HB1019: HB1019 Senior Stabilization Act; enact

Georgia law currently has no special limit on how much a landlord can raise rent for elderly tenants. House Bill 1019, called the Senior Stabilization Act, would change that for a defined group: tenants who are 62 or older and whose main income comes from Social Security, including retirement, survivor's, supplemental security income, or disability benefits. For any rental agreement in effect on June 30, 2026, the bill would bar landlords from renewing that lease or signing a new one with the same tenant if the new rent is more than 10 percent higher than the rent under the existing agreement. This limit would apply from July 1, 2026 through December 31, 2028. The bill adds this rule as a new section, O.C.G.A. § 44-7-26, within Georgia's landlord-tenant code, and repeals any conflicting laws.

• Creates a new rent increase cap of 10 percent for tenants who are 62 or older and mainly rely on Social Security-related income.
• Applies the cap only to rental agreements already in effect on June 30, 2026, protecting existing senior tenants rather than new renters.
• Limits the cap to a specific window, from July 1, 2026 through December 31, 2028, after which the restriction ends.
• Bars landlords from both renewing a lease and signing a new lease with the same qualifying tenant if the increase exceeds the 10 percent limit.
• Gives the new provision a short title, the 'Senior Stabilization Act,' and repeals any state laws that conflict with it.

Landlords renting dwelling units to tenants age 62 or older whose main income is Social Security retirement, survivor's, supplemental security income, or disability benefits, and those senior tenants themselves, whose leases were in effect on June 30, 2026.

Qualifying senior renters would be protected from steep rent hikes for about two and a half years, potentially easing housing costs for those on fixed Social Security income. Landlords with such tenants would have to limit rent increases to 10 percent during that window, affecting their rental income and lease planning.

• Section 1 names the law the 'Senior Stabilization Act' as its official short title.
• Section 2 adds new Code section O.C.G.A. § 44-7-26 defining a covered 'tenant' as someone 62 or older whose primary income is from Social Security-related benefits under an existing lease as of June 30, 2026.
• Section 2 also sets the operative rule: landlords cannot renew or newly contract with such a tenant for the same dwelling at a rent more than 10 percent above the rent in effect on June 30, 2026.
• This rent cap applies only during the window from July 1, 2026 through December 31, 2028.
• Section 3 repeals any existing Georgia laws that conflict with the new provision.

1. 2026-01-29House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-01-28House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-01-27House Hopper (House)

• Imani Barnes (D, HD-086)Primary sponsor
• Lydia Glaize (D, HD-067)
• Kimberly Alexander (D, HD-066)
• Carolyn Hugley (D, HD-141)
• Jasmine Clark (D, HD-108)
• Lisa Campbell (D, HD-035)

• rent increases
• senior citizens
• landlord-tenant law
• Social Security income
• housing affordability