HB1007: HB1007 Essential Services for Renters Act; enact

Georgia law already requires landlords to keep rental properties in repair, but tenants have limited options when landlords are slow to fix urgent problems. This bill, called the Essential Services for Renters Act, rewrites Georgia's landlord repair law (O.C.G.A. § 44-7-13) to give tenants two new tools. If a landlord does not complete a 'necessary repair' (something affecting an essential service like water, heat, electricity, or gas, or something the lease requires the landlord to fix) within 14 days of written notice, the tenant may hire a licensed professional to do the repair and subtract the reasonable cost from future rent payments, after submitting receipts. If the landlord still has not fixed the problem within 60 days, and the tenant has not already made the repair, the tenant may give 30 days' notice and end the lease. These rights do not apply if the tenant caused the damage. The changes would apply to leases signed or renewed on or after July 1, 2026.

• Lets tenants hire a licensed repair professional and deduct the reasonable repair cost from rent if the landlord fails to fix an essential service problem within 14 days of written notice.
• Allows tenants to carry unrecovered repair costs forward to reduce future rent installments until fully repaid.
• Gives tenants the right to terminate their lease, with 30 days' notice, if the landlord fails to complete a necessary repair within 60 days and the tenant has not already fixed it themselves.
• Defines key terms including 'essential service,' 'necessary repair,' 'premises,' and 'residential unit' to clarify which repairs and spaces the law covers.
• Requires tenants making repairs to shared facilities to notify other affected tenants and minimize inconvenience to them.
• Excludes tenants from these repair and termination rights if they caused the damage through intentional or negligent acts.

The bill affects residential tenants and landlords across Georgia, including those in multi-unit buildings with shared facilities like hallways or elevators. It applies to leases and renewals entered into on or after July 1, 2026, not existing agreements signed before that date.

Tenants facing slow repairs to heat, water, plumbing, or electrical service would gain a concrete way to fix the problem themselves and recover costs through rent, or to leave the lease if the landlord remains unresponsive, changing the balance of leverage between renters and landlords.

• Section 2 rewrites O.C.G.A. § 44-7-13 to add definitions for 'essential service,' 'necessary repair,' 'premises,' and 'residential unit.'
• New subsection (d)(1) lets a tenant hire a licensed professional to complete a necessary repair if the landlord fails within 14 days of written notice, and deduct the cost from rent with receipts.
• New subsection (d)(2) allows lease termination, after 30 days' notice, if the landlord fails to complete the repair within 60 days and the tenant has not already made it.
• New subsection (d)(3) excludes repairs caused by the tenant's own intentional or negligent acts from these rights.
• Section 3 makes the changes apply only to rental agreements entered into, renewed, modified, or extended on or after July 1, 2026.
• Section 4 repeals any conflicting Georgia laws.

1. 2026-01-28House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-01-27House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-01-16House Hopper (House)

• Bryce Berry (D, HD-056)Primary sponsor
• Spencer Frye (D, HD-122)
• Jordan Ridley (R, HD-022)
• Gabriel Sanchez (D, HD-042)
• Eric Bell (D, HD-075)
• Shea Roberts (D, HD-052)

• renters rights
• landlord tenant law
• housing repairs
• rental agreements