HB1055: HB1055 Neighborhood Ownership, Transparency, and Accountability (NOTA) Act; enact

This bill, called the Neighborhood Ownership, Transparency, and Accountability (NOTA) Act, targets business entities that own large numbers of single-family homes as rentals. In counties with more than 150,000 people, a person or business (along with related affiliates) that already owns 25 or more single-family rental homes would be barred from buying another single-family home unless it is for their own use as a residence. Covered owners would have to file yearly reports with the Secretary of State starting September 1, 2026, listing financing sources of $5 million or more, the number of properties they own in Georgia, the country, and abroad, eviction counts, and details on each Georgia property including rent charged and management company information. They would also have to get property inspections done and publicize results within 30 days of a request. The Attorney General could sue to enforce the law, and individuals, other businesses, or local governments could also sue violators for civil penalties, damages, and other relief. The law would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it and would apply to home purchases made on or after that date.

• Bans a business entity (and its affiliates) that already owns 25 or more single-family rental homes from buying additional single-family homes in counties with over 150,000 people, unless for personal residence.
• Requires large landlords to file annual reports with the Secretary of State disclosing major financing sources, total properties owned, eviction counts, and per-property details like rent and appraised value.
• Requires covered owners to get property inspections on each home and release inspection results within 30 days if someone requests them.
• Allows the Attorney General to sue for civil penalties and injunctive relief, and allows individuals, businesses, or local governments to sue for damages up to $100 per day per home plus punitive damages.
• Permits courts to join affiliated companies as defendants and hold them jointly and severally liable to prevent large owners from hiding behind separate corporate entities.
• Takes effect immediately upon the Governor's signature and applies to home purchases made on or after that date.

Large corporate and institutional landlords that own many single-family rental homes, their affiliated companies and financiers, county and municipal governments in populous counties, the Attorney General's office, the Secretary of State's office, tenants, and prospective homebuyers competing with large investors.

If enacted, large investors would face new limits on buying single-family homes in Georgia's biggest counties and new public reporting duties about their holdings, financing, and evictions. This could affect how many homes remain available for individual buyers and give the public more visibility into corporate landlords' operations.

• Section 4 adds a new Article 7 to Chapter 7 of Title 44 (O.C.G.A.), defining 'affiliate,' 'person,' 'qualifying county' (population over 150,000), and 'single-family home' (O.C.G.A. § 44-7-130).
• O.C.G.A. § 44-7-131 bars a person and its affiliates from buying a single-family home in a qualifying county for non-residential use if they already own 25 or more rental single-family homes.
• O.C.G.A. § 44-7-132 requires annual filings with the Secretary of State starting September 1, 2026, covering financing over $5 million, property counts, evictions, and per-property details.
• O.C.G.A. § 44-7-133 requires property inspections for local code compliance and public release of results within 30 days of a request.
• O.C.G.A. § 44-7-134 lets the Attorney General sue to enforce the law and lets others sue for civil penalties up to $100 per day per home, damages, attorney's fees, and punitive damages up to $50,000 or three times total damages.
• Section 5 sets the effective date as the date the Governor signs the bill (or it becomes law without signature), applying to purchases from that date forward.

1. 2026-02-02House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-01-29House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-01-28House Hopper (House)

• El-Mahdi Holly (D, HD-116)Primary sponsor
• Billy Mitchell (D, HD-088)
• Terry Cummings (D, HD-039)
• Anissa Jones (D, HD-143)
• L.C. Myles (D, HD-126)

• housing affordability
• corporate landlords
• single-family home ownership
• tenant and landlord law
• real estate regulation