Security deposit return deadline in Georgia
A Georgia landlord has 30 days after the tenancy ends to return a security deposit or send a written list of what was kept.
- Deadline
- 30 days
- What the landlord must send
- If any part is kept, the landlord must send a written statement of the exact reasons, including the move-out damage list, with any balance.
- If the landlord gets it wrong
- Missing the deadlines forfeits the right to keep any of it; a landlord who improperly withholds owes three times the amount improperly withheld plus attorney fees, unless it proves a bona fide error.
An individual who (with spouse and minor children) owns 10 or fewer units and manages them personally is exempt from the penalty section and some other deposit rules.
The law
O.C.G.A. §§ 44-7-34, 44-7-35, 44-7-36. Read the statute.
Checked in October 2026 against a published copy of the statute, because the official code site was unavailable. Laws change, so confirm the current rule before you rely on it.
What to do next
If the deadline has passed, or the landlord kept money without a proper list, put your request in writing. Ask for the deposit back by a specific date, and keep a copy. The free first letter in the Deposit Demand Letters kit does this for Georgia, and the deadline calculator works out your exact date from your move-out day.
Other states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- Washington, D.C.
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
General information about Georgia law, not legal advice, and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Deposit Demand Letters is a self-help template kit from Kits For That.