HB 1055: Neighborhood Ownership, Transparency, and Accountability (NOTA) Act; enact

This bill responds to concerns that business entities buying up large numbers of single-family homes are driving up rents and shrinking the supply of homes available for individual buyers. It creates a new article in Georgia's landlord-tenant law (O.C.G.A. Chapter 7 of Title 44) that stops a person or company, along with its affiliates, from buying another single-family home for rental purposes in a 'qualifying county' (population over 150,000) once they already own 25 or more rental single-family homes there. Covered owners must file detailed information with the Secretary of State each year starting September 1, 2026, including financing sources over $5 million, total properties owned, eviction counts, and per-property details like rent and appraised value. Owners must also have their properties inspected for compliance with local rules and publish inspection results within 30 days of a request. The Attorney General, private individuals, and local governments can sue violators, with penalties up to $100 per day per home, damages, and punitive damages. The law would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it or it becomes law without signature.

• Prohibits a person and its affiliates from buying more single-family homes for rental use in large counties once they already own 25 or more such homes there.
• Requires large corporate property owners to file yearly reports with the Secretary of State on financing, property counts, evictions, rents, and management companies.
• Requires annual property inspections for compliance with local regulations and requires publishing inspection results within 30 days of a request.
• Allows the Attorney General to sue violators for civil penalties and injunctive relief on the state's behalf.
• Creates a private right of action letting individuals, other persons, or local governments sue violators for damages, penalties up to $100 per day per home, and punitive damages up to $50,000 or three times total damages.
• Allows courts to join affiliated companies as defendants and hold them jointly and severally liable.

Large corporate and institutional owners of single-family rental homes, their affiliated companies and officers, tenants and prospective home buyers in Georgia's more populous counties, county and municipal governments, and the Secretary of State's office and Attorney General, who would gain new reporting and enforcement duties.

If enacted, large investment buyers would be blocked from adding more single-family rental homes in populous Georgia counties once they hit the 25-home threshold, potentially leaving more homes available for individual buyers. New public reporting on rents, evictions, and financing would give tenants, local governments, and regulators more visibility into corporate landlords' operations.

• Section 4 adds new Code sections 44-7-130 through 44-7-134 to Title 44, defining 'affiliate,' 'person,' 'qualifying county' (population over 150,000), and 'single-family home.'
• Code Section 44-7-131 bars a person and its affiliates from buying additional single-family homes for rental use in qualifying counties once they own 25 or more such rental homes.
• Code Section 44-7-132 requires annual filings with the Secretary of State by September 1, 2026 and January 30 each year after, covering financing of $5 million or more, total properties owned, eviction counts, and per-property details.
• Code Section 44-7-133 requires property inspections for local code compliance and publication of results within 30 days of a request.
• Code Section 44-7-134 authorizes Attorney General enforcement actions and private lawsuits, with 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 makes the Act effective upon the Governor's signature or becoming law without signature, applying to home purchases on or after that date.

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

• El-Mahdi Holly (D, HD-116)Patrocinador principal
• 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 rentals
• real estate regulation
• landlord-tenant law