---
title: SB 313. Enforcement Methods; investigations or inspections of certain residential rental property when there is a reasonable suspicion of a code violation; provide
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sb313
cite_as: SB 313, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb313
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb313.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb313/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71026
date: 2025-03-03
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-12
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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previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb312.md
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index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 95
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb313.md?full=1
bill_number: SB 313
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: Senate
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-02-28
last_action: Senate Read and Referred
sponsors:
- Jason Esteves
- Josh McLaurin
- Derek Mallow
- Harold Jones
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB313/2025
upstream_id: 1989279
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- landlord regulations
- rental property inspections
- code enforcement
- local government authority
- housing policy
---
# SB 313. Enforcement Methods; investigations or inspections of certain residential rental property when there is a reasonable suspicion of a code violation; provide
## Text
Senate Bill 313
By: Senators Esteves of the 35th, McLaurin of the 14th, Mallow of the 2nd and Jones II of
the 22nd
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Code Section 36-74-30 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
other enforcement methods and probable cause for investigation required, so as to provide
for investigations or inspections of certain residential rental property when there is a
reasonable suspicion of a code violation; to provide for the registration of certain residential
rental property; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other
purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Code Section 36-74-30 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to other
enforcement methods and probable cause for investigation required, is amended by revising
subsection (b) as follows:
"(b) No local government is authorized to perform investigations or inspections of
residential rental property unless there is probable cause to believe there is or has been a
violation or violations of applicable codes, and in no event may a local government require
the registration of residential rental property. Conditions which appear to be code
violations which are in plain view may form the basis for probable cause.
(b)(1) With adequate notice to the owner, a local government is authorized to perform
investigations or inspections of residential rental property containing four or more
dwelling units when there is a reasonable suspicion to believe there is or has been a
violation or violations of applicable codes. Conditions which appear to be code
violations and are in plain view may form the basis for a reasonable suspicion.
(2) A local government may require the registration of residential rental property owned
directly or indirectly by any person or entity that owns at least 20 residential rental
properties in Georgia."
SECTION 2.
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.
A Georgia Senate bill would let local governments inspect larger rental properties on a lower legal standard than before and require registration for landlords who own many rental units statewide.
### Plain-language summary
Current Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 36-74-30) bars local governments from inspecting residential rental property unless they have probable cause of a code violation, and it flatly bans requiring landlords to register their rental properties. This bill rewrites that section.
Under the new language, local governments could inspect or investigate residential rental properties with four or more dwelling units based on a lower standard called reasonable suspicion, rather than probable cause, as long as they give the owner adequate notice. Code violations visible in plain view could support that reasonable suspicion. The bill also removes the outright ban on registration requirements, allowing local governments to require registration of rental properties owned, directly or indirectly, by any person or entity that owns at least 20 residential rental properties in Georgia. The bill does not state a specific effective date beyond standard enactment.
### What it does
- Lowers the legal standard for local government inspections of residential rental buildings with four or more units from probable cause to reasonable suspicion.
- Requires local governments to give owners adequate notice before inspecting or investigating qualifying rental properties.
- Removes the current statewide ban on requiring registration of residential rental property.
- Allows local governments to require registration of rental properties owned by any person or entity that owns at least 20 residential rental properties in Georgia.
- Repeals any existing laws that conflict with these new rules.
### Who it affects
Owners of residential rental properties with four or more units, and especially large landlords who own 20 or more rental properties across Georgia, along with local governments and their code enforcement offices, and tenants living in the affected rental buildings.
### Why it matters
Landlords of larger rental buildings could face inspections triggered by a lower bar of suspicion rather than solid evidence of a violation, and large-scale landlords could be required to register their properties with local governments, changing how closely local officials can monitor rental housing conditions.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 revises subsection (b) of O.C.G.A. § 36-74-30, splitting it into two paragraphs covering inspections and registration separately.
- Paragraph (b)(1) permits inspections or investigations of rental properties with four or more dwelling units based on reasonable suspicion of a code violation, with adequate notice to the owner.
- Paragraph (b)(1) states that plain-view conditions resembling code violations can form the basis for reasonable suspicion.
- Paragraph (b)(2) allows local governments to require registration of rental property owned by a person or entity with at least 20 residential rental properties in Georgia.
- Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2025-02-28)
- Last action: Senate Read and Referred (2025-03-03)
- Sponsors: Jason Esteves, Josh McLaurin, Derek Mallow, Harold Jones
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71026
> The history, votes, and amendments (95 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb313.md?full=1