Georgia Eviction Process: Notice Periods, Timeline & Tenant Defenses (2026)

How eviction works step by step, and what defenses you have at each stage

At a glance

• Notice required before filing: 3 or 60 days, depending on the grounds
• Court required: Yes — possession is recovered through court, not by self-help
• Governing statute: O.C.G.A. § 44-7-50

Who this covers — and who it does not

This page covers the eviction process in Georgia for a residential tenancy — the notices a landlord must serve, the timeline, and what you can do at each stage.

It does not cover commercial leases, or mobile home parks where a separate statute applies. Where a city has its own rules, those may differ from the state statute below.

What the statute actually says

O.C.G.A. § 44-7-50 — 驱逐（dispossessory）须经法院：房东先送达 pay-or-vacate 通知，再向 magistrate/法院提交 dispossessory affidavit，仅法院签发 writ of possession 执行。

佐治亚驱逐是司法驱逐。欠租情形，Safe at Home Act (HB 404, eff. 7/1/2024) 要求房东在起诉前送达书面 pay-or-vacate 通知，给租客 3 个营业日付款或搬离；非欠租违约（如重大违规）不适用该 3 日 cure 期。租客收到 summons 后有 7 天答辩期（44-7-51）。

O.C.G.A. § 44-7-50 ↗

Notice periods by grounds

How the process runs, step by step

1. 房东送达 pay-or-vacate 通知（欠租 3 营业日） (from 欠租后). 欠租须给 3 营业日付款或搬离；书面 + 封门张贴 + 租约约定方式。
2. 房东向 magistrate/法院提交 dispossessory affidavit (from 通知期届满). 通知期届满且未付款/未搬离，房东可提交宣誓书（affidavit under oath）。
3. 租客 7 天内答辩（answer） (from summons 实际送达后). 自实际送达之日起 7 天内答辩；第 7 日落在周末/假日则顺延至下一营业日。
4. 法院判决 + writ of possession 执行 (from 判决). 仅法院签发的 writ 可移除租客；租客可一次 tender 欠租+费用作为 complete defense（44-7-52）。

Can the landlord use self-help?

佐治亚禁止自力救济：房东不得换锁、搬物或断水电；违者承担实际损害 + 最高 $500 民事罚金（44-7-14.1）。

44-7-14.1 明令房东不得以断供 heat/cooling/light/water 等方式强迫租客搬离或付租；dispossessory 诉讼进行中更不得断供水电（直至最终处置）。

O.C.G.A. § 44-7-14.1 ↗

Common landlord claims and how to answer them

Remedies for an illegal eviction

自力救济违者对租客承担实际损害 + 最高 $500 民事罚金（44-7-14.1）。

O.C.G.A. § 44-7-14.1 ↗

Sources and how to verify them

Every figure on this page comes from the official text or a state court opinion, not from a summary. The table below lists each provision used and the date it was last checked.

Statute	Last verified	Source
O.C.G.A. § 44-7-50	2026-10-16	official text ↗
O.C.G.A. § 44-7-50(c)	2026-10-16	official text ↗
O.C.G.A. § 44-7-7	2026-10-16	official text ↗
O.C.G.A. § 44-7-50(c)-(d)	2026-10-16	official text ↗
O.C.G.A. § 44-7-50(a)	2026-10-16	official text ↗
O.C.G.A. § 44-7-51	2026-10-16	official text ↗
O.C.G.A. § 44-7-52	2026-10-16	official text ↗
O.C.G.A. § 44-7-14.1	2026-10-16	official text ↗

Where the official text and a secondary summary disagree, this page follows the official text and says so. Where a provision admits of more than one reading, that is flagged rather than smoothed over.

When you need a lawyer instead of a tool

A self-help guide is the right starting point for understanding your position. Get legal help if:

• You have received an eviction notice — the timeline is now court-driven
• The dispute involves discrimination, unsafe conditions or retaliation
• Your landlord has filed anything in court already
• You are unsure whether a local ordinance changes the state rule

Local legal aid organisations and tenant unions offer free help for qualifying cases. They are independent of this site — we list them because they are the right place to go, not because they link here.

More Georgia guides

Georgia Security Deposit Return · Georgia Security Deposit Rules · Georgia Rent Increase Rules · Georgia Repairs & Habitability · Georgia Landlord Retaliation

→ All Georgia tenant rights topics

Common questions