--- title: HB 864. End Corporate Ownership of Georgia Homes Act; enact collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb864 cite_as: HB 864, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb864 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb864.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb864/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71671 date: 2025-03-28 status: introduced corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 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/hb863.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb865.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 129 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb864.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 864 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: bill status_date: 2025-03-25 last_action: House Second Readers sponsors: - Gabriel Sanchez - Rhonda Taylor - Spencer Frye - El-Mahdi Holly - Terry Cummings - Mekyah McQueen text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB864/2025 upstream_id: 2014657 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - corporate home ownership - housing affordability - real estate investment trusts - property reporting - single-family homes --- # HB 864. End Corporate Ownership of Georgia Homes Act; enact ## Text 25 LC 62 0112 House Bill 864 By: Representatives Sanchez of the 42nd, Taylor of the 92nd, Frye of the 122nd, Holly of the 116th, Cummings of the 39th, and others A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Chapter 5 of Title 44 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to1 acquisition and loss of property, so as to require corporations to report the number of2 single-family dwellings they own; to provide for annual reports to the state auditor; to3 provide for the creation of a public portal listing such report s; to provide for a fine; to4 provide for definitions; to provide for a short title; to provide for related matters; to provide5 for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.6 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:7 SECTION 1.8 This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "End Corporate Ownership of Georgia9 Homes Act."10 SECTION 2.11 Chapter 5 of Title 44 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to acquisition and12 loss of property, is amended by adding a new article to read as follows:13 H. B. 864 - 1 - 25 LC 62 0112 "ARTICLE 2A14 44-5-50.15 As used in this article, the term:16 (1) 'Corporation' means any entity subject to the annual corporate net worth tax provided17 for by Article 4 of Chapter 13 of Title 48 or any entity that would be subject to such tax18 if not otherwise excluded by paragraph (2) of Code Section 48-1 3-71; any person or19 entity required to file Form 600, Form 600-S, or Form 700; and real estate investment20 trusts. Such term shall include other persons or entities that o w n m o r e t h a n 2 021 single-family dwellings. Such term shall not include limited liability corporations that22 file as a nonprofit corporation, an entity subject to paragraph (3) of Code23 Section 48-13-71, and any entity solely engaged in the construction or rehabilitation of24 single-family dwellings that does not conduct business by or on behalf of a business25 engaged in another industry.26 (2) 'Housing ownership factor' means the total number of singl e-family dwellings a27 corporation owns an interest in on July 1, 2025.28 (3) 'Interest' means any right, title, or interest in a single-family dwelling.29 (4) 'Real estate investment trust' means an entity that has elected such status for federal30 income tax purposes and meets the requirements of Section 856 of the Internal Revenue31 Code of 1986, as amended.32 (5) 'Single-family dwelling' means any residential property co mposed of one to four33 dwelling units. Such term shall not include unoccupied residen ces acquired through34 foreclosure.35 H. B. 864 - 2 - 25 LC 62 0112 44-5-51.36 (a) On or before December 31, 2025, any corporation owning any interest in a37 single-family dwelling shall submit a report under penalty of p erjury to the state auditor38 which shall include:39 (1) The total number of single-family dwellings in which the corporation has an interest;40 (2) A list identifying each single-family dwelling by county, address, and deed book and41 page number;42 (3) The purchase price of each single-family dwelling;43 (4) The most recent assessed value of each single-family dwelling; and44 (5) The ownership interest in each single-family dwelling.45 (b) The state auditor shall provide such reports to the commis sioner of revenue and the46 Department of Community Affairs.47 (c) By December 31 of each year starting in 2026, every corporation subject to this article48 shall submit a report with the information required by subsection (a) of this Code section. 