HB1495: HB1495 Senior Stabilization Act; enact

Georgia law currently sets no special limit on how much landlords can raise rent for senior tenants. This bill, called the Senior Stabilization Act, would change that for a defined group: tenants age 62 or older whose primary income comes from Social Security, including retirement, survivor's, supplemental security income, or disability payments. For rental agreements in effect on June 30, 2026, landlords and developers of senior housing could not raise the rent by more than 10 percent when renewing the lease or signing a new one with that same tenant. The protection runs 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 and tenant law (Chapter 7 of Title 44).

• Creates a new Georgia law, O.C.G.A. § 44-7-26, limiting rent increases for qualifying senior tenants to 10 percent over a set period.
• Defines a covered tenant as someone 62 or older whose main income is Social Security retirement, survivor's, supplemental security income, or disability benefits.
• Applies the cap only to rental agreements already in effect on June 30, 2026, for the same existing tenant renewing or re-signing a lease.
• Sets the cap's effective window from July 1, 2026 through December 31, 2028, after which the limit no longer applies.
• Applies the rule to landlords generally and to developers who build or operate senior housing specifically.

Senior tenants age 62 and older who depend mainly on Social Security income are directly protected. Landlords who rent to such tenants, and developers who build or operate senior housing, would face a new limit on how much they can raise rent for these specific renters.

Older Georgians living mostly on fixed Social Security income could see their rent capped at a 10 percent increase through 2028, giving them more predictable housing costs. Landlords and senior housing developers would need to track tenant eligibility and observe the cap when renewing leases during that window.

• Section 1 gives the bill its short title, the 'Senior Stabilization Act.'
• Section 2 adds new Code section 44-7-26 to Georgia's landlord and tenant law, defining 'senior housing' and 'tenant' for purposes of the rent cap.
• Subsection (a) limits eligible tenants to those 62 or older whose primary income is Social Security-related payments under a lease entered into on or before June 30, 2026.
• Subsection (b) bars landlords or senior housing developers from raising rent more than 10 percent above the rate in effect on June 30, 2026, for renewals or new agreements with the same tenant, from July 1, 2026 through December 31, 2028.
• Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-03-06House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-03-04House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-03-03House Hopper (House)

• Imani Barnes (D, HD-086)Primary sponsor
• Lydia Glaize (D, HD-067)
• Al Williams (D, HD-168)
• Kimberly Alexander (D, HD-066)
• Rhonda Taylor (D, HD-092)
• Viola Davis (D, HD-087)

• senior housing
• rent increases
• landlord tenant law
• Social Security recipients
• housing affordability