Georgia CommonsSB 413: Landlord and Tenant; residential rental or lease agreement terminations if a tenant or a legal occupant of a residence experienced residential firearm violence; provide
Last action January 27, 2026 · Senate Read and Referred
A Georgia Senate bill would let renters break a residential lease early if they or another legal occupant were victims of firearm violence at the home, adding to existing protections for domestic violence and stalking victims.
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
Current Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 44-7-23) already lets a tenant end a residential lease early with 30 days written notice if a civil or criminal family violence order or stalking order has been issued to protect the tenant or their child. This bill adds a new reason: if the tenant or another legal occupant of the home was a victim of what the bill calls residential firearm violence, meaning a felony, misdemeanor, or other act involving a firearm that injured or seriously risked injuring them at or near the residence. To use this new ground, the tenant must give the landlord documentation such as a statement from a victim services provider, a law enforcement record, healthcare records, or a sworn statement from a qualified third party like a police officer, nurse, social worker, or member of clergy. The bill also requires landlords to give tenants written notice of the termination cause and effective date at least 72 hours before the lease ends. As under current law, the tenant still owes prorated rent through the effective date but no extra fees or damages, and the protections cannot be waived by agreement.
What the bill does
- Adds residential firearm violence as a new legal ground for a tenant to end a residential lease early with 30 days written notice.
- Defines residential firearm violence as any felony, misdemeanor, or other firearm-related act causing or seriously risking injury to a tenant or legal occupant at or near the residence.
- Requires tenants to submit supporting documentation, such as records from a victim services provider, law enforcement, a healthcare provider, or a sworn affidavit from a qualified third party like police, medical staff, clergy, or social workers.
- Requires landlords to give tenants written notice specifying the termination reason and effective date at least 72 hours before the lease ends.
- Keeps the tenant responsible for prorated rent and unpaid amounts through the termination date, but bars landlords from charging extra fees or damages for the early termination.
- Prohibits landlords and tenants from waiving or modifying these termination protections by agreement.
Who it affects
Renters and other legal occupants of Georgia residences who experience firearm violence at home, landlords who manage residential leases, and third parties such as police officers, healthcare workers, social workers, and clergy who may be asked to verify a tenant's experience with such violence.
Why it matters
Tenants who experience gun violence in their homes would gain a clear legal path to leave a lease early without owing extra fees, similar to existing protections for domestic violence and stalking victims. Landlords would face new documentation checks and a 72-hour notice requirement before ending a tenancy under this ground.
Key provisions
- Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 44-7-23 to add definitions for 'qualified third party,' 'residence,' 'residential firearm violence,' and 'victim services provider.'
- Subsection (b) lets a tenant terminate a lease with 30 days written notice if the tenant or a legal occupant experienced residential firearm violence, in addition to existing family violence and stalking order grounds.
- Subsection (c) lists the documentation a tenant must provide, including victim services provider statements, law enforcement records, healthcare records, or a sworn affidavit from a qualified third party.
- New subsection (d) requires landlords to give tenants written notice of the termination cause and effective date at least 72 hours before the termination takes effect.
- Subsection (e) keeps tenants liable for prorated rent through the termination date but bars additional fees or damages, and waives all penalties if notice is given 14 or more days before move-out.
- The final subsection reaffirms that these protections cannot be waived or modified by agreement between landlord and tenant.
- Section 2 repeals conflicting laws.
From the bill
“'Residential firearm violence' means the occurrence of one or more of the following acts against a tenant or legal occupant of a residence at or in the immediate vicinity of such residence”
“A landlord shall provide a tenant written notice of termination specifying the cause for the termination and the effective date of such termination at least 72 hours prior to the termination effective date.”
Status timeline
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- Senate Hopper (Senate)
Sponsors
- Kim Jackson (D, SD-041)
- Harold Jones (D, SD-022)
- Elena Parent (D, SD-044)
- Nan Orrock (D, SD-036)
- Donzella James (D, SD-028)
- Sally Harrell (D, SD-040)
Topics
- renters rights
- landlord tenant law
- gun violence
- housing policy
- domestic violence protections