About Georgia Rental Rights
Every state provides different laws to protect the rights of tenants and landlords. Becoming knowledge about these laws is crucial to having a positive renting experience. Georgia rental rights cover everything both parties need to know, including how to deal with security deposits and necessary repairs. When both parties understand their rights and responsibilities under the law, the chances for problems arising goes down.
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Security Deposits
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Under Georgia rental rights, security deposits must be refunded within 30 days after the landlord takes back the premise. The landlord can keep part of the deposit to cover unpaid rent and damages to the property beyond the normal wear and tear. If the landlord decides to keep any of the deposit, he must provide a written explanation of why along with estimates for repairing the damage. If the landlord fails to do this and does not return the deposit, you can sue them for the return of the deposit and recovery costs. If the landlord owns more than 10 rental units, you can also sue for triple the amount of the security deposit.
Repairs
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According to the landlord tenant laws in Georgia, the landlord is required to maintain the property. The lease cannot reduce this obligation. If a problem occurs in the unit, you should give written notice to the landlord and allow for a reasonable time for the repair to be made. What is reasonable varies depending on the repair. For example, a lack of heat or improperly working sanitation would need to be fixed more quickly than a broken shelf. If the repair is not made in a timely fashion, you can bring in a professional to make the repair and deduct the costs from your rent. However, before doing so you should alert the landlord of your intention in writing.
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Breaking the Lease
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If you sign a lease in Georgia, you are immediately obligated to abide by that lease and do not have a period of time in which you can change your mind. If you terminate the lease, you can be held liable for the outstanding balance of rent for the lease period. However, your landlord must do his best to re-rent the property. Once a new tenant occupies the property, you do not have to continue paying the rent. The landlord is not allowed to collect rent twice for a single property.
Changing Locks
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In Georgia, tenants can change the locks on their rental property and are not obligated to provide a set of keys to the landlord unless the signed lease states otherwise. Tenants may choose to make this change for their own security and privacy. When the tenant leaves the property, however, the locks must either be returned or the keys to the new lock must be turned over to the landlord.
Eviction
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Even if the tenants have not paid rent, Georgia prohibits landlords from taking non-court action to remove them from the property. That means the locks cannot be changed, the tenant's personal property cannot be removed and the utilities cannot be shut off unless the landlord goes through the proper court procedure. You can take them to court to recover your damages in these situations. The landlord could be fined up to $500 if she turns off the utilities in an attempt to wrongfully evict you from the property.
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References
- Photo Credit Georgia state contour with Capital City against blurred USA flag image by Stasys Eidiejus from Fotolia.com
