“Georgia Squatter Reform Act”
NRHC is pleased to report that two bills targeting the issue of illegal occupation have passed both the House and Senate in the Georgia legislature. Both bills, developed with input and guidance from NRHC, now head to the Governor for his expected signature. While there is opportunity for the bills to be further refined and strengthened in future sessions, both will likely provide some degree of protection and remedy in the short-term for property owners.
The first bill, HB 1017 – the “Georgia Squatter Reform Act” – provides a more efficient and streamlined path for property owners to remove illegal occupants. The second, HB 1203, seeks to address the issue of understaffing in local sheriff’s offices by allowing property owners to utilize the services of off-duty or other certified law enforcement personnel to participate in the removal process. More summary information, to include links to bill language, is below.
Passed 167-0 in the House; 54-0 in the Senate
- Defines “unlawful squatting”
- Requires occupant to provide proof/documentation of right to occupy home within three days of receiving a citation from law enforcement
- If occupant cannot provide proof/documentation then they will be subject to arrest
- If proof/documentation is provided then the claim will be referred to a magistrate court within 7 days
Passed 168-1 in the House; 49-0 in the Senate
- If law enforcement cannot execute a writ of possession within 14 days of a landlord’s application then the landlord can employ off-duty or otherwise certified law enforcement to serve the writ.
In other Georgia legislative news, HB 404, the “Safe at Home Act” passed both the House and Senate this session. The Act requires rental properties to be “fit for human habitation” and caps security deposit amounts to no more than two months rent. The bill also requires property owners to give a three-day grace period to residents who fail to pay rent on time, and prohibits property owners from turning off the AC during an eviction process.
