia's landlord-tenant law (O.C.G.A. Title 44, Chapter 7) limiting how much a landlord can raise rent when a tenant renews their lease. Specifically, a landlord could not increase rent by more than 5 percent when renewing a lease with an existing tenant. However, this cap would not apply once a tenancy turns over completely, meaning if no tenant from the old lease still lives in the unit, the landlord could set a new rent at any level for the incoming tenant. The bill would take effect July 1, 2026, and would apply to leases signed or renewed on or after that date.
What the bill does
- Creates a new Georgia Code section (O.C.G.A. § 44-7-26) capping rent increases at 5 percent when a residential lease is renewed.
- Exempts landlords from the 5 percent cap when starting a brand-new tenancy after all prior tenants have vacated the unit.
- Sets an effective date of July 1, 2026, applying only to leases entered into or renewed on or after that date.
Who it affects
Residential landlords across Georgia, who would face a new limit on rent increases for renewing tenants, and residential tenants renewing existing leases, who would gain some protection against large rent hikes. Tenants moving into a unit after a full turnover would not benefit from the cap.
Why it matters
For tenants who stay in place and renew their lease, rent could rise by no more than 5 percent a year, offering some predictability against sharp increases. Landlords would still be free to set market-rate rent whenever a unit becomes fully vacant between tenants.
Key provisions
- Section 1 adds new Code section 44-7-26(a), barring landlords from raising rent more than 5 percent when a tenant renews a residential lease.
- Section 1 also adds subsection (b), which lets landlords set rent freely for a new tenancy once no tenant from the prior lease remains in the unit.
- Section 2 sets the effective date as July 1, 2026, and applies the law to leases entered into or renewed on or after that date.
- Section 3 repeals any existing laws that conflict with the new rent increase limit.
From the bill
“An owner of a residential property shall not increase rent for a tenant more than 5 percent when renewing a lease for residential occupancy.”
“An owner of a residential property may establish rent not subject to subsection (a) of this Code section for a new tenancy in which no tenant from the prior tenancy remains in lawful possession of the residential property.”
Status timeline
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- El-Mahdi Holly (D, HD-116)
- Mekyah McQueen (D, HD-061)
- Eric Bell (D, HD-075)
- Imani Barnes (D, HD-086)
- Sylvia Baker (D, HD-064)
- Robert Flournoy (D, HD-074)
Topics
- rent control
- landlord tenant law
- housing affordability
- residential leases