House Bill 707
By: Representatives Adesanya of the 43rd, Cummings of the 39th, and Lim of the 98th
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 limitations on rent increases for seniors and veterans;
to provide for definitions; to provide for defense in dispossessory actions; to provide for an
automatic repeal; 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.
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:
<ins>"44-7-25.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) 'Dwelling unit' means a structure, or a room or group of rooms within a structure, that
is used as a primary residence by a tenant.
(2) 'Landlord' means an owner of record, agent, lessor, or sublessor, or the successor in
interest thereof, of a dwelling unit.
</ins>
<ins>(3) 'Rent' means the consideration demanded or received in connection with the use and
occupancy of a dwelling unit. Such term does not include a security deposit or other fund
held in trust for the tenant but includes other fees, costs, and consideration, regardless of
whether such fee, cost, or consideration is denominated as rent.
(4) 'Rental agreement' means an oral, written, or implied agreement between a landlord
and a tenant for use or occupancy of a dwelling unit and associated services.
(5) 'Tenant' means an individual who is entitled by a rental agreement, subtenancy
approved by the landlord, or sufferance to occupy a dwelling unit and:
(A) Who is 62 years of age or older, a veteran, or both; and
(B) Whose primary source of income is from payments received pursuant to the federal
Social Security Act or the federal Veterans' Benefits Act, including retirement and
survivor's benefits, supplemental security income benefits, and disability income
benefits.
(6) 'Veteran' means an individual who served on active duty in the armed forces of the
United States and who was honorably discharged from such service.
(b) No landlord shall, over the course of a 12 month period, 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
more than the lower of:
(1) Five percent of the lowest rent charged for that dwelling unit at any time during
the 12 months prior to the date on which the increase takes effect, plus the percentage rate
of change over such 12 month period reflected in the Consumer Price Index as reported
by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor; or
(2) Ten percent of the lowest rent charged for that dwelling unit at any time during the 12
months prior to the date on which the increase takes effect.
</ins>
<ins>(c) It shall be an affirmative defense and counterclaim in any dispossessory action filed
against a tenant that the landlord has charged rent in excess of the amount allowed under
this Code section.
(d) This Code section shall stand automatically repealed on January 1, 2035."
</ins> SECTION 2.
This Act shall apply to residential lease agreements that are entered into or renewed on or
after July 1, 2025.
SECTION 3.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.