---
title: HB 1055. Neighborhood Ownership, Transparency, and Accountability (NOTA) Act; enact
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1055
cite_as: HB 1055, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1055
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1055.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1055/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72480
date: 2026-02-02
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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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1055.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1055
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-01-28
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
- El-Mahdi Holly
- Billy Mitchell
- Terry Cummings
- Anissa Jones
- L.C. Myles
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1055/2025
upstream_id: 2100545
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- housing affordability
- corporate landlords
- single-family rentals
- real estate regulation
- landlord-tenant law
---
# HB 1055. Neighborhood Ownership, Transparency, and Accountability (NOTA) Act; enact
## Text
House Bill 1055
By: Representatives Holly of the 116th, Mitchell of the 88th, Cummings of the 39th, Jones of
the 143rd, and Myles of the 126th
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 prohibit certain entities from owning 25 or more single-family
homes; to provide for the filing of certain information with the Secretary of State; to provide
for inspections; to provide for civil actions by the Attorney General to enforce the provisions;
to provide for private rights of action; to provide for damages and remedies; to provide for
equitable and injunctive relief; to provide for joinder; to provide for joint and several
liability; to provide for construction; to provide for definitions; to provide for a short title;
to provide for legislative purpose; to provide for legislative findings; to provide for related
matters; to provide for an effective date and applicability; 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 "Neighborhood Ownership, Transparency,
and Accountability (NOTA) Act."
SECTION 2.
The purpose of this Act is to balance the interests of building wealth through the use of
business entities acquiring properties for rental purposes with the state, local, and individual
economic benefits that result from having a citizenry broadly engaged in and accruing the
advantages attendant to home ownership. This Act further encourages county and municipal
governments to use their home rule powers to limit the purchase of single-family homes by
corporate entities and encourage investment by corporate entities into housing development
and local communities to compensate for the reduction of affordable housing. The purpose
of this Act is not to inhibit ownership of property but to the address the needs of citizens of
this state.
SECTION 3.
The General Assembly finds that:
(1) Georgia has experienced significant high rental costs and housing proceeds;
(2) It is becoming increasingly common for business entities to purchase substantial
numbers of single-family homes for use as rental properties;
(3) The purchase of properties by business entities lowers the supply of and increases the
cost of homes; and
(4) Home ownership is recognized as one of the most reliable ways to build wealth,
permitting owners to build equity which can serve as reserves in times of need and, in
terms of passive income, increases in market value due to such owned property.
SECTION 4.
Chapter 7 of Title 44 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to landlord and
tenant, is amended by adding a new article to read as follows:
"ARTICLE 7
44-7-130.
As used in this article, the term:
(1) 'Affiliate' means a person, other than an individual, that wholly or substantially owns,
is wholly or substantially owned by, or is under common ownership with another person.
(2) 'Individual' means a natural person.
(3) 'Person' means any fiduciary, firm, association, partnership, limited liability
company, corporation, or other business entity or group acting as a unit. Such term
includes officers and employees of a corporation; members, managers, and employees
of a limited liability company; and members and employees of a partnership who, as an
officer, employee, member, or manager acts on behalf of a business entity with which
they are associated or on behalf of an affiliate of such business entity. Such term shall
not include government entities.
(4) 'Qualifying county' means a county with a population greater than 150,000 as of the
most recent United States decennial census.
(5) 'Single-family home' means a residential structure that is either a fully detached or
semidetached building or is a row or townhome that:
(A) Is separated from the adjacent unit by a ground to roof wall;
(B) Does not share heating or cooling systems or utilities; and
(C) Does not have units located above or below it.
44-7-131.
A person and affiliates of such person shall not purchase a single-family home in a
qualifying county for a purpose other than for use by such person as a residence if the
person and affiliates of such person own 25 or more single-family homes that are used
primarily for rental purposes.
44-7-132.
(a) A person and affiliates of such person shall provide the following information relative
to such person and any such affiliates to the Secretary of State by September 1, 2026, and
by January 30 annually thereafter:
(1) Any equity or debt financing from any business entity providing equity or debt
financing of $5 million or greater including:
(A) The name of the entity;
(B) The place of incorporation;
(C) The type of equity or debt financing; and
(D) The amount of equity or debt financing;
(2) The number of properties owned in this state, the United States, and internationally;
(3) The number of evictions for the previous year; and
(4) Identifying information of all properties owned in this state, including:
(A) Address;
(B) Ownership of the property;
(C) Amount of rent charged;
(D) Appraised value; and
(E) Management company information, including:
(i) Name;
(ii) Address; and
(iii) Contact information.
44-7-133.
A person and affiliates of such person shall have a property inspection conducted on each
single-family home owned by the person and by such affiliates verifying adherence with
local regulations. A person and affiliates of such person shall publicize the results of such
inspection within 30 days of a request to publish such results.
44-7-134.