49 The report shall also include any single-family dwelling sold since the previous report and50 the sale price of such single-family dwelling.51 (d) Any corporation that had owned a single-family dwelling on July 1, 2025, but no52 longer owns the single-family dwelling on December 31, 2025, sh all certify such to the53 state auditor.54 44-5-52.55 The Department of Community Affairs shall create a public portal listing each corporation56 that submitted a report pursuant to Code Section 44-5-51. The listing shall include the57 number of properties owned by the corporation in each county. The Department of58 Community Affairs shall update the portal by March 31 of each year.59 H. B. 864 - 3 - 25 LC 62 0112 44-5-53.60 (a)(1) A corporation shall be permitted to own an interest in single-family dwellings as61 follows:62 (A) By December 31, 2026, a corporation may own an interest in 80 percent of its63 housing ownership factor;64 (B) By December 31, 2027, a corporation may own an interest in 60 percent of its65 housing ownership factor;66 (C) By December 31 2028, a corporation may own an interest in 40 percent of its67 housing ownership factor; and68 (D) By December 31, 2029, a corporation may own an interest in 20 percent of its69 housing ownership factor.70 (2) Any corporation that at any time owns an interest in singl e-family dwellings in71 excess of the number permitted under this subsection shall be subject to a $750,000.0072 fine per excess single-family dwelling in which an interest is owned.73 (b) Any corporation owning an interest in a single-family dwel ling after December 31,74 2030, shall be subject to a $750,000.00 fine per single-family dwelling."75 SECTION 3.76 This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2025.77 SECTION 4.78 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.79 H. B. 864 - 4 - ## 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. A Georgia House bill would require corporations to report how many single-family homes they own statewide and would force most large corporate owners to sell down their holdings over five years or face steep fines. ### Plain-language summary Georgia law currently does not require corporations to disclose how many single-family homes they own. This bill, called the "End Corporate Ownership of Georgia Homes Act," would add a new article to the state's property law (O.C.G.A. Chapter 5 of Title 44) requiring corporations, including real estate investment trusts and other entities that own more than 20 single-family homes, to file an annual report with the state auditor listing every home they own by county, address, purchase price, assessed value, and ownership interest. The Department of Community Affairs would build a public online portal listing each reporting corporation and how many homes it owns per county, updated every year. Starting in 2026, corporations would have to shrink their home holdings on a fixed schedule, down to 20 percent of their 2025 total by the end of 2029, and to zero by the end of 2030. Owning more homes than allowed, or any homes after 2030, would trigger a $750,000 fine per excess home. The law would take effect July 1, 2025. ### What it does - Requires corporations owning any interest in a single-family home to file a detailed annual report with the state auditor starting December 31, 2025. - Directs the state auditor to share those reports with the commissioner of revenue and the Department of Community Affairs. - Creates a public online portal run by the Department of Community Affairs listing each reporting corporation's home count by county, updated yearly by March 31. - Sets a declining ownership schedule requiring corporations to reduce their home holdings to 80%, 60%, 40%, and then 20% of their 2025 total by the end of 2026 through 2029. - Imposes a $750,000 fine per excess home for corporations that exceed the allowed ownership limits, and the same fine per home owned after December 31, 2030. - Exempts nonprofit-filing LLCs, certain tax-exempt entities, and businesses solely engaged in building or rehabbing homes from the definition of covered corporations. ### Who it affects Corporations that own single-family homes in Georgia, including real estate investment trusts and large-scale institutional landlords, are directly affected. The state auditor, the Department of Revenue, and the Department of Community Affairs would take on new reporting and portal duties, and homebuyers or renters could feel effects if corporate ownership patterns shift. ### Why it matters If enacted, large corporate owners of Georgia houses would face new public disclosure requirements and a hard deadline to sell most of their single-family homes by 2030, potentially changing who owns rental housing across the state and putting more homes back on the market for individual buyers. ### Key provisions - Section 1 names the law the 'End Corporate Ownership of Georgia Homes Act.' - New Code Section 44-5-50 defines 'corporation' broadly, covering entities subject to the corporate net worth tax, REITs, and any entity owning more than 20 single-family homes, with exceptions for nonprofits and pure construction/rehab businesses. - New Code Section 44-5-51 requires an initial report by December 31, 2025 and annual reports thereafter listing each home's location, price, assessed value, and ownership interest. - New Code Section 44-5-52 requires the Department of Community Affairs to create and annually update a public portal listing each corporation's home holdings by county. - New Code Section 44-5-53 sets a phased ownership cap dropping from 80% of a corporation's 2025 holdings (by end of 2026) to 20% (by end of 2029), then a full ban after 2030. - Violations of the ownership caps carry a $750,000 fine per excess home, and any home still owned after December 31, 2030 carries the same $750,000 fine. - Section 3 sets the effective date as July 1, 2025. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2025-03-25) - Last action: House Second Readers (2025-03-28) - Sponsors: Gabriel Sanchez, Rhonda Taylor, Spencer Frye, El-Mahdi Holly, Terry Cummings, Mekyah McQueen - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71671 > The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb864.md?full=1