Georgia House Passes “Safe at Home Act” to Balance Tenant Protections and Landlord Rights

State Representative Kasey Carpenter (R-Dalton) today announced that the Georgia House of Representatives unanimously passed House Bill 404, or the “Safe at Home Act,” on Thursday, March 2, 2023. Sponsored by Rep. Carpenter, the Safe at Home Act would provide more protections for Georgia’s renters while also preserving the rights of landlords.

“My family moved to 16 different rental properties throughout my childhood, so I understand the problems that many tenants face on a daily basis,” said Rep. Carpenter. “This legislation seeks to balance the interests of both the tenant and landlord, whose relationship sits on a foundation of livability. As a result, House Bill 404 would provide tenants with more opportunities to ensure their rental property is safe and stable. We need to start a conversation about the rights that tenants have and how to address the bad actors that give landlords a bad reputation.”

House Bill 404 would require rental properties to be “fit for human habitation” upon signing a lease, and landlords would be required to maintain their properties throughout the lease. This legislation would also prohibit landlords from turning off a rental home’s air conditioning prior to an eviction to force tenants to move out. The bill would limit landlords from requiring a security deposit that exceeds two months’ rent. If a tenant fails to pay rent or charges owed to the landlord, the tenant would have a three business day written notice period prior to an eviction proceeding being filed. Landlords would be required to post an eviction notice on the tenant’s front door or deliver the notice based on the stipulations of the rental agreement.

This legislation has been sent to the Senate for its consideration.

First Reader Summary – A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 7 of Title 44 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to landlord and tenant, so as to provide for a duty of habitability for certain rental agreements; to provide for an exception to such duty; to provide for an exception to landlord tort liability; to provide for definitions; to provide for notice; to provide for a maximum security deposit amount; to provide for expedited evictions for certain criminal activity; to provide for a short title; to provide for applicability; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Read more on House Bill 404, here.

Representative Kasey Carpenter represents the citizens of District 4, which includes portions of Whitfield County. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2017 and currently serves as the Chairman of the Creative Arts & Entertainment Committee and Secretary of the Industry and Labor Committee. He also serves on the Higher Education, Information and Audits, Regulated Industries, Transportation, Urban Affairs and Ways & Means committees.