(a) The Attorney General may bring an action to enforce the provisions of this article on
his or her own initiative for civil penalties, injunctive relief, or any relief as the court deems
appropriate.
(b) A person, individual, or municipal or county government may bring an action against
any person or affiliate of such person that acquires a single-family home in violation of this
article. The court may impose civil penalties of up to $100.00 per day per each
single-family home acquired in violation of this article. The court may award:
(1) Equitable relief;
(2) General and special damages;
(3) Attorney's fees and costs; and
(4) Punitive damages of up to $50,000.00 or three times the total damages, costs, and
fees, whichever is greater.
(c) A court may award a prevailing defendant attorney's fees and costs upon finding that
the action was frivolous or was brought for an improper purpose, including to harass, cause
undue delay, or needlessly increase the cost of litigation.
(d) In an action brought pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) of this Code section, a court
may grant a motion for joinder of any affiliate defendant for the purposes of ensuring a
proper accounting regarding the total number of single-family homes owned by the named
defendant and any affiliates of such defendant and permitting proper enforcement,
remedies, and damages.
(e) Liability may be established against individual defendants or jointly and severally for
the named defendant and any parties joined pursuant to subsection (d) of this Code section.
(f) This article shall not be construed to limit the rights and remedies available to the state
or to any individual or person under any other law, and shall not alter or restrict the
Attorney General's authority to enforce this article."
SECTION 5.
This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law
without such approval and shall apply to all purchases of single-family homes occurring on
or after such date.
SECTION 6.
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 1055 would bar large corporate landlords from buying more single-family homes in Georgia's biggest counties once they own 25 or more, and would require them to report ownership details to the state.
### Plain-language summary
This bill responds to concerns that business entities buying up large numbers of single-family homes are driving up rents and shrinking the supply of homes available for individual buyers. It creates a new article in Georgia's landlord-tenant law (O.C.G.A. Chapter 7 of Title 44) that stops a person or company, along with its affiliates, from buying another single-family home for rental purposes in a 'qualifying county' (population over 150,000) once they already own 25 or more rental single-family homes there.
Covered owners must file detailed information with the Secretary of State each year starting September 1, 2026, including financing sources over $5 million, total properties owned, eviction counts, and per-property details like rent and appraised value. Owners must also have their properties inspected for compliance with local rules and publish inspection results within 30 days of a request. The Attorney General, private individuals, and local governments can sue violators, with penalties up to $100 per day per home, damages, and punitive damages. The law would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it or it becomes law without signature.
### What it does
- Prohibits a person and its affiliates from buying more single-family homes for rental use in large counties once they already own 25 or more such homes there.
- Requires large corporate property owners to file yearly reports with the Secretary of State on financing, property counts, evictions, rents, and management companies.
- Requires annual property inspections for compliance with local regulations and requires publishing inspection results within 30 days of a request.
- Allows the Attorney General to sue violators for civil penalties and injunctive relief on the state's behalf.
- Creates a private right of action letting individuals, other persons, or local governments sue violators for damages, penalties up to $100 per day per home, and punitive damages up to $50,000 or three times total damages.
- Allows courts to join affiliated companies as defendants and hold them jointly and severally liable.
### Who it affects
Large corporate and institutional owners of single-family rental homes, their affiliated companies and officers, tenants and prospective home buyers in Georgia's more populous counties, county and municipal governments, and the Secretary of State's office and Attorney General, who would gain new reporting and enforcement duties.
### Why it matters
If enacted, large investment buyers would be blocked from adding more single-family rental homes in populous Georgia counties once they hit the 25-home threshold, potentially leaving more homes available for individual buyers. New public reporting on rents, evictions, and financing would give tenants, local governments, and regulators more visibility into corporate landlords' operations.
### Key provisions
- Section 4 adds new Code sections 44-7-130 through 44-7-134 to Title 44, defining 'affiliate,' 'person,' 'qualifying county' (population over 150,000), and 'single-family home.'
- Code Section 44-7-131 bars a person and its affiliates from buying additional single-family homes for rental use in qualifying counties once they own 25 or more such rental homes.
- Code Section 44-7-132 requires annual filings with the Secretary of State by September 1, 2026 and January 30 each year after, covering financing of $5 million or more, total properties owned, eviction counts, and per-property details.
- Code Section 44-7-133 requires property inspections for local code compliance and publication of results within 30 days of a request.
- Code Section 44-7-134 authorizes Attorney General enforcement actions and private lawsuits, with civil penalties up to $100 per day per home, damages, attorney's fees, and punitive damages up to $50,000 or three times total damages.
- Section 5 makes the Act effective upon the Governor's signature or becoming law without signature, applying to home purchases on or after that date.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2026-01-28)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2026-02-02)
- Sponsors: El-Mahdi Holly, Billy Mitchell, Terry Cummings, Anissa Jones, L.C. Myles
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72480
> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1055.md?full=1